Firebase & JSQMessagesViewController One to one chat in Ios Swift 2 - ios

Question

So i'm trying to implement one to one chat system in the app that am building and have been having some trouble. This is what i have so far.
Here is my code
Please help me i would also really appreciate any examples. Thank you
`
import UIKit
import JSQMessagesViewController
import Firebase
class MessagesViewController: JSQMessagesViewController {
var messages = [Message]()
var userImage = ""
var toUser: String!
var toUserImageUrl: String!
var avatars = Dictionary<String, UIImage>()
var outgoingBubbleImageView: JSQMessagesBubbleImage!
var incomingBubbleImageView: JSQMessagesBubbleImage!
var senderImageUrl: String!
var batchMessages = true
// var ref: Firebase!
// *** STEP 1: STORE FIREBASE REFERENCES
var messagesRef: FIRDatabaseReference!
private func setupBubbles() {
let factory = JSQMessagesBubbleImageFactory()
outgoingBubbleImageView = factory.outgoingMessagesBubbleImageWithColor(
UIColor.jsq_messageBubbleBlueColor())
incomingBubbleImageView = factory.incomingMessagesBubbleImageWithColor(
UIColor.jsq_messageBubbleLightGrayColor())
}
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
print(toUser)
inputToolbar.contentView.leftBarButtonItem = nil
automaticallyScrollsToMostRecentMessage = true
// self.collectionView.backgroundColor = UIColor.blackColor()
self.navigationItem.hidesBackButton = true
let newBackButton = UIBarButtonItem(title: "< Back", style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.Bordered, target: self, action: #selector(MessagesViewController.back(_:)))
self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = newBackButton;
self.navigationController?.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem?.tintColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
senderId = (senderId != nil) ? senderId : "Anonymous"
if let urlString = userImage as? NSString {
setupAvatarImage(senderId, imageUrl: senderImageUrl, incoming: false)
senderImageUrl = urlString as String
} else {
setupAvatarColor(senderDisplayName, incoming: false)
senderImageUrl = ""
}
senderId = Constants.currentUser
self.title = toUser
// No avatars
collectionView!.collectionViewLayout.incomingAvatarViewSize = CGSizeZero
collectionView!.collectionViewLayout.outgoingAvatarViewSize = CGSizeZero
setupBubbles()
setupFirebase()
}
func back(sender: UIBarButtonItem) {
self.dismissViewControllerAnimated(true, completion: nil)
}
func setupFirebase() {
// *** STEP 2: SETUP FIREBASE
messagesRef = FIRDatabase.database().reference()
// *** STEP 4: RECEIVE MESSAGES FROM FIREBASE (limited to latest 25 messages)
messagesRef.observeEventType(.ChildAdded, withBlock: { (snapshot) -> Void in
let text = snapshot.value!["text"] as? String
let sender = snapshot.value!["from"] as? String
let toUsername = snapshot.value!["toUser"] as? String
let senderimageUrl = snapshot.value!["senderimageUrl"] as? String
let toUserImageUrl = snapshot.value!["toUserimageUrl"] as? String
let message = Message(text: text, sender: sender, toUsername: toUsername, senderimageUrl: senderimageUrl, toUserimageUrl: toUserImageUrl)
self.messages.append(message)
self.finishReceivingMessage()
})
}
func sendMessage(text: String!, sender: String!, to: String!) {
// *** STEP 3: ADD A MESSAGE TO FIREBASE
messagesRef.childByAutoId().setValue([
"text":text,
"toUser":toUser,
"from":self.senderId,
"senderimageUrl":senderImageUrl,
"toUserimageUrl":toUserImageUrl
])
}
func tempSendMessage(text: String!, sender: String!, to: String!) {
let message = Message(text: text, sender: sender, toUsername: to, senderimageUrl: senderImageUrl, toUserimageUrl: toUserImageUrl)
messages.append(message)
}
func setupAvatarImage(name: String, imageUrl: String?, incoming: Bool) {
if let stringUrl = imageUrl {
if let url = NSURL(string: stringUrl) {
if let data = NSData(contentsOfURL: url) {
let image = UIImage(data: data)
let diameter = incoming ? UInt(collectionView.collectionViewLayout.incomingAvatarViewSize.width) : UInt(collectionView.collectionViewLayout.outgoingAvatarViewSize.width)
let avatarImage = JSQMessagesAvatarImageFactory.avatarImageWithImage(image, diameter: diameter).avatarImage
avatars[name] = avatarImage
return
}
}
}
// At some point, we failed at getting the image (probably broken URL), so default to avatarColor
setupAvatarColor(name, incoming: incoming)
}
func setupAvatarColor(name: String, incoming: Bool) {
let diameter = incoming ? UInt(collectionView.collectionViewLayout.incomingAvatarViewSize.width) : UInt(collectionView.collectionViewLayout.outgoingAvatarViewSize.width)
let rgbValue = name.hash
let r = CGFloat(Float((rgbValue & 0xFF0000) >> 16)/255.0)
let g = CGFloat(Float((rgbValue & 0xFF00) >> 8)/255.0)
let b = CGFloat(Float(rgbValue & 0xFF)/255.0)
let color = UIColor(red: r, green: g, blue: b, alpha: 0.5)
let nameLength = name.characters.count
let initials : String? = name.substringToIndex(toUser.startIndex.advancedBy(min(3, nameLength)))
let userImage = JSQMessagesAvatarImageFactory.avatarImageWithUserInitials(initials, backgroundColor: color, textColor: UIColor.blackColor(), font: UIFont.systemFontOfSize(CGFloat(13)), diameter: diameter).avatarImage
avatars[name] = userImage
}
override func viewDidAppear(animated: Bool) {
