NSMutableArray and NSDictionary using for parsed xml data

Question

Please anybody help me.i am in great trouble....Now my Problem is...

Using xml parser i have parsed some attribute and value of the attribute.

using this i am getting the element name:

- (void)parser:(NSXMLParser *)parser didStartElement:(NSString *)elementName   namespaceURI:(NSString *)namespaceURI qualifiedName:(NSString *)qName attributes:   (NSDictionary *)attributeDict

Now using this i am getting value of the attribute from the xml:

- (void)parser:(NSXMLParser *)parser foundCharacters:(NSString *)string{ 
NSLog(@"found characters: %@ %@", currentElement,string);

suppose my xml data are something like that...

-<list>
−<ProductData HASH="838557843">
<id>1</id>
<productNumber>a91cc0f4c7</productNumber>
<name>Product 1</name>
<seoTitle>product-1</seoTitle>
<viewCount>0</viewCount>
<lowStock>0.0</lowStock>
<image>5e928bbae358c93caedf6115fa7d178b.jpg</image>
<dateCreated>2011-10-06T16:08:45</dateCreated>
<dateUpdated>2011-10-06T10:08:45</dateUpdated>
<isDummy>true</isDummy>
<isInventory>false</isInventory>
</ProductData>
-<ProductData HASH="681596439">
<id>2</id>
<productNumber>d8287e2e51</productNumber>
<name>Product 2</name>
<seoTitle>product-2</seoTitle>
−<description>
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit,....</p>
</description>
<viewCount>0</viewCount>
<availableStock>100.0</availableStock>
<lowStock>0.0</lowStock>
<image>8bbd8dfff3cdd28285d07810a4fe7c32.jpg</image>
<basePrice>10.0</basePrice>
<costPrice>10.0</costPrice>
<height>1.0</height>
<width>1.0</width>
<depth>1.0</depth>
<weight>3.0</weight>
<status>A</status>
<quantityOrderMin>1.0</quantityOrderMin>
<productIsCall>false</productIsCall>
<quantityOrderMax>20.0</quantityOrderMax>
<priceByAttribute>false</priceByAttribute>
<dateCreated>2011-10-06T16:08:45</dateCreated>
<dateUpdated>2011-10-06T10:08:45</dateUpdated>
<isDummy>true</isDummy>
<isInventory>false</isInventory>
</ProductData>
</list>`

Now when i will get the id attribute then it will store in an array then all of the attribute after first id until next id i want to store the attribute and its value in the dictionary,when i will get second id then i want to continue previous process...then according to the value of id i want to display the value in a UIView or UITableView . its not neccesary where i want to display it.

My question is how can i store data in array and dictionary and display it any time in my viewcontroller . Please help me. its becoming a great trouble for me. if you can please give me a sample code as an example. please please anybody help me...

Thanks in Advance

Answer 1

If you change your XML to

<list>
 <Object>
     <id>1</id>
     <product>name</product>
     <image>imagename.jpg</image>
     <dateCreated>date</dateCreated>
     <productleft>10</productleft>
 </Object>

 <Object>
     <id>2</id>
     <product>name</product>
     <image>imagename.jpg</image>
     <dateCreated>date</dateCreated>
     <productleft>30</productleft>
 </Object>
</list>

Or if your XML looks something like above its easy to use SAX parser ( NSXMLParser you've used ). Otherwise if you want to stick to XML you have posted use DOM style parsing.

Here is the code for the XML after formatting using NSXMLParser.

// these are ivars
NSMutableArray * objectsArray;
NSMutableDictionary * productDict;
NSMutableString * currentString;

- (void)parser:(NSXMLParser *)parser didStartElement:(NSString *)elementName namespaceURI:(NSString *)namespaceURI qualifiedName:(NSString *)qualifiedName attributes:(NSDictionary *)attributeDict
{
    if([elementName isEqualToString:@"Object"])
    {
        objectsArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
        productDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
    }
}

- (void)parser:(NSXMLParser *)parser foundCharacters:(NSString *)string
{
    if(!currentString)
    {
        currentString = [[NSMutableString alloc] init];
    }
    [currentString appendString:string]; 
}

- (void)parser:(NSXMLParser *)parser didEndElement:(NSString *)elementName namespaceURI:(NSString *)namespaceURI qualifiedName:(NSString *)qName
{
    if([elementName isEqualToString:@"id"])
    {
        [productDict setObject:currentString forKey:@"id"];
        [currentString release],currentString = nil;
        return;
    }
    if([elementName isEqualToString:@"product"])
    {
        [productDict setObject:currentString forKey:@"product"];
        [currentString release],currentString = nil;
        return;
    }
    if([elementName isEqualToString:@"image"])
    {
        [productDict setObject:currentString forKey:@"image"];
        [currentString release],currentString = nil;
        return;
    }
    if([elementName isEqualToString:@"dateCreated"])
    {
        [productDict setObject:currentString forKey:@"dateCreated"];
        [currentString release],currentString = nil;
        return;
    }
    if([elementName isEqualToString:@"productleft"])
    {
        [productDict setObject:currentString forKey:@"productleft"];
        [currentString release],currentString = nil;
        return;
    }
    if([elementName isEqualToString:@"Object"])
    {
        [objectsArray addObject:productDict];
        [productDict release],productDict = nil;
    }
    [currentString release], currentString = nil;
}