Displaying the count of comments in the feed - ios

Question

I have an Instagram like feed with pictures shown one at a time in each cell. You can press on them and get directed to a commentTBV. Here is where I have all the comments underneath the post and they get counted correctly in this View.
var commentsArray = [FotoComment]()
is the array holding the comments
kommentarArray is the array i want to fill with the assignArray func so i can use it to display the amount of counts.
var kommentarArray = [FotoComment]()
[FotoComment] is my struc I use for my comments
What I want is that already in the feed the commentArray.count will show the correct number of comments.
func assignArray() {
let otherVC = CommentTableViewController()
kommentarArray = otherVC.commentsArray
print(kommentarArray.count)
}
This way I get access from my feed to the array of comments in the CommentTBVC.
My cell is:
cell.kommentarZähler.text = "Kommentare: \(kommentarArray.count)"
But it always shows 0 even though it already has 5 comments and it correctly displayed on the CommentTBV.
M complete code for MemesTableViewConbtroller (the feed)
import UIKit
import Firebase
import FirebaseAuth
import FirebaseDatabase
class MemesTableViewController: UITableViewController {
var kommentarArray = [FotoComment]()
var dataBaseRef : FIRDatabaseReference!
var storageRef : FIRStorageReference!
var posts = [PostMitBild]()
var segmentedControl : HMSegmentedControl!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
assignArray()
segmentedControl = HMSegmentedControl(sectionTitles: ["Top Heute", "Beliebteste", "Neue"])
segmentedControl.frame = CGRect(x: 10, y: 10, width: 300, height: 60)
segmentedControl.backgroundColor = UIColor.red
segmentedControl.titleTextAttributes = [NSForegroundColorAttributeName: UIColor.white]
segmentedControl.borderColor = UIColor.brown
segmentedControl.tintColor = UIColor.black
segmentedControl.selectionIndicatorColor = UIColor.gray
segmentedControl.addTarget(self, action: #selector(getter: MemesTableViewController.segmentedControl), for: UIControlEvents.valueChanged)
tableView.tableHeaderView = segmentedControl
segmentedAction()
}
func segmentedAction() {
if segmentedControl.selectedSegmentIndex == 0 {
let postRef = FIRDatabase.database().reference().child("MemesBilder")
postRef.observe(.value, with: { (snapshot) in
var newPost = [PostMitBild]()
for post in snapshot.children {
let Post = PostMitBild(snapshot: post as! FIRDataSnapshot)
newPost.insert(Post, at: 0)
}
self.posts = newPost
DispatchQueue.main.async {
self.tableView.reloadData()
}
}, withCancel: { (error) in
print(error.localizedDescription)
})
}
}
//------------------------------------------
override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
if FIRAuth.auth()?.currentUser == nil {
let vc = UIStoryboard(name: "Main", bundle: nil).instantiateViewController(withIdentifier: "Login")
self.present(vc, animated: true, completion: nil)
}
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "postCell", for: indexPath) as! PostTableViewCell
if let seconds = posts[indexPath.row].postDate {
let timestamp = NSDate(timeIntervalSince1970: seconds)
let dateFormatter = DateFormatter()
dateFormatter.dateFormat = "dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm"
cell.uploadDatum.text = dateFormatter.string(from: timestamp as Date)
}
cell.kommentarZähler.text = "Kommentare: \(kommentarArray.count)"
cell.usernameTextField.text = posts[indexPath.row].username
cell.postContent.text = posts[indexPath.row].content
storageRef = FIRStorage.storage().reference(forURL: posts[indexPath.row].userImageUrlString)
storageRef.data(withMaxSize: 1 * 1024 * 1024, completion: { (data, error) in
if error == nil {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
if let data = data {
cell.UserImageView.image = UIImage (data: data)
}
}
}else {
print(error?.localizedDescription)
}
})
let storageRef2 = FIRStorage.storage().reference(forURL: posts[indexPath.row].PostImageUrlString)
storageRef2.data(withMaxSize: 1 * 1024 * 1024, completion: { (data, error) in
if error == nil {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
if let data = data {
cell.postImageView.image = UIImage (data: data)
}
}
}else {
print(error?.localizedDescription)
}
})
return cell
}
//done!!!! ------------------------------------------
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, commit editingStyle: UITableViewCellEditingStyle, forRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) {
if editingStyle == .delete {
tableView.deleteRows(at: [indexPath], with: .fade)
let ref = posts[indexPath.row].ref
ref!.removeValue()
posts.remove(at: indexPath.row)
tableView.deleteRows(at: [indexPath], with: .fade)
}
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
var numberOfRows = 0
switch segmentedControl.selectedSegmentIndex {
case 0 : numberOfRows = posts.count
case 1: numberOfRows = posts.count
default: break
}
return numberOfRows
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, heightForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGFloat {
return 420.00
}
override func prepare(for segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: Any?) {
