Access childAutoID to update selected child value in Firebase - ios

Question

In order to populate my tableView, I append items (created from a struct) to a local array:
func loadList() {
var newAnnotations: [AnnotationListItem] = []
if let uid = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid {
uidRef.child(uid).child("annotations").queryOrderedByKey().observeSingleEvent(of: .value, with: {snapshot in
for item in snapshot.children {
let annotationItem = AnnotationListItem(snapshot: item as! DataSnapshot)
newAnnotations.append(annotationItem)
}
annotationList = newAnnotations
self.tableView.reloadSections([0], with: .fade)
})
}
}
When I click a specific row, I am taken to a DetailViewController where it is only a large UITextView (named notes). The UITextView.text displayed is based on the selected indexPath.row and the "notes" value is retrieved from the array. Now the user is able to type some text and when they are done, the textViewDidEndEditing function is called:
func textViewDidEndEditing(_ textView: UITextView) {
notes.resignFirstResponder()
navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem = nil
let newNotes = self.notes.text
print(newNotes!)
}
Now I'd like to updateChildValues to newNotes to the child node "notes" in my JSON:
"users" : {
"gI5dKGOX7NZ5UBqeTdtu30Ze9wG3" : {
"annotations" : {
"-KuWIRBARv7osWr3XDZz" : {
"annotationSubtitle" : "1 Cupertino CA",
"annotationTitle" : "Apple Infinite Loop",
"notes" : "Does it work?!",
}
How can I access the selected autoID so I can update the specific notes node. So far the best I have is:
guard let uid = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid else { return }
uidRef.child(uid).child("annotations").(somehow access the specific childID).updateChildValues(["notes": newNotes])
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
UPDATE
The annotationListItem struct is created:
struct AnnotationListItem {
let key: String?
var annotationTitle: String?
let annotationSubtitle: String?
let notes: String?
let ref: DatabaseReference?
init(key: String = "", annotationTitle: String, annotationSubtitle: String, notes: String) {
self.key = key
self.annotationTitle = annotationTitle
self.annotationSubtitle = annotationSubtitle
self.notes = notes
self.ref = nil
}
init(snapshot: DataSnapshot) {
key = snapshot.key
let snapshotValue = snapshot.value as! [String: AnyObject]
annotationTitle = snapshotValue["annotationTitle"] as? String
annotationSubtitle = snapshotValue["annotationSubtitle"] as? String
notes = snapshotValue["notes"] as? String
ref = snapshot.ref
}
init(Dictionary: [String: AnyObject]) {
self.key = Dictionary["key"] as? String
self.annotationTitle = Dictionary["annotationTitle"] as? String
self.annotationSubtitle = Dictionary["annotationSubtitle"] as? String
self.notes = Dictionary["notes"] as? String
self.ref = nil
}
func toAnyObject() -> Any {
return [
"annotationTitle": annotationTitle as Any,
"annotationSubtitle": annotationSubtitle as Any,
"notes": notes as Any
]
}
}
UPDATE
This is how the annotationListItem is created to be stored in Firebase:
// Using the current user’s data, create a new AnnotationListItem that is not completed by default
let uid = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid
guard let email = Auth.auth().currentUser?.email else { return }
let title = placemark.name
let subtitle = annotation.subtitle
let notes = ""
// declare variables
let annotationListItem = AnnotationListItem(
annotationTitle: title!,
annotationSubtitle: subtitle!,
notes: notes)
// Add the annotation under their UID
let userAnnotationItemRef = uidRef.child(uid!).child("annotations").childByAutoId()
userAnnotationItemRef.setValue(annotationListItem.toAnyObject())

Answer 1

I think you only need to do this:(since you have declared the note as global)
guard let uid = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid else { return }
uidRef.child(uid).child("annotations").(note.key).updateChildValues(["notes": newNotes])
inside the method where you change the notes

Answer 2

If I am not mistaken you are creating an array of a custom object?
var newAnnotations: [AnnotationListItem] = []
You could do something like: var newAnnotations: [(key: String, value: [String : Any])] = [] (Any only if you are going to have Strings, Integers, ect. If it'll only be String then specify it as a String.
Accessing the key would be: newAnnotations[indexPath.row].key in your cellForRowAtIndex of your tableView. Accessing values would be: newAnnotations[indexPath.row].value["NAME"].
You can have a separate array that holds the key and just append it at the same time as your population:
for item in snapshot.children {
guard let itemSnapshot = task as? FDataSnapshot else {
continue
}
let id = task.key //This is the ID
let annotationItem = AnnotationListItem(snapshot: item as! DataSnapshot)
newAnnotations.append(annotationItem)
}
Another thing you could do is go up one more level in your firebase call:
if let uid = Auth.auth().currentUser?.uid {
uidRef.child(uid).child("annotations").observeSingleEvent(of: .value, with: {snapshot in
if snapshot is NSNull{
//Handles error
} else{
if let value = snapshot.value as? NSDictionary{ //(or [String: String]
//set localDictionary equal to value
}
}
self.tableView.reloadSections([0], with: .fade)
})
}
And then when you select a row: let selectedItem = localDictionary.allKeys[indexPath.row] as! String //This is the ID you pass to your viewController.