Firebase and reading nested data using Swift - swift

Question

I am trying to create a simple Instagram style app using Swift and Firebase and I am running into trouble reading comments for each Image post from Firebase.
A couple questions here:
I have the Posts at the top of the tree and then the keys per image under which have data on the comments added by each user. Is it possible to use the username as the key instead of the key generated by childbyAutoId in this instance ?
How would I read the userComment and UserName and save them into an Array that I can then display in a TableView ?
Any response is much appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

var postsCommentsDict : NSMutableDictionary = NSMutableDictionary()
var userNameArray : [String] = [String]()
var userCommentArray : [String] = [String]()
FIRDatabase.database.reference().child("Posts").observeEventType(.Value, withBlock: {(Snapshot) in
if Snapshot.exists(){
let imageD = Snapshot.value
let imageD_ID = imageD.key
//Retrieving the email and image name
let imageName = imageD["userImage"] as! String
let userEmail = imageD["userEmail"] as! String
//Here you are accessing each image ID
//First Question Alternative Completed
//To answer the second Question :-
FIRDatabase.database.reference().child("Posts").child(imageD_ID).child("comments").observeEventType(.Value, withBlock: {(Snapshot) in
if let commentsDictionary = Snapshot.value {
for each in commentsDictionary{
postsCommentsDict.setObject(each["userName"] as! String , forKey : each["userComment"] as! String)
//Saving the userName : UserComment in a dictionary
userNameArray.append(each["userName"] as! String)
userCommentArray.append(each["userComment"] as! String)
//Saving the details in arrays
//Prefer dictionary over Arrays
}
} else {
//no comments to append the arrays
}
})
}
})
Once you are Done Saving the Comments dictionary : How to read it : -
for each in postsCommentsDict as! NSDictionary{
let userNm = each.key
let userComment = each.value
//username and userComment's retrieved
}
Please ignore the Typos, if any!...hope this helps..