iOS Channels

A WKChannel answers “who should receive this message?” A direct channel ID is the other user's UID; a group channel ID is your product's group ID. WKChannelInfo stores display data such as name, avatar, and settings.

Create channels

WKChannel *person = [WKChannel personWithChannelID:@"bob"];
WKChannel *group = [WKChannel groupWithChannelID:@"team-1"];

The same channelId under different channelType values is not the same chat. Use the complete WKChannel identity in caches and lists.

Read local data and refresh when needed

WKChannelInfo *cached =
    [[WKSDK shared].channelManager getChannelInfo:person];

[[WKSDK shared].channelManager fetchChannelInfo:person
                                      completion:^(WKChannelInfo *info) {
    self.titleLabel.text = info.displayName;
}];

getChannelInfo: only reads local data and can return nil. fetchChannelInfo:completion: requests a profile through the data source supplied by your app.

Connect your user and group profile API

[WKSDK shared].channelInfoUpdate = ^WKTaskOperator *(WKChannel *channel,
                                                     WKChannelInfoCallback callback) {
    return [profileAPI fetchChannel:channel completion:^(WKChannelInfo *info,
                                                         NSError *error) {
        if (info != nil) {
            [[WKSDK shared].channelManager addOrUpdateChannelInfo:info];
        }
        callback(error, NO);
    }];
};

Choose the user or group endpoint from channel.channelType, and always invoke callback. The returned task supports cancellation; return nil if your network layer has no cancellable task.

Observe profile changes

[[WKSDK shared].channelManager addDelegate:self];

- (void)channelInfoUpdate:(WKChannelInfo *)channelInfo
           oldChannelInfo:(WKChannelInfo *)oldChannelInfo {
    [self updateTitle:channelInfo.displayName avatar:channelInfo.logo];
}

Group members come from the same manager:

NSArray<WKChannelMember *> *members =
    [[WKSDK shared].channelManager getMembersWithChannel:group limit:50];

The SDK manages local member data only. Your app fetches, paginates, and updates members from its server, then stores them through addOrUpdateMembers:.

Common problems

• Conversation has only an ID: configure channelInfoUpdate, then call fetchChannelInfo:.
• Avatar never changes: ensure the new WKChannelInfo.version is newer, or deliberately use addOrUpdateChannelInfo: without version comparison.
• Large group screen stalls: paginate members instead of loading the full group into the UI.