From this Stackoverflow Question

Given this example method in Objective C:

- (void)addFilter:(GPUImageOutput <GPUImageInput>*)newFilter;

How to rewrite it in Swift, saying that the input parameter is of Class GPUImageOutput (or subclass), and, at the same time, conforms to the protocol GPUImageInput ?

In Swift, the solution comes from Generics:

Given these example declarations of protocol, main class and subclass:

protocol ExampleProtocol {
    func printTest() // classes that implements this protocol must have this method
 }

// an empty test class
class ATestClass
{
}

// a child class that implements the protocol
 class ATestClassChild : ATestClass, ExampleProtocol
 {
     func printTest()
     {
         println("hello")
     }
 }

Now, you want to define a method that takes an input parameters of type ATestClass (or a child) that conforms to the protocol ExampleProtocol. Write the method declaration like this:

func addFilter<T where T: ATestClass, T: ExampleProtocol>(newFilter: T)
{
    println(newFilter)
}

The original method, redefined in Swift, should be

func addFilter<T where T:GPUImageOutput, T:GPUImageInput>(newFilter:T!)
{
    // ...
}

From: Stackoverflow Question

Swift “hides” pointers, but they still exists under the hood. (because the runtime needs it, and for compatibility reasons with Objc and C)

There are few things to know however, but first how to print the memory address of a Swift String?

var aString : String = "THIS IS A STRING"
 NSLog("%p", aString.core._baseAddress) // _baseAddress is a COpaquePointer
 // example printed address 0x100006db0

This prints the memory address of the string, if you open XCode -> Debug Workflow -> View Memory and go to the printed address, you will see the raw data of the string. Since this is a string literal, this is a memory address inside the storage of the binary (not stack or heap).

However, if you do

var aString : String = "THIS IS A STRING" + "This is another String"
 NSLog("%p", aString.core._baseAddress)
// example printed address 0x103f30020

This will be on the stack, because the string is created at runtime

NOTE: .core._baseAddress is not documented, I found it looking in the variable inspector, and it may be hidden in the future

_baseAddress is not available on all types, here another example with a CInt

var testNumber : CInt = 289
 takesInt(&testNumber)

Where takesInt is a C helper function like this

void takesInt(int *intptr)
 {
    printf("%p", intptr);
 }

On the Swift side, this function is takesInt(intptr: CMutablePointer), so it takes a CMutablePointer to a CInt, and you can obtain it with &varname

The function prints 0x7fff5fbfed98, an at this memory address you will find 289 (in hexadecimal notation). You can change its content with *intptr = 123456

Now, some other things to know.

String, in swift, is a primitive type, not an object.
CInt is a Swift type mapped to the C int Type.
If you want the memory address of an object, you have to do something different.
Swift has some Pointer Types that can be used when interacting with C, and you can read about them here: Swift Pointer Types
Moreover, you can understand more about them exploring their declaration (cmd+click on the type), to understand how to convert a type of pointer into another

var aString : NSString = "This is a string" // create an NSString
 var anUnmanaged = Unmanaged.passUnretained(aString) // take an unmanaged pointer
 var opaque : COpaquePointer = anUnmanaged.toOpaque() // convert it to a COpaquePointer
 var mut : CMutablePointer = &opaque // this is a CMutablePointer
printptr(mut) // pass the pointer to an helper function written in C

printptr is a C helper function I created, with this implementation

void printptr(void ** ptr)
 {
    printf("%p", *ptr);
 }

Again, an example of the address printed: 0x6000000530b0 , and if you go through memory inspector you will find your NSString

One thing you can do with pointers in Swift (this can even be done with inout parameters)

func playWithPointer (stringa :AutoreleasingUnsafePointer)
 {
    stringa.memory = "String Updated";
 }
var testString : NSString = "test string"
println(testString)
playWithPointer(&testString)
println(testString)

Or, interacting with Objc / c

// objc side
 + (void)writeString:(void **)var
 {
    NSMutableString *aString = [[NSMutableString alloc] initWithFormat:@"pippo %@", @"pluto"];
    *var = (void *)CFBridgingRetain(aString); // Retain!
 }

// swift side
 var opaque = COpaquePointer.null() // create a new opaque pointer pointing to null
 TestClass.writeString(&opaque)
 var string = Unmanaged.fromOpaque(opaque).takeRetainedValue()
 println(string)
 // this prints pippo pluto