Question

I’m using a NSMutableArray *allObjectsArray; with dictionaries to fill a Table View with content.

Now I want to use a second NSMutableArray *userDataArray; (also with dictionaries) to display some user defined data in the same TableView.

To make a way for the dictionaries from the different arrays to recognize each other, they both have a string with key: "Name" with matching values.

So how can I write a code so that the userDataArray objects are in the same order as the allObjectsArray objects using the matching values from the "Name" key?

So when the cells are created, the [allObjectsArray objectAtIndex: indexPath.row] should now reprecent the same object as [userDataArray objectAtIndex: indexPath.row]

Answer 1

Why don’t you just associate the objects in userDataArray to the objects in allObjectsArray directly? For example, each object in allObjectsArray can have a userData field that points to the associated object in userDataArray

In any case, if you really want to sort them you can do this:

NSArray * descriptors = @[ [ NSSortDescriptor sortDescriptorWithKey:@"Name" ascending:YES ] ] ;
allObjectsArray = [ allObjectsArray sortedArrayUsingDescriptors:descriptors ] ;
userDataArray = [ allObjectsArray sortedArrayUsingDescriptors:descriptors ] ;

EDIT: To directly associate the dictionaries from userDataArray with those in allObjectsArray

For each object in allObjectsArray, since they’re dictionaries, you can just do this

NSDictionary * dictionaryFromAllObjectsArray = ...
[ dictionaryFromAllObjectsArray setObject:associatedUserObject forKey:@"userObject" ]

Now they’re associated…

Later:

NSDictionary * dictionaryAtIndex = [ allObjectsArray objectAtIndex:indexPath.row ] ;
NSDictionary * userDictionaryAtIndex = [ dictionaryAtIndex objectForKey:@"userObject" ] ;