struct Location {
    let location: CLLocationCoordinate2D
    
    init() {
        self.location = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 37.332331, longitude: -122.031219)
    }
    
}

class ViewController: UIViewController {

    let v = VenueService()
    let l = Location()
    
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
    }


    @IBAction func testJSON(sender: AnyObject) {
        v.performVenueLocationRequest(l.location, identifier: "4d4b7105d754a06374d81259", completion: { arr, err in
            dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), {
                if let err = err {
                    println("if let \(err)")
                } else {
                    println("else: \(arr!)")
                }
            })
        })

struct Location {
    let location: CLLocationCoordinate2D
    
    init() {
        self.location = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 37.332331, longitude: -122.031219)
    }
    
}

class ViewController: UIViewController {

    let v = VenueService()
    let l = Location()
    
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
    }


    @IBAction func testJSON(sender: AnyObject) {
        v.performVenueLocationRequest(l.location, identifier: "4d4b7105d754a06374d81259", completion: { dict, err in
            dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), {
                if let err = err {
                    println("if let \(err)")
                } else {
                    if let dict = dict {
                        println("else: \(dict)")
                    }
                }
            })
        })
    }
}

VenueService.swift

and use it like this in my ViewController:

Say I have an optional.

  I could use the if let syntax to unwrap it, but is it the same to just say  if optinalVariable == nil {} else optinalVariable!

In playground I get the same results.

Anyway - Any and all help will be appreciated!

VenueService.swift

I use it like this in my ViewController:

Say I have an optional. I could use the if let syntax to unwrap it, but is it the same to just say if optinalVariable == nil {} else optinalVariable!?

In playground I get the same results.

class VenueService {
    
    private let __kVenueServiceClientID = "CLIENT_ID"
    private let __kVenueServiceClientSecret = "CLIENT_SECRET"
    
    func performVenueLocationRequest(location: CLLocationCoordinate2D, identifier: NSString, completion: (venues: NSDictionary?, error: NSError?) -> ()) {
        var error: NSError?
        var response: NSURLResponse?
        
        if let data = NSURLConnection.sendSynchronousRequest(self.buildRequestForVenueLocation(location, identifier: identifier), returningResponse: &response, error: &error) {
            
            let queue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0)
            
             dispatch_async(queue, {
                if(error == nil) {
                    let responseDictionary: NSDictionary? = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data, options: nil, error:&error) as? NSDictionary
                    if let responseDictionary = responseDictionary {
                        completion(venues: responseDictionary, error: nil)
                    }
                } else {
                    completion(venues: nil, error: error)
                }
            })

        }
    }
    
    func todaysDate() -> NSString {
        let date = NSDate()
        let formatter = NSDateFormatter()
        formatter.dateFormat = "yyyMMdd"
        return formatter.stringFromDate(date)
    }
    
    func buildRequestForVenueLocation(location: CLLocationCoordinate2D, identifier: NSString) -> NSURLRequest {
            return NSURLRequest(URL: NSURL(string: "https://api.foursquare.com/v2/venues/search?ll=\(location.latitude),\(location.longitude)&radius=500&limit=50&categoryId=\(identifier)&client_id=\(__kVenueServiceClientID)&client_secret=\(__kVenueServiceClientSecret)&v=\(self.todaysDate())")!)
    }
}

    class VenueService {
    
    private let __kVenueServiceClientID = "CLIENT_ID"
    private let __kVenueServiceClientSecret = "CLIENT_SECRET"
    
    func performVenueLocationRequest(location: CLLocationCoordinate2D, identifier: NSString, completion: (venues: NSDictionary?, error: NSError?) -> ()) {
        var error: NSError?
        var response: NSURLResponse?
        
        let queue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0)
            
        dispatch_async(queue, {
            if let data = NSURLConnection.sendSynchronousRequest(self.buildRequestForVenueLocation(location, identifier), returningResponse: &response, error: &error) {
                if(error == nil) {
                    let responseDictionary: AnyObject? = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data, options: nil, error:&error)
                    if let responseDictionary = responseDictionary as? NSDictionary {
                        completion(venues: responseDictionary, error: nil)
                    }
                } else {
                    completion(venues: nil, error: error)
                }
            } else {
                println("There was a problem with the request...")
            }
        })
        
    }
    
    func todaysDate() -> NSString {
        let date = NSDate()
        let formatter = NSDateFormatter()
        formatter.dateFormat = "yyyMMdd"
        return formatter.stringFromDate(date)
    }
    
    func buildRequestForVenueLocation(location: CLLocationCoordinate2D, _ identifier: NSString) -> NSURLRequest {
            return NSURLRequest(URL: NSURL(string: "https://api.foursquare.com/v2/venues/search?ll=\(location.latitude),\(location.longitude)&radius=500&limit=50&categoryId=\(identifier)&client_id=\(__kVenueServiceClientID)&client_secret=\(__kVenueServiceClientSecret)&v=\(self.todaysDate())")!)
    }
}