Save data from textfile in a array and/or dictionary - ios

Question

I hang on a programming step. I hope you can help me.
I got in a textfile the following rows:
#Objekt
Objektnr; 1000000;
Filialname; Dresden;
Filialeemail; email#email.com;
#Baustelle
Anschrift1;;
Anschrift2;Juwelier Schubert;
Strasse;Theresienstrafle 7;
Land;DE;
Ort;TheTown;
PLZ;12345;
....
I have the following function for bring the file-data to an array or an dictionary. In another function i will save the data to the local CoreData-Database.
func startImportTextfile(fileName: String, fileDir: String) -> Bool {
var filePath : String = folderDocuments.stringByAppendingPathComponent(fileDir)
var fileNameWithPath = filePath.stringByAppendingPathComponent(fileName)
var fullImportContent = String(contentsOfFile: fileNameWithPath, encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding, error: nil)
if(fullImportContent != "")
{
var stringArray = fullImportContent!.componentsSeparatedByString("\n")
var stringArrayCompleteData = Dictionary<String, Array<Any>>()
var arrIndexSection : String = "NoHeader"
for singleRow in stringArray
{
if(singleRow != "")
{
switch singleRow {
case "#Header":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Objekt":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Baustelle":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Auftraggeber":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Architekt":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Vermittler":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Regulierer":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Versicherung":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Kontaktstellen":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
case "#Dateien":
arrIndexSection = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
default:
//Here the multiple array would be filled
var arrSingleRow = singleRow.componentsSeparatedByString(";")
if( arrSingleRow.count > 0 )
{
if( arrIndexSection == "Kontaktstellen" )
{
//TODO: Kontaktstellen einlesen
//#Kontaktstellen
//Baustelle;0;348873;;;;0
//Baustelle;0;381263;;Albrecht;0815;0
//Regulierer/SV;0;171979;Josef;Eder;08546/911055;0
println( "Kontaktstellendaten" )
println( singleRow )
}
else if( arrIndexSection == "Dateien" )
{
//TODO: Dateien einlesen
//#Dateien
//11022015090007_BEmail_INNNUE_21102014141534.pdf; 99; Email an asdfasdf#sdf.de
println( "Dateiendaten" )
println( singleRow )
}
else
{
stringArrayCompleteData[arrIndexSection] = [arrSingleRow[0]: arrSingleRow[1]]
}
}
}
}
}
for key in stringArrayCompleteData {
println("Key: \(key)")
}
return true
}
else
{
return false
}
}
The aim is that I can open the data like this:
println(stringArrayCompleteData["Objekt"].Objektnr)
But I dont know how i have to declare the stringArrayCompleteData.
Maybe i have to change this decleration
var stringArrayCompleteData = Dictionary<String, Array<Any>>()
to
var stringArrayCompleteData = Array<String, Dictionary<String, Any>>()
Thanks for every little help

