Getting data from REST API for iOS app - ios

Question

This is my first time using Swift and creating an iOS app and I am having trouble retrieving data from a REST API. I am familiar with Android Development but not iOS.
I am trying to use the API from www.thecocktaildb.com.
An example of a request is http://www.thecocktaildb.com/api/json/v1/1/search.php?s=margarita.
I would like to use this request and input a string margarita, or any other drink name, from a search bar and then display the array of drinks into a tableview.
Right now when I run, I am not getting any response from the console.
Am I on the right track?
I am also not sure how to display each result (drink) in a table view cell.
Here is my file:
SearchViewController.swift
class SearchViewController: UIViewController, UISearchBarDelegate, UITableViewDataSource, UITableViewDelegate {
#IBOutlet weak var TableView: UITableView!
#IBOutlet weak var SearchBar: UISearchBar!
// search in progress or not
var isSearching : Bool = false
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
for subView in self.SearchBar.subviews
{
for subsubView in subView.subviews
{
if let textField = subsubView as? UITextField
{
textField.attributedPlaceholder = NSAttributedString(string: NSLocalizedString("Search", comment: ""))
}
}
}
// set search bar delegate
self.SearchBar.delegate = self
}
func searchBar(searchBar: UISearchBar, textDidChange searchText: String) {
if self.SearchBar.text!.isEmpty {
// set searching false
self.isSearching = false
}else{
// set searghing true
self.isSearching = true
let postEndpoint: String = "http://www.thecocktaildb.com/api/json/v1/1/search.php?s=" + self.SearchBar.text!.lowercaseString
guard let url = NSURL(string: postEndpoint) else {
print("Error: cannot create URL")
return
}
let urlRequest = NSURLRequest(URL: url)
let config = NSURLSessionConfiguration.defaultSessionConfiguration()
let session = NSURLSession(configuration: config)
let task = session.dataTaskWithRequest(urlRequest, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) in
guard let responseData = data else {
print("Error: did not receive data")
return
}
guard error == nil else {
print("error calling GET on www.thecocktaildb.com")
print(error)
return
}
// parse the result as JSON, since that's what the API provides
let post: NSDictionary
do {
post = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(responseData,
options: []) as! NSDictionary
} catch {
print("error trying to convert data to JSON")
return
}
if let strDrink = post["strDrink"] as? String {
print("The drink is: " + strDrink)
}
})
task.resume()
}
}
func tableView(tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
return 0
}
func tableView(tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier("Cell", forIndexPath: indexPath)
return cell
}
func tableView(tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) {
}
// hide kwyboard when search button clicked
func searchBarSearchButtonClicked(searchBar: UISearchBar) {
self.SearchBar.resignFirstResponder()
}
// hide keyboard when cancel button clicked
func searchBarCancelButtonClicked(searchBar: UISearchBar) {
self.SearchBar.text = ""
self.SearchBar.resignFirstResponder()
}
override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
}

Answer 1

Analizyng the json received from GET request with the provided URL http://www.thecocktaildb.com/api/json/v1/1/search.php?s=margarita
{
"drinks":[{ ... }]
}
There is a drinks key, so you should navigate to it before trying to access the deeper levels of the json. Also note that the drinks value is an array of JSON and should be cast to [NSDictionary]
The code below should help you get started with it.
if let drinks = post["drinks"] as? [NSDictionary] {
for drink in drinks {
if let strDrink = drink["strDrink"] as? String {
print("The drink is: " + strDrink)
}
}
}