swift - cannot return String in function -

i having trouble casting option anyobject string. whenever try call fuction program crashes (lldb). function.

func name() -> string {     print(attributes["name"])     print(attributes["name"]! as! string)      let name  = attributes["name"]! as! string     return name } 

the output prints is:

optional(optional(josh)) josh (lldb)  

thanks in advance help!

lets attributes defined follow

var attributes: nsmutabledictionary? = nsmutabledictionary() 

and can populated follow

attributes?.setvalue("walter white", forkey: "name") 

optionals

you should design name() function return string or nil (aka string? optional type)

func name() -> string? {     guard let         attributes = attributes,         name = attributes["name"] as? string else { return nil }     return name } 

the same logic can written way

func name() -> string? {     return attributes?["name"] as? string } 

now if valid string value found inside attributes key name returned. otherwise function return nil.

invoking function

when using function should unwrap result this

if let name = name() {     print(name) // prints "walter white" }