SwiftUI WYSIWYG Draw Project

This project explores the use of SwiftUI for developing a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) vector drawing app. A WYSIWYG vector drawing app can be thought of as one that renders different objects such as a rectangle, an ellipse, a text, or other shapes on a canvas; the moving of objects around a canvas by dragging; and changing object properties by tapping on objects.

Github Project

Why use SwiftUI View as the drawing canvas?

When developing a vector drawing app in the Apple ecosystem, things that come immediately onto the mind are Core Graphics or SwiftUI Canvas. Both are extremely fast, easy to use, and provide a canvas for us to draw on. Naturally, both are good choices as the canvas of a drawing app. However, when the drawing app requires WYSIWYG behavior, a Swift developer realizes that handling of object interactions such as drag, move, and resize, requires the use of Apple's Gestures and Events.

This makes it hard for a Swift developer to ignore the use of a SwiftUI View as the "Drawing Canvas". This is because all Apple's Gestures and Events are directly supported by a SwiftUI View. If one is to take a step back and think about it, a SwiftUI View is designed by Apple for User Interface (UI) development, and such a View already naturally supports all the behavior required by a WYSIWYG app: rendering views and objects, and supporting gestures and events. The use of a SwiftUI View as the "Drawing Canvas" also does not prevent us from using Core Graphics, SwiftUI Canvas, or even Metal for rendering the underlying object that requires special treatment, as all three can be represented as a SwiftUI View easily.

Our open-source project powers Barcode & Label (macOS/iOS), a professional label design and barcode printing app that uses industry-proven barcode fonts. With a full WYSIWYG designer, it makes creating and printing Address Labels, Inventory Tags, Envelopes, Mailing Labels, Price Tags, and Business Cards effortless, supported by over 600 pre-built label stock templates. Developed by ConnectCode, a provider of barcode fonts, SDKs, and labeling solutions trusted for more than 15 years, the technology ensures strict GS1/ISO/AIM compliance and seamless integration across Windows, Mac, and Linux with applications like Excel Barcodes, Word, Photoshop, Illustrator, Crystal Reports, Oracle, .NET, and more.