Simple count of NSArray's items & it's dictionarys?

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 05:38 AM

Just wanna count the number of items in the array and it's dictionarys to set an max-value for another random-method.
Tried this, but don't get any counts from it. Any tips or pointers? Thanks.;

Code:

- (void)viewDidLoad {
	// Read in cardarray from file
	NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"cardArray" ofType:@"plist"];
	
	// Put dictionarys in array
	NSDictionary *dict = [[NSDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
	self.cards = dict;
	[dict release];
	
	NSArray *array = [[cards allKeys] sortedArrayUsingSelector:@selector(compare)];
	self.keys = array;

	// Check all went well & how many cards loaded (items in Array)
	// int cardsCount = [self.cards count]; 
	NSLog(@"Total of cards in array loaded: %i", [self.keys count]);
	NSLog(@"Fields in Dictionary loaded: %i", [self.cards count]);
		  
	// NSLog(@"Cards in array loaded: %i", cardsCount);	// don't work
	
	// Defines which image (put splash/startup image here)
	self.vcimage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"splashscreen.png"];
	// Set image to screen
	imageView.image = vcimage;
	[self.view becomeFirstResponder];
    [super viewDidLoad];
}

The cardArray.plist file looks like this;

Code:

KEY              TYPE         VALUE
Root             Array        (7 items)   // Sample testitems for now
- Item 0        Dictionary  (4 items)
-- cardUrl      String       splashscreen.png
-- cardTxt      String       Startupscreen - hit me...
-- cardCat      String       Fun
-- cardFav     Boolean     [√]  // Checked

- Item 1, Item 2, Item 3, Item 4   etc...

The h-file;

Code:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface ShakeViewController : UIViewController {
	UIImageView		*imageView;
	UIImage			*vcimage;
	NSDictionary	        *cards;
	NSArray			*keys;	
}
@property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet UIImageView *imageView;
@property (nonatomic, retain) UIImage *vcimage;
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSDictionary *cards;
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSArray *keys;

@end

sundarrif · 02-22-2010, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Mac

Just wanna count the number of items in the array and it's dictionarys to set an max-value for another random-method.
Tried this, but don't get any counts from it. Any tips or pointers? Thanks.;

Code:

- (void)viewDidLoad {
	// Read in cardarray from file
	NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"cardArray" ofType:@"plist"];
	
	// Put dictionarys in array
	NSDictionary *dict = [[NSDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
	self.cards = dict;
	[dict release];
	
	NSArray *array = [[cards allKeys] sortedArrayUsingSelector:@selector(compare)];
	self.keys = array;

	// Check all went well & how many cards loaded (items in Array)
	// int cardsCount = [self.cards count]; 
	NSLog(@"Total of cards in array loaded: %i", [self.keys count]);
	NSLog(@"Fields in Dictionary loaded: %i", [self.cards count]);
		  
	// NSLog(@"Cards in array loaded: %i", cardsCount);	// don't work
	
	// Defines which image (put splash/startup image here)
	self.vcimage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"splashscreen.png"];
	// Set image to screen
	imageView.image = vcimage;
	[self.view becomeFirstResponder];
    [super viewDidLoad];
}

The cardArray.plist file looks like this;

Code:

KEY              TYPE         VALUE
Root             Array        (7 items)   // Sample testitems for now
- Item 0        Dictionary  (4 items)
-- cardUrl      String       splashscreen.png
-- cardTxt      String       Startupscreen - hit me...
-- cardCat      String       Fun
-- cardFav     Boolean     [√]  // Checked

- Item 1, Item 2, Item 3, Item 4   etc...

