Counting the size of an Array that contains NSdictionaries

[zardon]

Counting the size of an array of NSDictionary

I have a NSArray with several NSDictionary objects inside it.

I want to count the size of the array, but regardless of what
I do the program ends, complaining of a bad access error.

I copied the structure from UICatalog.

In UICatalog, there is this:

// dataSourceArray is an NSArray
//NSArray					*dataSourceArray;
self.dataSourceArray = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:
						[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:
							 @"UISwitch", kSectionTitleKey,
							 @"Standard Switch", kLabelKey,
							 @"ControlsViewController.m:\r-(UISwitch *)switchCtl", kSourceKey,
							 self.switchCtl, kViewKey,
						 nil],

						[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:
							 @"UISlider", kSectionTitleKey,
							 @"Standard Slider", kLabelKey,
							 @"ControlsViewController.m:\r-(UISlider *)sliderCtl", kSourceKey,
							 self.sliderCtl, kViewKey,
						 nil],
						
						
						nil];

// Later on, the program is able to count the size of dataSourceArray

- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView
{
	return [self.dataSourceArray count];
}

However, whenever I try my own version it keeps falling over.

NSMutableArray *listOfPlayers = [[[NSMutableArray alloc] init] autorelease];
NSDictionary *dict;

// Loop through SQL results
while ([rs next]) 
{

	
	NSNumber *plyID		= [NSNumber numberWithInt:[rs intForColumn:@"playerID"]];
	NSString *plyFName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", [rs stringForColumn:@"playerFName"]];
	NSString *plySName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", [rs stringForColumn:@"playerSName"]];
	NSNumber *plyAvatar	= [NSNumber numberWithInt:[rs intForColumn:@"playerAvatar"]];
	NSString *avName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", [rs stringForColumn:@"avatarName"]];
	
	
	// Put the above into a dictionary
	dict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:
						  @"plyID", plyID,
						  @"plyFName", plyFName,
						  @"plySName", plySName,
						  @"plyAvatar", plyAvatar,
						  @"avName",avName,
						  nil];
						
	// Add the above dictionary to the NSArray
	[listOfPlayers addObject:dict];
} // wend

// Close the result set.
[rs close];

// The program will crash here. It won't display the size of the array
NSLog(@"listOfPlayers = %@",[listOfPlayers count]);

Even if I do a single dict and add it to an array, I can never get the
program to display the size of the array.

I've done a log of the contents and it's all okay.

So I must be doing something wrong.

All I want to do is:

a. Add a dictionary to a NSMutableArray
b. Count the contents/objects in the array.

If you can help, that'd be great!

Thanks

[Duncan C]

Originally Posted by zardon

Counting the size of an array of NSDictionary

I have a NSArray with several NSDictionary objects inside it.

I want to count the size of the array, but regardless of what
I do the program ends, complaining of a bad access error.

I copied the structure from UICatalog.

In UICatalog, there is this:



Even if I do a single dict and add it to an array, I can never get the
program to display the size of the array.

I've done a log of the contents and it's all okay.

So I must be doing something wrong.

All I want to do is:

a. Add a dictionary to a NSMutableArray
b. Count the contents/objects in the array.

If you can help, that'd be great!

You're autorleasing the array, and not retaining it anywhere. It's probably getting released, so you're crashing.

Create a retained property, and save the array in the property using property notation.

[zardon]

Originally Posted by Duncan C

You're autorleasing the array, and not retaining it anywhere. It's probably getting released, so you're crashing.

Create a retained property, and save the array in the property using property notation.

Hi there.

The reason why its autoreleased is because its in a function where I need to return the array, and I believe that I need to autorelease it otherwise it would add a memory footprint for it.

Here is the full code to the method/funciton

// Inside a view controller

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    // Uncomment the following line to display an Edit button in the navigation bar for this view controller.
    // self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem = self.editButtonItem;
	
	self.listOfPlayers = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
	
	Player *p = [[Player alloc] init];
	
	self.listOfPlayers = [p getAllPlayers];
	
	NSLog(@"Results -- %@", self.listOfPlayers);

        // This is where it will crash
	NSLog(@"Count -- %@", [self.listOfPlayers count]);
	
	
	[p release];
}


// Inside player.m
-(NSMutableArray*)getAllPlayers
{
	
	bootleggers3AppDelegate *appDelegate = (bootleggers3AppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];	
	
	NSMutableArray *listOfPlayers = [[[NSMutableArray alloc] init] autorelease];
	NSDictionary *dict;
	
	[appDelegate.db beginTransaction];
	
	FMResultSet *rs = [appDelegate.db executeQuery:@"SELECT p.id AS playerID, p.fname AS playerFName, p.sname AS playerSName, p.playerAvatar AS playerAvatar, a.name AS avatarName FROM players AS p INNER JOIN avatars AS a ON p.playerAvatar = a.id ORDER BY p.id ASC LIMIT 4"];
	
	
	// Loop through results
	while ([rs next]) 
	{

		
		NSNumber *plyID		= [NSNumber numberWithInt:[rs intForColumn:@"playerID"]];
		NSString *plyFName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", [rs stringForColumn:@"playerFName"]];
		NSString *plySName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", [rs stringForColumn:@"playerSName"]];
		NSNumber *plyAvatar	= [NSNumber numberWithInt:[rs intForColumn:@"playerAvatar"]];
		NSString *avName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", [rs stringForColumn:@"avatarName"]];
		
		
		// Put the above into a dictionary
		dict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:
							  @"plyID", plyID,
							  @"plyFName", plyFName,
							  @"plySName", plySName,
							  @"plyAvatar", plyAvatar,
							  @"avName",avName,
							  nil];
		
		 
		[listOfPlayers addObject:dict];
	} // wend
	
	// Close the result set.
	[rs close];
	
	[appDelegate.db commit];
	
	return listOfPlayers;
}

I will try your idea of a property notation and retaining on a cut down version of the above in a new file and seeing if that works instead.

[zardon]

I think I know what the reason is.

I put the keys and the objects in the wrong order.

This code seems to work with just 1 dictionary in an array.

	NSMutableArray *items = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
	
	// --
		
	NSNumber *plyID		= [NSNumber numberWithInt:1];
	NSString *plyFName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"fname"];
	NSString *plySName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"sname"];
	NSNumber *plyAvatar	= [NSNumber numberWithInt:1];
	NSString *avName	= [NSString stringWithFormat:@"avname"];
	
// I originally put the keys first and then the object, this might be the
// reason why the app died the first time round.
	NSDictionary *dict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:plyID, @"plyID", 
						  plyFName, @"plyFName", 
						  plySName, @"plySName",
						  plyAvatar, @"plyAvatar",
						  avName, @"avName",
						  nil];
	
	[items addObject:dict];
	
	NSLog(@"Items = %@", items);
	NSLog(@"Items Size = %d", [items count]);

I'm going to see if this resolves the problem

Edit:

Yep, it was a case of me putting the objects and the keys in the wrong order. UGH!

Thanks all to who helped.