What's new in Core Data?

What's New in Core Data?

At WWDC 2024, Apple introduced several new features and improvements related to Core Data, primarily through the new SwiftData framework. Here are the key updates:

1. Integration with SwiftData:

   • SwiftData now uses Core Data by default to store information, making it easier to work with your queries while iterating on views. This integration allows for a more seamless experience when working with data in Swift.

2. Custom Data Stores:

   • SwiftData supports custom data stores, allowing you to use alternative backends like SQLite, remote web services, or even collections of JSON files. This flexibility opens up new possibilities for data storage and management.

3. History API:

   • The new history API in SwiftData provides a way to track changes to your app's models. This is useful for tracking local changes that need to be synced to a remote web service. The history API records transactions and changes, making it easy to inspect all the changes that were recently made.

4. Index and Unique Macros:

   • The addition of the index and unique macros helps optimize queries and ensure data integrity. The index macro makes queries more efficient by indicating which properties are commonly queried together, while the unique macro ensures that a set of properties has no duplicate entries.

5. Model Container Customization:

   • The model container modifier allows for fine-tuning of data location and usage throughout the app. This makes it easier to manage how data is stored and accessed within your application.

For more detailed information, you can check out the following sessions from WWDC 2024:

• Platforms State of the Union (40:60)
• What’s new in SwiftData (03:37)
• Track model changes with SwiftData history (02:16)

Relevant Sessions

1. Platforms State of the Union
2. What’s new in SwiftData
3. Track model changes with SwiftData history
4. Create a custom data store with SwiftData