How to Create a Dynamic Photo Gallery

[cxr003]

Hi,

I'm pretty new to the iOS development scene, and for my first project, I am developing an app for a high school band program. I have managed to get the app to automatically update the news and event sections, update a competition page, and I have also figured out how to embed audio and video that will be posted to a website.

My problem is coming up with a way to integrate a constantly updating photo album. I thought that I would use the Three20 library since it supports remote sources, but I can't figure out how to have all photos in a directory automatically shown in the album. I currently have to link each photo manually. This is annoying, and once the app is published, I won't be able to add pictures without re-releasing the app.

I know that what I am trying to do is possible, but even after calling upon my highest google skills, I am not able to find a reasonable solution.

Currently, I have the app setup to use a UIWebView that is directed towards a site styled to look like the iphone photo album, and while this "works," it is far less than ideal, and navigation is obviously a bit odd.

I know the facebook app uses Three20, and those photos are automatically changed, so that is why I thought Three20 would be the way to go, but as I said, I just can't figure it out!

Any help with this would be absolutely awesome! Thanks in advance for your time!

[dany_dev]

create a php script that return a list of image in xml, similar to

<image>
    <link>http://www.mysite.com/myimage.png</link>
    <linkPreview>http://www.mysite.com/myimagePreview.png</linkPreview>
    <name>Me and my dog</name>
    <descriprion>etc.....</descriprion>
</image>

Download it with ASIHTTPRequest or NSURLConnection, parse it with NSXMLParser (creating an array of Image, where Image is a your Class with link,linkPreview,name,description, and what you need) and show the images (you can see ScrollViewSuite by apple)

[cxr003]

So that was at least a little helpful. I don't think I'm smart enough to fully absorb the genius of the previous post.

I have created the PHP script, and have a clean xml file that includes link, linkPreview, width, and height, but as for getting it into the iPhone app, I've got nothin'...

I would very much like to use the three20 library or some other method that will give me an identical thumbnail iOS Album interface. The people whom I am designing this for are quite set on this interface. Again, I know it is possible, but I haven't the slightest idea how.

I have been looking at the sample scripts that come with Three20, but haven't been able to put this together.

I have an album, in a separate file, I made using this tutorial: iPhone SDK: Creating a Photo Gallery With Three20

I just can't figure out how to change the individual flickr urls to one parsed xml array, nor am I really sure the best method of parsing the xml file in the first place.

Thanks again for all of the help.

[dany_dev]

What you need is just to download your custom xml and parse it. And then you can create objects Photos and add these in the array images of Three20 with a for.

What's the problem, download the xml? if so, take a look to the examples
ASIHTTPRequest example code - All-Seeing Interactive

if the problem is to parse it into an array of your custom objects, take a look here
codesofa Make NSXMLParser your friend..