UISearchBar and Firebase Database - swift

Question

struct postStruct {
let title : String!
let author : String!
let bookRefCode : String!
let imageDownloadString : String!
let status : String!
let reserved : String!
let category : String!
let dueDate : String!
}
'Above is where i set up the structure for the post, and below, is how i reference and retrieve the data from the firebase database.
My problem is that when you set up the searcher, i do not know how to get it to search based off of the title of the post.'
class DirectoryTableView: UITableViewController {
var posts = [postStruct]()
override func viewDidLoad() {
let databaseRef = Database.database().reference()
databaseRef.child("Books").queryOrderedByKey().observe(.childAdded, with: {
snapshot in
var snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let title = snapshotValue!["title"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let author = snapshotValue!["author"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let bookRefCode = snapshotValue!["bookRefCode"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let status = snapshotValue!["status"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let reserved = snapshotValue!["reserved"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let category = snapshotValue!["category"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let dueDate = snapshotValue!["dueDate"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
self.posts.insert(postStruct(title: title, author: author, bookRefCode: bookRefCode, status: status, reserved: reserved, category: category, dueDate: dueDate) , at: 0)
self.tableView.reloadData()
})
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
return posts.count
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
var cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "cell")
let databaseRef = Database.database().reference()
let label1 = cell?.viewWithTag(1) as! UILabel
label1.text = posts[indexPath.row].title
let label2 = cell?.viewWithTag(2) as! UILabel
label2.text = posts[indexPath.row].author
let label3 = cell?.viewWithTag(3) as! UILabel
label3.text = posts[indexPath.row].bookRefCode
let label4 = cell?.viewWithTag(4) as! UILabel
label4.text = posts[indexPath.row].status
let label5 = cell?.viewWithTag(5) as! UILabel
label5.text = posts[indexPath.row].category
let image1 = cell?.viewWithTag(6) as! UILabel
image1.text = posts[indexPath.row].imageDownloadString
let label6 = cell?.viewWithTag(7) as! UILabel
label6.text = posts[indexPath.row].reserved
let label9 = cell?.viewWithTag(9) as! UILabel
label9.text = posts[indexPath.row].dueDate
return cell!
}
'Also, does anyone know how to sort the tableview cells (posts in this case) alphabetically?'

Answer 1

You can get all data already ordered alphabetically
databaseRef.child("Books").queryOrdered(byChild: "title").observe(.childAdded, with: { snapshot in
var snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
let title = snapshotValue!["title"] as? String
snapshotValue = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
....
}
or sort your array before reload the tableView
var sortedArray = swiftArray.sorted { $0.title.localizedCaseInsensitiveCompare($1.title) == ComparisonResult.orderedAscending }
Sample structure

Answer 2

for sorting data according to searchBar I had used an dictionary that having all my snapshot and I compared my searchBar text in that dict and after sorting reloaded tableView here is code that you can have a look at
//method to get all user Details in a dict
func getEmail() {
let databaseRef = Database.database().reference().child("users")
databaseRef.observe(.value, with: { (snapshot) in
if snapshot.exists(){
self.postData = snapshot.value as! [String : AnyObject]
let dictValues = [AnyObject](self.postData.values)
self.sarchDict = dictValues
}
})
}
//search bar delegate
func searchBar(_ searchBar: UISearchBar, textDidChange searchText: String) {
if self.mySearchBar.text!.isEmpty {
// set searching false
self.isSearching = false
}else{
// set searghing true
self.isSearching = true
self.names.removeAll()
self.uidArray.removeAll()
self.imageUrl.removeAll()
for key in self.sarchDict {
let mainKey = key
//I am making query against email in snapshot dict
let str = key["email"] as? String
//taking value of email from my dict lowerCased to make query as case insensitive
let lowercaseString = str?.lowercased()
//checking do my any email have entered letter or not
if(lowercaseString?.hasPrefix(self.mySearchBar.text!.lowercased()))!{
//here I have a check so to remove value of current logged user
if ((key["uID"] as! String) != (Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid)!){
//If value is found append it in some arrays
self.imageUrl.append( key["profilePic"] as! String )
self.names.append( key["name"] as! String )
self.uidArray.append( key["uID"] as! String )
//you can check which values are being added from which key
print(mainKey)
}
}
}
//reload TableView here
}
}
//TableView
func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
cell = self.myTableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "Cell")!
if self.isSearching == true {
let imageView = (cell.viewWithTag(1) as! UIImageView)
imageView.setRounded()
if imageUrl[indexPath.row] != "" {
self.lazyImage.showWithSpinner(imageView:imageView, url:imageUrl[indexPath.row])
}
else{
imageView.image = UIImage(named: "anonymous")
}
(cell.contentView.viewWithTag(2) as! UILabel).text = self.names[indexPath.row]
}
else {
}
return cell
}

Answer 3

I'm sure this will be helpful to some using FireStore. Here I'm just setting my reference to point to the right collection. "name" is my field I wish to search by and is greater than will be checked chronologically on my string. The further they type the more defined the search results are.
static func searchForProgramStartingWith(string: String) {
let programsRef = db.collection("programs")
programsRef.whereField("name", isGreaterThan: string).limit(to: 10).getDocuments { (snapshot, error) in
if error != nil {
print("there was an error")
} else {
let shots = snapshot?.documents
for each in shots! {
let data = each.data()
let name = data["name"]
print("The name is \(name!)")
}
}
}
}