Question

I am trying to learn how to code a UITableView and is having some problems with the programming of the section.

I have declared 3 arrays with strings and 1 array with the 3 arrays.

firstSection = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Red", @"Blue", nil];
secondSection = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Orange", @"Green", @"Purple", nil];
thirdSection = [NSArray arrayWithObject:@"Yellow"];

array = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithObjects:firstSection, secondSection, thirdSection, nil];

To shows the headers

-(NSString *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView titleForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section{

NSString * title;
title = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@" , [array objectAtIndex:section]];

return title;
}

which shows the array itself as the headers

therefore is it possible to actually show the name of the sections using the names of the arrays such as firstSection and secondSection?

Answer 1

In your case, it’s better to store your arrays in an NSDictionary. For example, if you declare and synthesize an NSDictionary variable called tableContents and an NSArray called titleOfSections, you can do something like this:

 - (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    //These will automatically be released. You won't be needing them anymore (You'll be accessing your data through the NSDictionary variable)
    NSArray *firstSection = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Red", @"Blue", nil];
    NSArray *secondSection = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Orange", @"Green", @"Purple", nil];
    NSArray *thirdSection = [NSArray arrayWithObject:@"Yellow"];

    //These are the names that will appear in the section header
    self.titleOfSections = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Name of your first section",@"Name of your second section",@"Name of your third section", nil];

    NSDictionary *temporaryDictionary = [[NSDictionary alloc]initWithObjectsAndKeys:firstSection,@"0",secondSection,@"1",thirdSection,@"2",nil];
    self.tableContents = temporaryDictionary;
    [temporaryDictionary release];
}

Then in the table view controller methods:

- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView{
    return [self.titleOfSections count];
}
- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)table numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section {
    return [[self.tableContents objectForKey:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%d",section]] count];
}
- (NSString *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView titleForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section {
    //Setting the name of your section
    return [self.titleOfSections objectAtIndex:section]; 
}

Then to access the contents of each array in your cellForRowAtIndexPath method:

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    static NSString *SimpleTableIdentifier = @"SimpleTableIdentifier";

    NSArray *arrayForCurrentSection = [self.tableContents objectForKey:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%d",indexPath.section]];

    UITableViewCell * cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:SimpleTableIdentifier];

    if (cell == nil) {
        cell = [[[UITableViewCell alloc] 
                 initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleSubtitle 
                 reuseIdentifier:SimpleTableIdentifier] autorelease];
    }
    cell.textLabel.text = [arrayForCurrentSection objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];

    return cell;
}