---
title: Using Imported Lightweight Generics in Swift
framework: swift
role: article
role_heading: Article
path: swift/using-imported-lightweight-generics-in-swift
---

# Using Imported Lightweight Generics in Swift

Understand the constraints of imported Obj-C lightweight generic type declarations.

## Overview

Overview Objective-C type declarations that use lightweight generic parameterization are imported by Swift with information about the type of their contents preserved. For example, given the following Objective-C property declarations: @property NSArray<NSDate *> *dates; @property NSCache<NSObject *, id<NSDiscardableContent>> *cachedData; @property NSDictionary <NSString *, NSArray<NSLocale *> *> *supportedLocales; Here’s the Swift version of those declarations when you import them: var dates: [Date] var cachedData: NSCache<NSObject, NSDiscardableContent> var supportedLocales: [String: [Locale]] A parameterized class written in Objective-C is imported into Swift as a generic class with the same number of type parameters. All Objective-C generic type parameters imported by Swift have a type constraint that requires that type to be a class (T: AnyObject). If the Objective-C generic parameterization specifies class or protocols qualifications, the imported Swift declaration has a constraint that requires that type to be a subclass of the specified class or to conform to the specified protocol. For an unspecialized Objective-C type, Swift infers the generic parameterization for the imported class type constraints. For example, consider the following Objective-C class and category declarations: @interface List<T: id<NSCopying>> : NSObject - (List<T> *)listByAppendingItemsInList:(List<T> *)otherList; @end

@interface ListContainer : NSObject - (List<NSValue *> *)listOfValues; @end

@interface ListContainer (ObjectList) - (List *)listOfObjects; @end When you import these declarations into Swift, the NSCopying protocol qualification of the List type and the NSValue class qualification of the listOfValues method are preserved. In addition, the unqualified listOfObjects method uses the NSCopying generic constraint inferred from the List type. class List<T: NSCopying> : NSObject {     func listByAppendingItemsInList(otherList: List<T>) -> List<T> }

class ListContainer : NSObject {     func listOfValues() -> List<NSValue> }

extension ListContainer {     func listOfObjects() -> List<NSCopying> }

## See Also

### Objective-C APIs

- [Using Imported Protocol-Qualified Classes in Swift](swift/using-imported-protocol-qualified-classes-in-swift.md)