if segmentedControl.selectedSegmentIndex == 0 {
if segue.identifier == "addComment" {
let vc = segue.destination as! CommentTableViewController
let indexPath = tableView.indexPathForSelectedRow!
vc.selectedPosts = posts[indexPath.row]
}
}
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) {
if segmentedControl.selectedSegmentIndex == 0 {
performSegue(withIdentifier: "addComment", sender: self)
}
if segmentedControl.selectedSegmentIndex == 1 {
performSegue(withIdentifier: "addComment", sender: self)
}
if segmentedControl.selectedSegmentIndex == 2 {
performSegue(withIdentifier: "addComment", sender: self)
}
}
func assignArray() {
let otherVC = CommentTableViewController()
kommentarArray = otherVC.commentsArray
print(kommentarArray.count)
}
}
The code for the CommentTableViewController ( where i want to get the count of comments from the array var commentsArray = FotoComment which is already working on this TableView)
import UIKit
import Firebase
import FirebaseAuth
import FirebaseDatabase
import FirebaseStorage
class CommentTableViewController: UITableViewController {
#IBOutlet weak var komentarZähler: UILabel!
#IBOutlet weak var UserImageView: UIImageView!
#IBOutlet weak var usernameTextField: UILabel!
#IBOutlet weak var postImageView: UIImageView!
#IBOutlet weak var postContent: UITextView!
var dataBaseRef : FIRDatabaseReference!
var storageRef : FIRStorageReference!
var commentsArray = [FotoComment]()
var selectedPosts:PostMitBild!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
configurePost()
let commentRef = selectedPosts.ref!.child("Kommentare")
commentRef.observe(.value, with: { (snapshot) in
var newComments = [FotoComment]()
for item in snapshot.children {
let neuerKommentar = FotoComment(snapshot: item as! FIRDataSnapshot)
newComments.insert(neuerKommentar, at: 0)
}
self.commentsArray = newComments
self.tableView.reloadData()
}, withCancel: { (error) in
print(error.localizedDescription)
})
}
#IBAction func addComment(_ sender: UIBarButtonItem) {
let alertView = UIAlertController(title: "Kommentar", message: "Füge einen Kommentar hinzu", preferredStyle: UIAlertControllerStyle.alert)
alertView.addTextField { (textfield) in
textfield.placeholder = "Einen neuen Kommentar hinzufügen"
}
let sendCommentAction = UIAlertAction(title: "Kommentieren", style: .default) { (action) in
let textfield = alertView.textFields!.first!
let comment = FotoComment(content: textfield.text! , postId: self.selectedPosts.postId , username: (FIRAuth.auth()!.currentUser!.displayName!) , userImageUrlString: String(describing: FIRAuth.auth()!.currentUser!.photoURL!), postDate: (NSDate().timeIntervalSince1970))
let commentRef = self.selectedPosts.ref!.child("Kommentare").childByAutoId()
commentRef.setValue(comment.toAnyObject())
}
let cancelAction = UIAlertAction(title: "Abbrechen", style: .cancel, handler: nil)
alertView.addAction(sendCommentAction)
alertView.addAction(cancelAction)
self.present(alertView, animated: true, completion: nil)
}
// 2----------------------------------------------
func configurePost() {
usernameTextField.text = selectedPosts.username
postContent.text = selectedPosts.content
storageRef = FIRStorage.storage().reference(forURL: selectedPosts.userImageUrlString)
storageRef.data(withMaxSize: 1 * 1024 * 1024, completion: { (data, error) in
if error == nil {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
if let data = data {
self.UserImageView.image = UIImage (data: data)
}
}
}else {
print(error?.localizedDescription)
}
})
let storageRef2 = FIRStorage.storage().reference(forURL: selectedPosts.PostImageUrlString)
storageRef2.data(withMaxSize: 1 * 1024 * 1024, completion: { (data, error) in
if error == nil {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
if let data = data {
self.postImageView.image = UIImage (data: data)
}
}
}else {
print(error?.localizedDescription)
}
})
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
komentarZähler.text = "Kommentare: \(commentsArray.count)"
return commentsArray.count
}
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "commentCell", for: indexPath) as! CommentTableViewCell
if let seconds = commentsArray[indexPath.row].postDate {
let timestamp = NSDate(timeIntervalSince1970: seconds)
let dateFormatter = DateFormatter()
dateFormatter.dateFormat = "dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss"
cell.uploadDatum.text = dateFormatter.string(from: timestamp as Date)
}
cell.usernameTextField.text = commentsArray[indexPath.row].username
cell.postContent.text = commentsArray[indexPath.row].content
storageRef = FIRStorage.storage().reference(forURL: commentsArray[indexPath.row].userImageUrlString!)
storageRef.data(withMaxSize: 1 * 1024 * 1024, completion: { (data, error) in
if error == nil {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
if let data = data {
cell.UserImageView.image = UIImage (data: data)
}
self.tableView.reloadData()
}
}else {
print(error?.localizedDescription)
}
})
return cell
}
}
this is how i safe my data in firebase. I want to update the number of comments (kommentarAnzahl which is currently 0) every time a comment is added to the post

