Finding closest object to CGPoint

If you're using Swift, here's how you can calculate the distance between a CGPoint and a CGRect (e.g. an UIView's frame)

private func distanceToRect(rect: CGRect, fromPoint point: CGPoint) -> CGFloat {
    // if it's on the left then (rect.minX - point.x) > 0 and (point.x - rect.maxX) < 0
    // if it's on the right then (rect.minX - point.x) < 0 and (point.x - rect.maxX) > 0
    // if it's inside the rect then both of them < 0. 
    let dx = max(rect.minX - point.x, point.x - rect.maxX, 0)
    // same as dx
    let dy = max(rect.minY - point.y, point.y - rect.maxY, 0)
    // if one of them == 0 then the distance is the other one.
    if dx * dy == 0 {
        return max(dx, dy)
    } else {
        // both are > 0 then the distance is the hypotenuse
        return hypot(dx, dy)
    }
}

The following method should do the trick. If you spot anything weird in it feel free to point it out.

- (CGFloat)distanceBetweenRect:(CGRect)rect andPoint:(CGPoint)point
{
    // first of all, we check if point is inside rect. If it is, distance is zero
    if (CGRectContainsPoint(rect, point)) return 0.f;

    // next we see which point in rect is closest to point
    CGPoint closest = rect.origin;
    if (rect.origin.x + rect.size.width < point.x)
        closest.x += rect.size.width; // point is far right of us
    else if (point.x > rect.origin.x) 
        closest.x = point.x; // point above or below us
    if (rect.origin.y + rect.size.height < point.y) 
        closest.y += rect.size.height; // point is far below us
    else if (point.y > rect.origin.y)
        closest.y = point.y; // point is straight left or right

    // we've got a closest point; now pythagorean theorem
    // distance^2 = [closest.x,y - closest.x,point.y]^2 + [closest.x,point.y - point.x,y]^2
    // i.e. [closest.y-point.y]^2 + [closest.x-point.x]^2
    CGFloat a = powf(closest.y-point.y, 2.f);
    CGFloat b = powf(closest.x-point.x, 2.f);
    return sqrtf(a + b);
}

Example output:

CGPoint p = CGPointMake(12,12);

CGRect a = CGRectMake(5,5,10,10);
CGRect b = CGRectMake(13,11,10,10);
CGRect c = CGRectMake(50,1,10,10);
NSLog(@"distance p->a: %f", [self distanceBetweenRect:a andPoint:p]);
// 2010-08-24 13:36:39.506 app[4388:207] distance p->a: 0.000000
NSLog(@"distance p->b: %f", [self distanceBetweenRect:b andPoint:p]);
// 2010-08-24 13:38:03.149 app[4388:207] distance p->b: 1.000000
NSLog(@"distance p->c: %f", [self distanceBetweenRect:c andPoint:p]);
// 2010-08-24 13:39:52.148 app[4388:207] distance p->c: 38.013157

There might be more optimized versions out there, so might be worth digging more.

The following method determines the distance between two CGPoints.

- (CGFloat)distanceBetweenPoint:(CGPoint)a andPoint:(CGPoint)b
{
    CGFloat a2 = powf(a.x-b.x, 2.f);
    CGFloat b2 = powf(a.y-b.y, 2.f);
    return sqrtf(a2 + b2)
}

Update: removed fabsf(); -x^2 is the same as x^2, so it's unnecessary.

Update 2: added distanceBetweenPoint:andPoint: method too, for completeness.

Thanks @cristian,

Here's Objective-C version of your answer

- (CGFloat)distanceToRect:(CGRect)rect fromPoint:(CGPoint)point
{
    CGFloat dx = MAX(0, MAX(CGRectGetMinX(rect) - point.x, point.x - CGRectGetMaxX(rect)));
    CGFloat dy = MAX(0, MAX(CGRectGetMinY(rect) - point.y, point.y - CGRectGetMaxY(rect)));

    if (dx * dy == 0)
    {
        return MAX(dx, dy);
    }
    else
    {
        return hypot(dx, dy);
    }
}