How do you search through firebase data in tableview with a SearchBar? - ios

Question

I have set up a tableview that retrieves data from a firebase realtime database, and stores this data in an array ('posts') in this is the format:
(name: nil, contactEmail: Optional("35345345235"), contactPhoneNum: Optional("contact#gmail.com"), age: Optional("25"), gender: nil, lastSeen: nil, profileDescription: nil)
I want to implement a searchbar to filter the name value of the posts and return the posts which contain the searched name in the tableview, and am not sure how to do this.
Here is my code:
import UIKit
import Firebase
import FirebaseDatabase
import SwiftKeychainWrapper
import FirebaseAuth
class FeedVC: UITableViewController, UISearchBarDelegate{
#IBOutlet weak var searchBar: UISearchBar!
var currentUserImageUrl: String!
var posts = [postStruct]()
var selectedPost: Post!
var filteredPosts = [postStruct]()
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
getUsersData()
getPosts()
searchBar.delegate = self
// Do any additional setup after loading the view.
// tableView.register(PostCell.self, forCellReuseIdentifier: "PostCell")
}
override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
func getUsersData(){
guard let userID = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid else { return }
Database.database().reference().child("users").child(userID).observeSingleEvent(of: .value) { (snapshot) in
if let postDict = snapshot.value as? [String : AnyObject] {
self.tableView.reloadData()
}
}
}
struct postStruct {
let name : String!
let contactEmail : String!
let contactPhoneNum : String!
let age : String!
let gender : String!
let lastSeen : String!
let profileDescription : String!
}
func getPosts() {
let databaseRef = Database.database().reference()
databaseRef.child("firstName").queryOrderedByKey().observe( .childAdded, with: {
snapshot in
let name = (snapshot.value as? NSDictionary)!["name"] as? String
let contactEmail = (snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
)!["contactEmail"] as? String
let contactPhoneNum = (snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
)!["contactPhoneNum"] as? String
let age = (snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
)!["age"] as? String
let gender = (snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
)!["gender"] as? String
let lastSeen = (snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
)!["lastSeen"] as? String
let profileDescription = (snapshot.value as? NSDictionary
)!["profileDescription"] as? String
self.posts.append(postStruct(name: name,contactEmail:contactEmail, contactPhoneNum:contactPhoneNum, age:age, gender:gender, lastSeen:lastSeen, profileDescription:profileDescription))
DispatchQueue.main.async {
self.tableView.reloadData()
}
})
}
override func numberOfSections(in tableView: UITableView) -> Int {
return 1
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
print("posts count = ", filteredPosts.count)
return filteredPosts.count
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, heightForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGFloat {
// tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "PostCell")!.frame.size.height
return 230
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
guard let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "PostCell") as? PostCell else { return UITableViewCell() }
cell.nameLabel?.text = filteredPosts[indexPath.row].name
cell.contactEmailLabel?.text = filteredPosts[indexPath.row].contactEmail
cell.contactPhoneNumLabel?.text = filteredPosts[indexPath.row].contactPhoneNum
cell.ageLabel?.text = filteredPosts[indexPath.row].age
cell.genderLabel?.text = filteredPosts[indexPath.row].gender
cell.lastSeenLabel?.text = filteredPosts[indexPath.row].lastSeen
cell.profileDescriptionLabel?.text = filteredPosts[indexPath.row].profileDescription
print(filteredPosts)
return cell
}
func searchBar(_ searchBar: UISearchBar, textDidChange searchText: String) {
filteredPosts = posts.filter { $0.name?.lowercased().contains(searchText.lowercased()) == true }
}
}

Answer 1

Looping over the posts will provide element of type Post not String. Here's the fix:
func searchBar(_ searchBar: UISearchBar, textDidChange searchText: String) {
filteredPosts = []
for post in posts {
if post.name?.lowercased().contains(searchText.lowercased()) == true {
filteredPosts.append(post)
}
}
}
Or simply use a higher-order method like filter inspired from #Jay's comment.
func searchBar(_ searchBar: UISearchBar, textDidChange searchText: String) {
filteredPosts = posts.filter { $0.name?.lowercased().contains(searchText.lowercased()) == true }
}