Answer 1

You have to convert your Array count to string value to display in cell.
Try this Code,
cell.kommentarZähler.text = String("Kommentare:",kommentarArray.count)
I hope this will work for You.

Answer 2

So you have two separate view controllers namely CommentTableViewController and MemesTableViewController consisting of commentsArray and kommentarArray resepctively. These arrays are of class-scope meaning that once you get outside of your class; for this case it would be leaving the view, then they would be deallocated. Once you enter the view, they'll be re-created again and filled with values.
Since you want to get the number of elements in commentsArray, I'd recommend you create a static variable which would keep track of this. When you make something static you're pretty much making it accessible throughout your entire app/program and changes made to it are reflected across the entire app. In other words, a memory block is reserved to store your variable which will only be de-allocated once you quit the app entirely. You may think of this as an app-scope variable.
Two ways
Lousy Way
Change your commentsArray definition from var commentsArray = [FotoComment]() to static var commentsArray = [FotoComment](). By doing this, then you may access and manipulate the contents of this array from any other class. This is great if you have few elements but what happens when you have tens of thousands or even a million comments? It'll mean that we'll be walking around with huge amounts of data everywhere even when we really don't need it.
Recommended Way
Keep your current commentsArray definition and add this static var numberOfComments: Int = 0 inside your CommentTableViewController. Right after adding your elements to commentsArray, update the element tracker as shown below
CommentTableViewController.numberOfComments = commentsArray.count
Then when you go back to your MemesTableViewController, you can simply delete assignArray(); since we have a global element counter now, and simply amend your cell to this
cell.kommentarZähler.text = String(CommentTableViewController.numberOfComments)
With this, even if you create say another class called FriendsVC, you can still access numberOfComments and even change it as well.
PS: Since numberOfComments is static, whenever and wherever you want to access or amend it, you MUST always first call the class or struct in which it was defined in. For this case, it is inside CommentTableViewController so you need to always do CommentTableViewController.numberOfComments to access it; even when you are inside CommentTableViewController itself. Always remember that.