WeatherKit Tutorial: Getting Started

Preparing the App for Distribution

Many weather data providers, including WeatherKit, mandate legal attribution for their data. If you’re planning to release software using WeatherKit — be it an app or a website leveraging the WeatherKit REST API — ensure you provide the necessary attribution for the weather data. Thankfully, Apple simplifies this process for you.

Open DataAttributionView.swift and examine the code:

struct DataAttributionView: View {
  var weatherAttrib: WeatherAttribution?

  var body: some View {
    if let attrib = weatherAttrib {
      HStack {
        AsyncImage(
          url: attrib.squareMarkURL,
          content: { image in
            image.resizable()
              .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
              .frame(maxWidth: 30, maxHeight: 30)
          },
          placeholder: {
            ProgressView()
          })

        Link(destination: attrib.legalPageURL) {
          Text("Weather Data Attribution")
            .font(Font.footnote)
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

It’s a simple view that has one property weatherAttrib of type WeatherAttribution: a struct that provides the service logos and legal page URL you need.

In the view, you:

• Load, in an AsyncImage, the squareMarkURL: a square, colored Apple Weather logo.
• Add a link for legalPageURL: a page that contains information about the weather data sources and copyright.

You’ll use this view to show the attribution. First, open CurrentWeatherView.swift. Add the following variable definition right below the currentWeather definition:

@State var attribution: WeatherAttribution?

Then, in locationUpdated(location:error:), above this line:

stateText = ""

Add the following:

attribution = await weatherServiceHelper.weatherAttribution()

weatherAttribution() is an async method that returns a WeatherAttribution struct.

Next, in the view body, right below the last Divider() line, add the following:

DataAttributionView(weatherAttrib: attribution)

Build and run.

You’ll see the attribution logo and page link at the bottom. Tap the link.

You can see Apple Weather’s data sources, such as NOAA, Met Office and ECMWF.

Note: There’s another Apple Weather logo you can use that comes in two variants: combinedMarkDarkURL and combinedMarkLightURL. It looks like this:

Now, you have the knowledge to copy these steps and include the attribution in DetailedWeatherView.

Where to Go From Here?

You can download the final project by clicking the Download Materials button at the top or bottom of this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to use WeatherKit to show weather forecasts in your app. You’ve acquired the skills to:

• Construct WeatherKit queries.
• Use SwiftUI Charts for forecast visualization.
• Integrate necessary data attributions for app publication.

For a deeper dive, Apple’s official resources are invaluable:

• WWDC 22: Introducing Weather Kit
• WeatherKit Official Documentation

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions or comments, please join the forum discussion below.