- added a label in the footer to handle state issues like error or empty.

- added a activityIndicator to show/hide based on loading or not.
- testing the malformed state issue

Signed-off-by: Matt Bruce <mbrucedogs@gmail.com>

EmployeeDirectory/ViewControllers/EmployeesViewController.swift

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import Combine
 
 class EmployeesViewController: UIViewController {
     private let tableView = UITableView()
+    private let activityIndicator = UIActivityIndicatorView(style: .large)
     private let viewModel = EmployeesViewModel()
     private var cancellables = Set<AnyCancellable>()
 
@@ -17,7 +18,8 @@ class EmployeesViewController: UIViewController {
         super.viewDidLoad()
         setupUI()
         bindViewModel()
-        viewModel.fetchEmployees()
+        viewModel.changeMode(to: .malformed)
+        //viewModel.fetchEmployees()
     }
     
     private func setupUI() {
@@ -30,16 +32,55 @@ class EmployeesViewController: UIViewController {
         view.addSubview(tableView)
         tableView.frame = view.bounds
         
+        // Configure Activity Indicator
+        activityIndicator.center = view.center
+        view.addSubview(activityIndicator)
     }
     
     private func bindViewModel() {
         viewModel.$employees
             .receive(on: RunLoop.main)
             .sink { [weak self] _ in
+                self?.updateFooter()
                 self?.tableView.reloadData()
                 self?.tableView.refreshControl?.endRefreshing()
             }
             .store(in: &cancellables)
+        
+        viewModel.$isLoading
+            .receive(on: RunLoop.main)
+            .sink { [weak self] isLoading in
+                if isLoading {
+                    self?.activityIndicator.startAnimating()
+                } else {
+                    self?.activityIndicator.stopAnimating()
+                }
+            }
+            .store(in: &cancellables)
+        
+        viewModel.$errorMessage
+            .receive(on: RunLoop.main)
+            .sink { [weak self] _ in
+                self?.updateFooter()
+            }
+            .store(in: &cancellables)
+    }
+    
+    private func updateFooter() {
+        var message: String? {
+            guard !viewModel.isLoading else { return nil }
+            return viewModel.errorMessage ?? (viewModel.employees.isEmpty ? "No employees found, please try to refresh." : nil)
+        }
+        
+        if let message, !viewModel.isLoading {
+            let footerView = UILabel()
+            footerView.font = .systemFont(ofSize: 17, weight: .medium)
+            footerView.text = message
+            footerView.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: tableView.frame.width, height: 150)
+            tableView.tableFooterView = footerView
+        } else {
+            tableView.tableFooterView = nil
+        }
     }
 }