Multiple arrays to fill tableView - ios

Question

I'm using a tableView to display a friend list. Each type is stored in an array.
When the viewController is presented i'm requesting each array from my web-service separately.(OUT,IN and FRIENDS)
The data i'm getting back is a array of objects, each object with three properties: pictureID, profileID and name.
Each array gets displayed in a section, but the order of those sections is important.
I want the outgoing friend request to be in the first section, incoming in the second and friends in the third, provided that there are elements in those arrays, if not, all other will move one place up in the order. I hope you understand...
The way i'm doing it right now is really awkward.
For every array i get from my server i do (friendsArray, incomingArray, outgoingArray):
for (NSDictionary*dict in data){
User *friend = [User new];
friend.profileID = [dict objectForKey:#"profileID"];
friend.pictureID = [dict objectForKey:#"pictureID"];
friend.name = [dict objectForKey:#"name"];
[friendsArray addObject:friend];
}
I think this part is completely normal.
But now numberOfSectionsInTableView:
if (outgoingArray.count > 0 && incomingArray.count == 0 && friendsArray.count == 0) {
return 1;
}
if (outgoingArray.count == 0 && incomingArray.count > 0 && friendsArray.count == 0) {
return 1;
}
if (outgoingArray.count == 0 && incomingArray.count == 0 && friendsArray.count > 0) {
return 1;
}
if (outgoingArray.count > 0 && incomingArray.count > 0 && friendsArray.count == 0) {
return 2;
}
if (outgoingArray.count > 0 && incomingArray.count == 0 && friendsArray.count > 0) {
return 2;
}
if (outgoingArray.count == 0 && incomingArray.count > 0 && friendsArray.count > 0) {
return 2;
}
if (outgoingArray.count > 0 && incomingArray.count > 0 && friendsArray.count > 0) {
return 3;
}
//default
return 0;
PLEASE... there must be a way to do this more easily?
Same goes for numberOfRowsInSection:
switch (section) {
case 0:
if (outgoingArray.count > 0){
return outgoingArray.count;
}else if (incomingArray.count > 0){
return incomingArray.count;
}else if (friendsArray.count > 0){
return friendsArray.count;
}else{
return 0;
}
break;
case 1:
if (outgoingArray.count > 0 && incomingArray.count > 0){
return incomingArray.count;
}
if (outgoingArray.count == 0 && incomingArray.count > 0) {
return friendsArray.count;
}
case 2:
return friendsArray.count;
default:
return 0;
break;
}
And i still got problems when the user selects a cell. I need to know the user id of the profile that is selected because i'm transferring it to the next viewController. Right now i'm doing this the same way im getting the number of rows.

Answer 1

Can you create a dictionary that contains all the objects? You could do three parent keys with array children so all you would have to do is check if the dictionary contains the parent key and then check the children for the number of rows.