The h-file;

Code:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface ShakeViewController : UIViewController {
	UIImageView		*imageView;
	UIImage			*vcimage;
	NSDictionary	        *cards;
	NSArray			*keys;	
}
@property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet UIImageView *imageView;
@property (nonatomic, retain) UIImage *vcimage;
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSDictionary *cards;
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSArray *keys;

@end

Code for array count

Code:

int count=[dict count];
int countarray=[array count];

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 06:07 AM

Thank's sundarrif. But I most be missing something? Still don't work. Tried to implement your tip below;

Code:

	// Put dictionarys in array
	NSDictionary *dict = [[NSDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
		int count = [dict count];
		NSLog(@"Total of cards in array loaded: %i", count);
	self.cards = dict;
	[dict release];
	
	NSArray *array = [[cards allKeys] sortedArrayUsingSelector:@selector(compare)];
		int countarray = [array count];
		NSLog(@"Fields in Dictionary loaded: %i", countarray);
	self.keys = array;

But result in terminal looks like this;

Code:

[Session started at 2010-02-22 12:04:46 +0100.]
2010-02-22 12:04:48.277 cards[5915:207] Total of cards in array loaded: 0
2010-02-22 12:04:48.278 cards[5915:207] Fields in Dictionary loaded: 0

OR maybe I didn't load the plist correctly?

sundarrif · 02-22-2010, 06:19 AM

Are you sure the value is allocated in Dictionary.

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundarrif

Are you sure the value is allocated in Dictionary.

Think so, please have a look at the code at top of post. But I'm just a newbie and could have done it wrong. Thank's for helping out.

Maybe there's an easier / better way to check it?

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 06:28 AM

This might help you to help me. What I really want to do is;
1) Check the .plist for how many items I've got (setting a maxcount).
2) Select a random item within that array and within the above maxcount.
3) Read the fields (pictureurl + text) & present on screen.

Pretty simple, but I've just got stuck on this for hours...

sundarrif · 02-22-2010, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Mac

This might help you to help me. What I really want to do is;
1) Check the .plist for how many items I've got (setting a maxcount).
2) Select a random item within that array and within the above maxcount.
3) Read the fields (pictureurl + text) & present on screen.

Pretty simple, but I've just got stuck on this for hours...

In the .plist add Dictionary in the root like below

KEY TYPE VALUE
Root Dictionary (7 items) // Sample testitems for now
- Item 0 Array (4 items)
-- cardUrl String splashscreen.png
-- cardTxt String Startupscreen - hit me...
-- cardCat String Fun
-- cardFav Boolean [√] // Checked

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 07:03 AM

Thanks, that partly solved it. Got a crash but I think it's due to that I've got to change Dictionary -> Array within each item. Testing it now...

sumanth · 02-22-2010, 07:07 AM

Code:

NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle pathForResource:@"cardArray" ofType:@"plist"];
	
	// Put dictionarys in array
	NSArray *dict = [[NSArray alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
	NSInteger cou=[dict count];

this will bring you the count. you must create a array not dictionary since your Root is of type Array

sumanth · 02-22-2010, 07:14 AM

Code:

NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle pathForResource:@"cardArray" ofType:@"plist"];
	
	// Put dictionarys in array
	NSArray *dict = [[NSArray alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
	NSInteger cou=[dict count];//array count
	NSInteger dictionarycou=[[dict objectAtIndex:0]count]//dictionary count

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 07:21 AM

hmm confused...

Which is it? Does Arrays go into Dictionarys or is it the other way around?

With sundarrif's suggestion (changing root from Array to Dictionary) I got the item-count (of directory) but an error on the arrays (selector) below - but you (sumanth) suggest I do it in the opposite way?

Code:

The Debugger has exited with status 0.
[Session started at 2010-02-22 13:23:04 +0100.]
2010-02-22 13:23:05.970 cards[6608:207] Path = 59909216
2010-02-22 13:23:05.971 cards[6608:207] Total of cards in array loaded: 7
2010-02-22 13:23:05.973 cards[6608:207] *** -[NSCFString compare]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x3916d70
2010-02-22 13:23:05.973 cards[6608:207] *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '*** -[NSCFString compare]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x3916d70'
2010-02-22 13:23:05.974 cards[6608:207] Stack: (
    29291611,
    2444371209,
    29673531,
    29242998,
    29095618,
    29079175,
    345343,
    345039,
    8494,
    3241794,
    3292062,
    3287177,
    3294702,
    3290326,
    4432528,
    55808688,
    55808111,
    55806150,
    55805242,
    2727589,
    2751284,
    2733695,
    2760801,
    37387609,
    29076352,
    29072456,
    2727445,
    2764719
)

sumanth · 02-22-2010, 07:22 AM

just keep your original plist as it is ..dont change that and try the code.