Answer 1

Hi Roland – My suggestion would be to divide up the text into the different sections and put each into a struct. For example, you would define a Objekt struct that would contain 3 properties: objektnr, filialname, and filialeemail.
You could make a tree of structs, for example, with a root Person struct. The Person struct would contain properties corresponding to an Objekt struct instance, a Bastille struct instance, etc.
Here's some example code to define the structs:
struct Person:Printable {
init() {
}
var objektStruct:Objekt?
var baustelleStruct:Baustelle?
var description:String {
get {
let objektStructDescription = objektStruct != nil ? objektStruct!.description : ""
let baustelleStructDescription = baustelleStruct != nil ? baustelleStruct!.description : ""
return "\(objektStructDescription)\n\n\(baustelleStructDescription)"
}
}
}
struct Objekt:Printable {
var objektnr:Int = 0
var filialname:String = ""
var filialeemail:String = ""
init(text:String) {
// Divide the text into an array of lines
let textLinesArray:[String] = text.componentsSeparatedByString("\n")
// Loop through each line and set the corresponding property
for textLine:String in textLinesArray {
// Separate the components of the line at each ";" character
var components:[String] = textLine.componentsSeparatedByString(";")
components = components.map({ (componentString:String) -> String in
return componentString.stringByTrimmingCharactersInSet(NSCharacterSet.whitespaceCharacterSet())
})
// Get the key and value for the line.
let key:String = components.count > 0 ? components[0] : ""
let value:String = components.count > 1 ? components[1] : ""
// Based on the key, set the appropriate property value
switch key {
case "Objektnr":
if let valueAsInt = value.toInt() {
objektnr = valueAsInt
}
case "Filialname":
filialname = value
case "Filialeemail":
filialeemail = value
default:
break
}
}
}
var description:String {
get {
return "*Objekt*\n Objektnr = \(objektnr)\n Filialname = \(filialname)\n Filialeemail = \(filialeemail)"
}
}
}
struct Baustelle:Printable {
var anschrift1:String = ""
var anschrift2:String = ""
var strasse:String = ""
var land:String = ""
var ort:String = ""
var plz:Int = 0
init(text:String) {
// Divide the text into an array of lines
let textLinesArray:[String] = text.componentsSeparatedByString("\n")
// Loop through each line and set the corresponding property
for textLine:String in textLinesArray {
// Separate the components of the line at each ";" character
var components:[String] = textLine.componentsSeparatedByString(";")
components = components.map({ (componentString:String) -> String in
return componentString.stringByTrimmingCharactersInSet(NSCharacterSet.whitespaceCharacterSet())
})
// Get the key and value for the line.
let key:String = components.count > 0 ? components[0] : ""
let value:String = components.count > 1 ? components[1] : ""
// Based on the key, set the appropriate property value
switch key {
case "Anschrift1":
anschrift1 = value
case "Anschrift2":
anschrift2 = value
case "Strasse":
strasse = value
case "Land":
land = value
case "Ort":
ort = value
case "PLZ":
if let valueAsInt = value.toInt() {
plz = valueAsInt
}
default:
break
}
}
}
var description:String {
get {
return "*Baustelle*\n Anschrift1 = \(anschrift1)\n Anschrift2 = \(anschrift2)\n Strasse = \(strasse)\n Land = \(land)\n Ort = \(ort)\n PLZ = \(plz)"
}
}
}
I wrote the init methods for the Objekt and Baustelle so that the whole text section can be supplied, and the struct takes care of parsing it into the different properties.
Here's some sample code to use the above structs:
let text = String(contentsOfFile: "/Users/markstone/Downloads/textdata.txt")!
// Divide the text at each double newline into multiline sections.
// Eg., the arrayOfTextSections[0] will be the multiline string:
// #Objekt
// Objektnr; 1000000;
// Filialname; Dresden;
// Filialeemail; email#
let arrayOfTextSections = text.componentsSeparatedByString("\n\n")
// Create an empty Person struct instance. We'll fill it in the loop below
var person = Person()
for textSection in arrayOfTextSections {
// For each text section, find out the heading (eg., #Objekt or #Baustelle).
let sectionStringArray = textSection.componentsSeparatedByString("\n")
let sectionHeading = sectionStringArray[0]
switch sectionHeading {
case "#Objekt":
// Create a new instance of the Objekt using the multiline text in this section, and set this instance to the person.objektStruct property.
person.objektStruct = Objekt(text: textSection)
case "#Baustelle":
// Create a new instance of the Baustelle using the multiline text in this section, and set this instance to the person.baustelleStruct property.
person.baustelleStruct = Baustelle(text: textSection)
default:
break
}
}
print(person)
The line print(person) prints the following output:
*Objekt*
Objektnr = 0
Filialname = Dresden
Filialeemail = email#email.com
*Baustelle*
Anschrift1 =
Anschrift2 = Juwelier Schubert
Strasse = Theresienstrafle 7
Land = DE
Ort = TheTown
PLZ = 12345
With this sort of approach, it's quite easy to then turn the struct instances into managed objects for a core data store.

