vk-ios-sdk

Library for working with VK API, authorizing through VK app, using VK API methods. Supported iOS from 8.0 Prepare for Using VK SDK

To use VK SDK primarily you need to create a new Standalone VK application here. Choose a title and confirm the action via SMS and you will be redirected to the application settings page. You will need your APP_ID to use the library. Fill in the App Bundle for iOS field.

Setup URL schema of Your Application

To authorize via VK App you need to setup a url-schema for your application, which looks like vk+APP_ID (e.g. vk1234567).

How to implement your own URL Scheme here, Also there is nice Twitter tutorial

Configuring application for iOS 9

iOS 9 changes the way of applications security and way of using unsecured connections. Basically, you don't have to change anything in transport security settings. But, if you're planing to use VK API with nohttps scope, you have to change security settings that way (in your Info.plist file):

<key>NSAppTransportSecurity</key>
<dict>
    <key>NSExceptionDomains</key>
    <dict>
        <key>vk.com</key>
        <dict>
            <key>NSExceptionRequiresForwardSecrecy</key>
            <false/>
            <key>NSIncludesSubdomains</key>
            <true/>
            <key>NSExceptionAllowsInsecureHTTPLoads</key>
            <true/>
        </dict>
    </dict>
</dict>

We don't recommend using nohttps scope.

Also, for iOS 9 you have to add app schemas your app will use and check for canOpenURL:.

Add this to your Info.plist:

<key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key>
<array>
    <string>vk</string>
    <string>vk-share</string>
    <string>vkauthorize</string>
</array>

How to set up VK iOS SDK

Installation with CocoaPods

CocoaPods is a dependency manager for Objective-C, which automates and simplifies the process of using 3rd-party libraries like VK SDK in your projects. See the Getting Started guide for more information.

Podfile

platform :ios, '8.0'
target 'YourProjectName' do
  pod 'VK-ios-sdk'
end

Then import the project as module if your podfile contains use_frameworks! directive:

@import VK_ios_sdk;

Or import the main project header, if you're installing pods without use_frameworks! directive:

#import <VK-ios-sdk/VKSdk.h>

Installation with Carthage

iOS 8 and upper only

Add this to you Cartfile:

github "VKCOM/vk-ios-sdk" >= 1.4

See building instructions for Carthage here

Then import the main header.

#import <VKSdkFramework/VKSdkFramework.h>

Installation with framework project

If you're targeting iOS 8 and upper, you can use the SDK framework target. Add VK-ios-sdk.xcodeproj as sub-project to your project. Open your project in Xcode -> Go to General tab -> Find the Embedded Binaries section -> Click Add items (plus sign) -> And select VKSdkFramework.framework from the VK-ios-sdk project lastly import the main header:

#import <VKSdkFramework/VKSdkFramework.h>

Using SDK

SDK Initialization

1. Put this code to the application delegate method

//iOS 9 workflow
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)app openURL:(NSURL *)url options:(NSDictionary<NSString *,id> *)options {
    [VKSdk processOpenURL:url fromApplication:options[UIApplicationOpenURLOptionsSourceApplicationKey]];
    return YES;
}

//iOS 8 and lower
-(BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application openURL:(NSURL *)url sourceApplication:(NSString *)sourceApplication annotation:(id)annotation
{
    [VKSdk processOpenURL:url fromApplication:sourceApplication];
    return YES;
}

Note: if you already have FaceBook SDK added and one of this methods returns [FBSDKDelegate ...] you can handle it

-(BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application openURL:(NSURL *)url sourceApplication:(NSString *)sourceApplication annotation:(id)annotation {

    [[FBSDKApplicationDelegate sharedInstance] application:application openURL:url sourceApplication:sourceApplication annotation:annotation];
    [VKSdk processOpenURL:url fromApplication:sourceApplication];
    return YES;
}

2. Initialize VK SDK with your APP_ID for any delegate

VKSdk *sdkInstance = [VKSdk initializeWithAppId:YOUR_APP_ID];