for the plist

Code:

KEY              TYPE         VALUE
Root             Array        (7 items)   // Sample testitems for now
- Item 0        Dictionary  (4 items)
-- cardUrl      String       splashscreen.png
-- cardTxt      String       Startupscreen - hit me...
-- cardCat      String       Fun
-- cardFav     Boolean     [√]  // Checked

- Item 1, Item 2, Item 3, Item 4   etc...

try the below code to get the array count and dictionary count

Code:

NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle pathForResource:@"cardArray" ofType:@"plist"];
	
	// Put dictionarys in array
	NSArray *dict = [[NSArray alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
	NSInteger cou=[dict count];//array count
	NSInteger dictionarycou=[[dict objectAtIndex:0]count]//dictionary count

even sundarrif solution is correct ,you can follow him if you can fix the error.

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 07:43 AM

Thanks U2! Finally got it to work :-)
Converted back to the original plist and used the code below from sumanth;

Code:

	// Read in cardarray from file
	NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"cardsArray" ofType:@"plist"];
	
	// Put dictionarys in array (second version)
	NSArray *dict = [[NSArray alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
	NSInteger dictionarycou=[[dict objectAtIndex:0]count];  //dictionary count
	NSInteger cou=[dict count]; //array count
	NSLog(@"Arrayfields count: %i", dictionarycou);
	NSLog(@"Cards in Dictionary: %i", cou);

Got the result;

Code:

[Session started at 2010-02-22 13:34:53 +0100.]
2010-02-22 13:34:55.686 cards[6673:207] Cards in Dictionary: 4
2010-02-22 13:34:55.687 cards[6673:207] Array fields count: 7

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 07:45 AM

...how to best actually read the items into the app from the array?
Suggestions? Thank's.

Here's quick recap of what I want to do again in this ViewController;

Quote:

This might help you to help me. What I really want to do is;
√ 1) Check the .plist for how many items I've got (setting a maxcount).
√ 2) Select a random item within that array and within the above maxcount.
3) Read the fields (pictureurl + text) & present on screen.

sumanth · 02-22-2010, 08:17 AM

you will get the image name in strimage and text in strtext

Code:

NSString *strimage=[[dict objectAtIndex:0] objectForKey:@"cardUrl"];
NSString *strtext=[[dict objectAtIndex:0] objectForKey:@"cardTxt"];

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 08:50 AM

Great thx - will try that soon.
And for writing to the .plist? (after changing it to NSMutableArray of course) I suppose there are similar simple code?

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 09:24 AM

Tested the above but I just get strimage = "61975024" I suppose that I get the imageUrl in a wrong format?

sumanth · 02-22-2010, 09:40 AM

you will get splashscreen.png in strimage. Because in the plist the value for the key cardUrl is splashscreen.png.

Code:

UIImageView *imageview=[[UIImageView alloc]init];
	imageview.image=[UIImage imageNamed:strimage];

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 09:46 AM

Tried to do this;

Code:

NSString *strimage=[[dict objectAtIndex:0] objectForKey:@"cardUrl"];
	NSLog(@"ImageUrl = %i", strimage);

and got this;

Code:

[Session started at 2010-02-22 15:44:27 +0100.]
2010-02-22 15:44:29.255 cards[7192:207] Cards in Dictionary: 7
2010-02-22 15:44:29.256 cards[7192:207] Array fields count: 4
2010-02-22 15:44:29.257 cards[7192:207] ImageUrl = 63992704

sumanth · 02-22-2010, 09:50 AM

give this,

NSLog(strimage);

or

NSLog(@"ImageUrl = %@", strimage);

_Mac · 02-22-2010, 10:10 AM

Works like a charm :-) THX!

Code:

[Session started at 2010-02-22 16:08:41 +0100.]
2010-02-22 16:08:46.132 cards[7279:207] Cards in Dictionary: 7
2010-02-22 16:08:46.133 cards[7279:207] Array fields count: 4
2010-02-22 16:08:46.134 cards[7279:207] ImageUrl = splashscreen.png