super.viewDidAppear(animated)
collectionView.collectionViewLayout.springinessEnabled = true
}
override func viewWillDisappear(animated: Bool) {
super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
// if ref != nil {
// ref.unauth()
// }
}
// ACTIONS
func receivedMessagePressed(sender: UIBarButtonItem) {
// Simulate reciving message
showTypingIndicator = !showTypingIndicator
scrollToBottomAnimated(true)
}
override func didPressSendButton(button: UIButton!, withMessageText text: String!, senderId: String!, senderDisplayName: String!, date: NSDate!){
JSQSystemSoundPlayer.jsq_playMessageSentSound()
sendMessage(text, sender: senderId, to: toUser)
finishSendingMessage()
}
override func didPressAccessoryButton(sender: UIButton!) {
print("Camera pressed!")
}
override func collectionView(collectionView: JSQMessagesCollectionView!, messageDataForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath!) -> JSQMessageData! {
return messages[indexPath.item]
}
override func collectionView(collectionView: JSQMessagesCollectionView!,
messageBubbleImageDataForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath!) -> JSQMessageBubbleImageDataSource! {
let message = messages[indexPath.item] // 1
if message.senderId() == self.senderId{ // 2
return outgoingBubbleImageView
} else { // 3
return incomingBubbleImageView
}
}
override func collectionView(collectionView: JSQMessagesCollectionView!,
avatarImageDataForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath!) -> JSQMessageAvatarImageDataSource! {
return nil
}
func collectionView(collectionView: JSQMessagesCollectionView!, bubbleImageViewForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath!) -> UIImageView! {
let message = messages[indexPath.item]
if message.senderId() == self.senderId {
return UIImageView(image: outgoingBubbleImageView.messageBubbleImage, highlightedImage: outgoingBubbleImageView.messageBubbleHighlightedImage)
}
return UIImageView(image: incomingBubbleImageView.messageBubbleImage, highlightedImage: incomingBubbleImageView.messageBubbleHighlightedImage)
}
func collectionView(collectionView: JSQMessagesCollectionView!, avatarImageViewForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath!) -> UIImageView! {
let message = messages[indexPath.item]
if let avatar = avatars[message.senderId()] {
return UIImageView(image: avatar)
} else {
setupAvatarImage(message.senderId(), imageUrl: message.senderimageUrl(), incoming: true)
return UIImageView(image:avatars[message.senderId()])
}
}
override func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, numberOfItemsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
return messages.count
}
override func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell {
let cell = super.collectionView(collectionView, cellForItemAtIndexPath: indexPath) as! JSQMessagesCollectionViewCell
let message = messages[indexPath.item]
if message.senderId() == self.senderId {
cell.textView.textColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
} else {
cell.textView.textColor = UIColor.blackColor()
}
let attributes : [String:AnyObject] = [NSForegroundColorAttributeName:cell.textView.textColor!, NSUnderlineStyleAttributeName: 1]
cell.textView.linkTextAttributes = attributes
// cell.textView.linkTextAttributes = [NSForegroundColorAttributeName: cell.textView.textColor,
// NSUnderlineStyleAttributeName: NSUnderlineStyle.StyleSingle]
return cell
}
// View usernames above bubbles
override func collectionView(collectionView: JSQMessagesCollectionView!, attributedTextForMessageBubbleTopLabelAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath!) -> NSAttributedString! {
let message = messages[indexPath.item];
// Sent by me, skip
if message.senderId() == self.senderId {
return nil;
}
// Same as previous sender, skip
if indexPath.item > 0 {
let previousMessage = messages[indexPath.item - 1];
if previousMessage.senderId() == message.senderId() {
return nil;
}
}
return NSAttributedString(string:message.senderId())
}
override func collectionView(collectionView: JSQMessagesCollectionView!, layout collectionViewLayout: JSQMessagesCollectionViewFlowLayout!, heightForMessageBubbleTopLabelAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath!) -> CGFloat {
let message = messages[indexPath.item]
// Sent by me, skip
if message.senderId() == self.senderId {
return CGFloat(0.0);
}
// Same as previous sender, skip
if indexPath.item > 0 {
let previousMessage = messages[indexPath.item - 1];
if previousMessage.senderId() == message.senderId() {
return CGFloat(0.0);
}
}
return kJSQMessagesCollectionViewCellLabelHeightDefault
}
}
`

Answer 1

So I would suggest checking out the
Swift Example can be found in the SwiftExample folder just open the SwiftExample.xcworkspace.
https://github.com/jessesquires/JSQMessagesViewController
it is apart of JSQMessagesViewController and is currently maintained.Also has an example of both a group and 1on1 conversation. That should help you to accomplish private conversations. But I think you are missing a key component which is your conversations view. That is where you would initiate a conversation. Then you should have an endpoint on your firebase backend that you can hit for all the conversations a user has had previously. That way they can open them again.