NSOperation Basics

 let operationQueue = NSOperationQueue()
 operationQueue.maxConcurrentOperationCount = 1  // makes this a serial queue

 operationQueue.suspended = true // use this if you don't want to automatically execute operations as they are added.

 let operation = NSBlockOperation(block: {
    println("executing")
 })
 operation.completionBlock = {
    println("Done executing")
 }
 operationQueue.addOperation(operation)

class FreeSpaceOperation : NSOperation {
    var fileSystemAttributes: NSDictionary?
    var error: NSError?

    let path: String

    init(path: String) {
        self.path = path
    }

    override func main() {
        let fileManager = NSFileManager.defaultManager()

        for i in reverse(1...5) {
            if cancelled {
                return
            }

            println("Sleeping \(i)...")
            sleep(1)
        }

        if cancelled {
            return
        }

        let attribs = fileManager.attributesOfFileSystemForPath(path, error: &error)
        println("attribs for \(path): \(attribs)")

        self.fileSystemAttributes = attribs
    }
}