////////////////////////////////
//Strings + Error Protection
////////////////////////////////

import UIKit

/** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Types of Strings
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **/
//Simple String or Non-Optional String
var name:String
    name = "Chris"

//Optional String
var jobFunction:String?
    jobFunction = "Developer"

//Implicitely unwrapped Optional String
var jobDept:String!
    jobDept = "Dev Team"

/** ** ** ** ** ** **
Optional String? Use Cases
** ** ** ** ** ** **/

//A. Print Optional String
if(jobFunction != nil){
    //Without Force Unwrapping
    println("Access my inner \(jobFunction)")
    //With Force Unwraping
    println("Access my inner \(jobFunction!) through unwrapping!")
} else {
    println("jobFunction is nil")
}

//B. Optional-binding Syntax: if true, then assign the value to a CONSTANT
if let jobTitle = jobFunction {
    //Since jobFunction exists, the name is assigned to jobTitle
    println(jobTitle)
}

/** ** ** ** ** ** **
Implicit String! Use Cases
** ** ** ** ** ** **/

//A. Print Implicite String
if jobDept != nil {
    println("My department is \(jobDept)")
} else {
    println("jobDept is nil")
}

//How to protect yourself from force unwrapping a nil value
//B. Nil-coalescing operator: Check variable to see if it's nil. If it's not nil, use that value, otherwise, use something else

let finalName = (name ?? "no name")
let finalJob  = (jobFunction ?? "no job")

I've been learning swift lately and here are a few basics.

Swift: String basics

Objective C