Starting from version 1.3 there are two types of delegates available: common delegate and UI delegate. You can register as much common delegates, as you need, but an UI delegate may be only one. After the SDK initialization you should register delegates separately:

[sdkInstance registerDelegate:delegate];
[sdkInstance setUiDelegate:uiDelegate];

or

[[VKSdk initializeWithAppId:APP_ID] registerDelegate:delegate];

You will find full description of VKSdkDelegate and VKSdkUIDelegate protocols here or here

3. You need to check, if there is previous session available, so call asynchronous method wakeUpSession:completeBlock:

NSArray *SCOPE = @[@"friends", @"email"];

[VKSdk wakeUpSession:SCOPE completeBlock:^(VKAuthorizationState state, NSError *error) {
    if (state == VKAuthorizationAuthorized) {
        // Authorized and ready to go
    } else if (error) {
        // Some error happened, but you may try later
    }
}];

You will find full list of available SCOPE permission here

Check out the VKAuthorizationState parameter. You can get several states:

• VKAuthorizationInitialized – means the SDK is ready to work, and you can authorize user with +authorize: method. Probably, an old session has expired, and we wiped it out. This is not an error.
• VKAuthorizationAuthorized - means a previous session is okay, and you can continue working with user data.
• VKAuthorizationError - means some error happened when we tried to check the authorization. Probably, the internet connection has a bad quality. You have to try again later.

[VKSdk wakeUpSession:SCOPE completeBlock:^(VKAuthorizationState state, NSError *err) {
       if (state == VKAuthorizationAuthorized) {
           // authorized
       } else {
           // auth needed
       }
}];

User Authorization

If you don't have a session yet, you have to authorize user with a next method:

[VKSdk authorize:scope];

You have to conform to both VKSdkDelegate and VKSdkUIDelegate protocols to get appropriate methods called.

After the authorization, all common delegates will be called with a next method:

- (void)vkSdkAccessAuthorizationFinishedWithResult:(VKAuthorizationResult *)result;

VKAuthorizationResult contains some initial information: new access token object, basic user information, and error (if authorization failed). Complete documentation here

API Requests

VK API Request syntax

Below we have listed some examples for several request types.

1. Plain request

VKRequest *usersReq = [[VKApi users] get];

2. Request with parameters

VKRequest *audioReq = [[VKApi audio] get:@{VK_API_OWNER_ID : @"896232"}];

3. Request with predetermined maximum number of attempts

VKRequest *postReq = [[VKApi wall] post:@{VK_API_MESSAGE : @"Test"}];
postReq.attempts = 10;
//or infinite
//postReq.attempts = 0;

It will take 10 attempts until succeeds or an API error occurs

4. Request that calls any method of VK API

VKRequest *getWall = [VKRequest requestWithMethod:@"wall.get" andParameters:@{VK_API_OWNER_ID : @"-1"}];

5. Request that uploads a photo to a user's wall

VKRequest *request = [VKApi uploadWallPhotoRequest:[UIImage imageNamed:@"my_photo"] parameters:[VKImageParameters pngImage] userId:0 groupId:0 ];

Request firing

[audioReq executeWithResultBlock:^(VKResponse *response) {
        NSLog(@"Json result: %@", response.json);
    } errorBlock:^(NSError * error) {
    if (error.code != VK_API_ERROR) {
        [error.vkError.request repeat];
    } else {
        NSLog(@"VK error: %@", error);
    }
}];

Error Handling

Every request can return NSError with domain equal to VKSdkErrorDomain. SDK can return networking error or internal SDK error (e.g. request was canceled). Category NSError+VKError provides vkError property that describes error event. Compare error code with the global constant VK_API_ERROR. If they are equal that means you process vkError property as API error. Otherwise you should handle an http error.

