What does the circle mean in front of the line?

What does the circle mean in front of the line (following image)?

How could I remove or create it?

Hi, If you're using storyboards, it means you don't have that IBOutlet connected to an object (such as a label, text, etc) in the storyboard.

Hope this helps, Dan Uff

The circle means it is an IBOutlet.

An IBOutlet (may be TextField, Label, Button, constraint, tableView, CollectionView…) has its counterpart in storyboard.

To reference the object in storyboard, you have to connect it to its IBOutlet (drag from the circle in code to the object in storyboard).

  • when not connected, circle is white, like here
  • once connected, circle turns black, showing that you have connected IBOutlet.

All IBOutlets should logically be connected to their object.

How could I remove or create it?

  • to remove, you have to remove the keyword IBOutlet
  • to create, just declare as it is here.
  • or, control-drag from an object in storyboard into the code of its class; a pop up will propose you to create an IBOutlet.

You will have a similar dot to connect an IBAction.

What does the circle mean in front of the line?
 
 
Q