SKAction on SKLabel with array of Strings

Question

I have an SKLabel attached to a parent SKNode and an array of strings:

let configText:[String] = [
                            "Configuration",
                             "Do stuff",
                             "Do more stuff",
                             "Nil",
                             "It is the void"]

The array is looped through with the following:

parentNode_Label.run(
  SKAction.sequence([
    SKAction.run{
      if self.counter == self.configText.count - 1
      { self.counter = 0 } },
    SKAction.wait(forDuration: 3.0),
    SKAction.run { self.sprite_Label.text = self.configText[self.counter + 1] },
    SKAction.fadeIn(withDuration: 0.5),
    SKAction.wait(forDuration: 3.0),
    SKAction.fadeOut(withDuration: 0.5),
    SKAction.run{ self.counter += 1 }
    ]).forever()
)

extension SKAction
public func forever() -> SKAction { return SKAction.repeatForever( self ) }
}

It works but seems kind of clunky/hacky. Is there a simpler, more efficient yet readable way to do this?

Answer 1

• The first array element configText[0] is never used, so you can remove it from the array (and modify the index calculations accordingly).

• Incrementing the counter with wrap-around can be simplified using the remainder operator:

  self.counter = (self.counter + 1) % self.configText.count
  

• The three "run" actions can be combined into one.

• Inside the actions array you can refer to the SKAction members without specifying the type explicitly, e.g. .wait instead of SKAction.wait.

Putting it all together:

parentNode_Label.run(
    SKAction.sequence([
        .wait(forDuration: 3.0),
        .run {
            self.sprite_Label.text = self.configText[self.counter]
            self.counter = (self.counter + 1) % self.configText.count
        },
        .fadeIn(withDuration: 0.5),
        .wait(forDuration: 3.0),
        .fadeOut(withDuration: 0.5),
        ]).forever()
)

Also have a look at the Swift naming conventions:

Names of types and protocols are UpperCamelCase. Everything else is lowerCamelCase.

For example: parentNode, textLabel, without underscores.