SDK can handle some errors (e.g., captcha error, validation error). Appropriate ui delegate method will be called for this purpose. Below is an example of captcha error processing:

- (void)vkSdkNeedCaptchaEnter:(VKError *)captchaError
{
    VKCaptchaViewController *vc = [VKCaptchaViewController captchaControllerWithError:captchaError];
    [vc presentIn:self];
}

Batch Processing Requests

SDK allows to execute several unrelated requests at the one call (aka Batch Request).

1. Prepare requests

VKRequest *request1 = [[VKApi audio] get];
request1.completeBlock = ^(VKResponse *) { ... };

VKRequest *request2 = [[VKApi users] get:@{VK_USER_IDS : @[@(1), @(6492), @(1708231)]}];
request2.completeBlock = ^(VKResponse *) { ... };

2. Merge requests into one

VKBatchRequest *batch = [[VKBatchRequest alloc] initWithRequests:request1, request2, nil];

3. Fire the obtained request

[batch executeWithResultBlock:^(NSArray *responses) {
        NSLog(@"Responses: %@", responses);
    } errorBlock:^(NSError \*error) {
        NSLog(@"Error: %@", error);
}];

4. The result of each method returns to a corresponding completeBlock. Response array contains result of the requests in order they have been passed.

Working with Share dialog

Share dialog allows you to create a user friendly dialog for sharing text and photos from your application directly to VK. See the Share dialog usage example:

VKShareDialogController *shareDialog = [VKShareDialogController new]; //1
shareDialog.text         = @"This post created using #vksdk #ios"; //2
shareDialog.vkImages     = @[@"-10889156_348122347",@"7840938_319411365",@"-60479154_333497085"]; //3
shareDialog.shareLink    = [[VKShareLink alloc] initWithTitle:@"Super puper link, but nobody knows" link:[NSURL URLWithString:@"https://vk.com/dev/ios_sdk"]]; //4
[shareDialog setCompletionHandler:^(VKShareDialogControllerResult result) {
    [self dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
}]; //5
[self presentViewController:shareDialog animated:YES completion:nil]; //6

1. Create an instance of the dialog controller as usual

2. Attach some text information to a dialog. Notice that users can change this information

3. Attach images uploaded to VK earlier. If you want user to upload a new image use uploadImages property

4. Attach link at your pages

5. Set the dialog completion handler

6. Present the dialog view controller to your view controller

Working with share activity

VK SDK provides a special class to work with UIActivityViewController - VKActivity.

Pay attention to the fact, that a VK App has it own Share extension since version 2.4. Since version 2.5 it will support special URL scheme to check if Share extension is available. You should call [VKActivity vkShareExtensionEnabled] method to remove VKActivity from activities list, if a VK share extension is available.

Check the example below to understand how it works:

NSArray *items = @[[UIImage imageNamed:@"apple"], @"Check out information about VK SDK" , [NSURL URLWithString:@"https://vk.com/dev/ios_sdk"]]; //1
UIActivityViewController *activityViewController = [[UIActivityViewController alloc]
                                                    initWithActivityItems:items
                                                    applicationActivities:@[[VKActivity new]]]; //2
[activityViewController setValue:@"VK SDK" forKey:@"subject"]; //3
[activityViewController setCompletionHandler:nil]; //4
if (VK_SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO(@"8.0")) {
    UIPopoverPresentationController *popover = activityViewController.popoverPresentationController;
    popover.sourceView = self.view;
    popover.sourceRect = [tableView rectForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
} //5
[self presentViewController:activityViewController animated:YES completion:nil]; //6

Let's go through the example step-by-step

1. Prepare your share information - UIImage, NSString and NSURL. That kind of information may be shared through VK

2. Prepare UIActivityViewController with a new application VKActivity

3. Set additional properties for activityViewController

4. Set completion handler for activityViewController

5. Check if you're running iOS 8 or upper. If user is using iPad, you have to present the activity controller in a popover otherwise you'll get system error

6. Present the activity controller as usual