Answer 2

I placed a text file containing your data and saved in a text file in Document's Directory and passed the text filename and the directory path to the function and the functions returns the dictionary with the data into it in dictionary format.
import UIKit
class ViewController: UIViewController {
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
let fileDirectory : [String] = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(.DocumentDirectory, .UserDomainMask, true) as [String]
var fileDir = fileDirectory[0]
var returnedDictionary : Dictionary = self.startImportTextfile("textdata", fileDir: fileDir)
println(returnedDictionary)
var keyDictionary : Dictionary! = returnedDictionary["Objekt"]
println(keyDictionary["Objektnr"] as String!)
}
func startImportTextfile(fileName: String, fileDir: String) -> Dictionary<String,Dictionary<String,String>> {
let fileNameWithPath :String! = fileDir.stringByAppendingPathComponent(fileName)
var err: NSError?
var currentKey : String!
let fullImportContent :String! = String.stringWithContentsOfFile(fileNameWithPath!, encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding, error: &err)
var dataDictionary = [String : Dictionary <String,String>]()
if(fullImportContent != "")
{
var singleLineArray = fullImportContent!.componentsSeparatedByString("\n")
for singleRow in singleLineArray
{
if(singleRow != "")
{
switch singleRow
{
case "#Header","#Objekt","#Baustelle","#Auftraggeber","#Architekt","#Vermittler","#Regulierer","#Versicherung","#Kontaktstellen","#Dateien":
currentKey = singleRow.stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString("#", withString: "", options: NSStringCompareOptions.LiteralSearch, range: nil)
dataDictionary[currentKey] = Dictionary <String,String>()
default:
var arrayForSingleRow = singleRow.componentsSeparatedByString(";")
if( arrayForSingleRow.count > 0 )
{
var sampledict : Dictionary! = dataDictionary[currentKey]
sampledict[arrayForSingleRow[0]] = arrayForSingleRow[1]
dataDictionary[currentKey] = sampledict
}
}
}
}
}
return dataDictionary
}
}
After executing it i get the following output :
[Objekt: [Filialname: Dresden, Objektnr: 1000000, Filialeemail: email#], Baustelle: [PLZ: 12345, Ort: TheTown, Land: DE, Anschrift1: , Strasse: Theresienstrafle 7, Anschrift2: Juwelier Schubert]]
1000000
where Objekt is the key and it contains a dictionary value and from that dictionary you would be able to access Objektnr as i have done in viewDidLoad.
Link to Text file : https://www.dropbox.com/s/oyzbo128zr3jd6h/textdata?dl=0

Answer 3

It looks like your guess is correct and what you mean to declare stringArrayCompleteData as is indeed a dictionary of dictionaries, with Any as the value type for the dictionary. By the way, you can declare that type a bit more neatly as [String: [String:Any]]
Though, do you just want to store the details as strings? Or do you plan to parse numbers as integers? If you want some stronger-typed set of values, as an alternative to using Any as the data type, you might want to look into using an enum with associated values.
Here’s a version of your code that will store up the data records and insert them under the key. This could be neatened up a lot, but also uses a few Swift features you might find useful.
import Foundation
let folderDocuments = "/"
// rather than return true/false, you could return the data as an optional
func startImportTextfile(fileName: String, fileDir: String) -> [String: [String:String]]? {
let filePath: String = folderDocuments.stringByAppendingPathComponent(fileDir)
let fileNameWithPath = filePath.stringByAppendingPathComponent(fileName)
var error: NSError?
let fullImportContent = String(contentsOfFile: fileNameWithPath, encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding, error: &error)
if let data = fullImportContent where !data.isEmpty {
let stringArray = split(data) { $0 == "\n" }
var completeData: [String: [String:String]] = [:]
var sectionEntries: [String:String] = [:]
var arrIndexSection: String? = nil
for singleRow in stringArray {
// first is an easy and safe way to check if first character
// has a specific value, whilst handling empty strings
if first(singleRow) == "#" {
// insert records from previous section
if let header = arrIndexSection {
completeData[header] = sectionEntries
}
// start a new section
// dropFirst removes the first "#"
arrIndexSection = dropFirst(singleRow)
sectionEntries = [:]
}
else {
let arrSingleRow = split(singleRow) { $0 == ";" }
if( arrSingleRow.count > 0 ) {
switch arrIndexSection {
case .Some("Kontaktstellen"):
//TODO: Kontaktstellen einlesen
println( "Kontaktstellendaten" )
println( singleRow )
case .Some("Dateien"):
//TODO: Dateien einlesen
println( "Dateiendaten" )
println( singleRow )
default:
if let label = first(arrSingleRow) {
sectionEntries[label] = first(dropFirst(arrSingleRow)) ?? ""
}
}
}
}
}
if let header = arrIndexSection {
completeData[header] = sectionEntries
}
return completeData
}
println("fail: \(error)")
return nil
}
if let data = startImportTextfile(Process.arguments[1], Process.arguments[2]) {
for (key,value) in data {
println("Key: \(key)\nData: \(value)")
}
}