Animated Updates

Update your table data with smooth, scroll-preserving animations.

How It Works

SwiftDataTables uses automatic diffing to animate data changes. When you call setData(_:animatingDifferences:), the table:

Compares old and new data using Identifiable IDs
Calculates the minimal set of changes
Animates insertions, deletions, and moves
Updates changed cells in place

Basic Usage

var items: [Item] = []
var dataTable: SwiftDataTable!

func refresh() {
    items = fetchNewItems()
    dataTable.setData(items, animatingDifferences: true)
}

What Gets Animated

Change Type	Animation
Insertions	New items slide in smoothly
Deletions	Removed items slide out
Moves	Reordered items animate to new positions
Cell Updates	Changed values update in place

Scroll Position Preservation

Unlike the deprecated reload() method, setData preserves scroll position:

Method	Scroll Behavior
reload()	Resets to top
setData(..., animatingDifferences: false)	Preserves position
setData(..., animatingDifferences: true)	Preserves position + animates

Common Patterns

Pull to Refresh

@objc func handleRefresh(_ refreshControl: UIRefreshControl) {
    Task {
        let newItems = await api.fetchItems()
        await MainActor.run {
            items = newItems
            dataTable.setData(items, animatingDifferences: true) {
                refreshControl.endRefreshing()
            }
        }
    }
}

Optimistic Updates

func deleteItem(_ item: Item) {
    // Immediately remove from UI
    items.removeAll { $0.id == item.id }
    dataTable.setData(items, animatingDifferences: true)

    // Then sync with server
    Task {
        do {
            try await api.delete(item)
        } catch {
            // Rollback on failure
            items.append(item)
            dataTable.setData(items, animatingDifferences: true)
            showError(error)
        }
    }
}

Performance Considerations

For very large changes (1000+ rows), consider skipping animation: dataTable.setData(items, animatingDifferences: false)

Troubleshooting

Animations not working? Ensure your model conforms to Identifiable and IDs are stable between updates.