Understanding and Resolving the "Switch Case is in Protected Scope" Error in ARC Conversion

28 February 2025 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Xcode

When converting a project to use Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) in Xcode, you might encounter a cryptic error message: “switch case is in protected scope.” This error typically surfaces during the refactoring process and can be perplexing if you’re not familiar with the intricacies of ARC.

Root Cause of the Error

The “switch case is in protected scope” error usually arises when there are variable declarations within the switch statement. Under ARC, the compiler needs to determine when to release variables, and having declarations inside a switch case can obscure this, leading to the error.

Solution: Use Curly Braces

The most straightforward solution to this problem is to enclose each case block within curly braces {}. This approach clarifies variable scope and ensures that the compiler can manage memory effectively.

Here’s how you can adjust your code:


- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"";
    UITableViewCell *cell;
    switch (tableView.tag) {
        case 1: {
            CellIdentifier = @"CellAuthor";
            cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
            if (cell == nil) {
                cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
            }
            cell.textLabel.text = [[prefQueries objectAtIndex:[indexPath row]] valueForKey:@"queryString"];
            break;
        }
        case 2: {
            CellIdentifier = @"CellJournal";
            cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
            if (cell == nil) {
                cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
            }
            cell.textLabel.text = [[prefJournals objectAtIndex:[indexPath row]] valueForKey:@"name"];

            NSData *icon = [[prefJournals objectAtIndex:[indexPath row]] valueForKey:@"icon"];
            if (!icon) {
                icon = UIImagePNGRepresentation([UIImage imageNamed:@"blank72"]);
            }
            cell.imageView.image = [UIImage imageWithData:icon];

            break;
        }
        default: {
            CellIdentifier = @"Cell";
            cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
            if (cell == nil) {
                cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
            }
            break;
        }
    }
    return cell;
}

Alternative Solutions

If enclosing each case in curly braces seems cumbersome, another approach is to declare variables outside the switch statement and instantiate them within the case blocks. This method also helps the compiler manage memory effectively.

Leverage Repeato for Efficient Testing

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With Repeato’s support for data-driven and keyword-driven testing, along with its ease of integration with version control systems, you can ensure that your app remains robust and error-free through every iteration.

Understanding and Resolving the “Switch Case is in Protected Scope” Error in ARC Conversion

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Root Cause of the Error

Solution: Use Curly Braces

Alternative Solutions

Leverage Repeato for Efficient Testing

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