Using swift generics for easier storyboard ViewController instantiation

gistfile1.txt

import UIKit

extension UIStoryboard {

    func instantiate<T>(identifier: String, asClass: T.Type) -> T {
        return instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier(identifier) as! T
    }
    
    func instantiate<T>(identifier: String) -> T {
        return instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier(identifier) as! T
    }
}

// Usage
let vc = storyboard.instantiate("MyViewControllerIdentifier", asClass: MyViewController.self)

// or
let vc2: MyViewController = storyboard.instantiate("MyViewControllerIdentifier")

func instantiate<T>(identifier: String) -> T {
  return instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier(identifier) as! T
}

allows me to do:

let vc: MyViewController = storyboard.instantiate("MyViewControllerIdentifier")

But I actually think that:

let vc = storyboard.instantiate<MyViewController>("MyViewControllerIdentifier")

should work (or at least I think so), but it doesn't.

I think I still prefer not to “manually” specify the class in the argument if I can. Any of the other options is more idiomatic.

Updated, thanks for the tip!