Can I pass a string containing markdown to custom view?

March 4, 2022

I want to pass a string containing markdown to a custom view and have the formatting done in that view.

Example:

struct MyTest: View {
    let text: String // Some other type needed here
    
    init(_ text: String) { self.text = text }
    
    var body: some View {
        Text(text)
        Text("*Inline*")
    }
}

Use the view, eg.: MyTest("*Test*")

This will produce the output:

*Test*
Inline

The goal is to get the output:

Test
Inline

Is it possible to have the formatting passed to the Text(text) line in the custom view?

>Solution :

The formatting markdown "magic" comes from this initialiser of Text, which takes a LocalizedStringKey. Since LocalizedStringKey conforms to ExpressibleByStringLiteral, Text("*Inline*") will call this initialiser, but Text(someStringVariable) will not.

So to format the markdown in the text property, you just need to call that initialiser. You can either make text a LocalizedStringKey itself:

struct MyTest: View {
    let text: LocalizedStringKey
    
    init(_ text: LocalizedStringKey) { self.text = text }
    
    var body: some View {
        Text(text)
        Text("*Inline*")
    }
}

Or create a LocalizedStringKey when creating the Text: