Creating references to cells in a custom UITableView - ios

Question

I have created a customTableCell class that serves as a formatter for the construction of the UITableView in my FirstViewController. The code for all relevant classes will be provided below.
What I am attempting to do:
I am attempting to change the value of the regularBubbleCostLabel which is a property of the customTableCell class. The problem that I am having is that I cannot reference a specific cell that has been displayed in the UITableView.
How can I create references to each of the customTableCells that are being displayed in the UITableView?
customTableCell.h
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#interface customTableCell : UITableViewCell
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIImageView *primaryImageView;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *upgradeNameLabel;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *descriptionLabel;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIImageView *regularCurrencyIcon;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *regularBubbleCostLabel;
#end
customTableCell.m
#import "customTableCell.h"
#implementation customTableCell
#synthesize primaryImageView = _primaryImageView;
#synthesize upgradeNameLabel = _upgradeNameLabel;
#synthesize descriptionLabel = _descriptionLabel;
#synthesize regularBubbleCostLabel = _regularBubbleCostLabel;
#end
FirstViewController.h
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "RWGameData.h"
#import "customTableCell.h"
#interface FirstViewController : UIViewController <UITableViewDelegate, UITableViewDataSource>
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *regularBubbleLabel;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *premiumBubbleLabel;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIImageView *regularBubbleIcon;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIImageView *premiumBubbleIcon;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UINavigationBar *navBar;
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UITableView *tableView;
#end
FirstViewController.m
#import "FirstViewController.h"
#interface FirstViewController ()
#end
#implementation FirstViewController
{
NSArray *upgrades;
NSArray *thumbnails;
NSArray *descriptions;
NSArray *megaBubbleUpgradeFees;
NSInteger rowID;
NSInteger cellCount;
}
- (void)viewDidLoad {
[super viewDidLoad];
// Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"Upgrades" ofType:#"plist"];
NSDictionary *dict = [[NSDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:path];
upgrades = [dict objectForKey:#"UpgradeStrings"];
thumbnails = [dict objectForKey:#"UpgradeImages"];
descriptions = [dict objectForKey:#"UpgradeDescriptions"];
megaBubbleUpgradeFees = [dict objectForKey:#"MegaBubbleUpgradeFee"];
_regularBubbleLabel.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%li", [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount];
_premiumBubbleLabel.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%li", [RWGameData sharedGameData].premiumBubbleCount];
}
- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning {
[super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section {
return [upgrades count];
}
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
// Handles appearance of cells in table.
static NSString *TableIdentifier = #"TableCell";
//customTableCell *cell = (customTableCell *)[tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:TableIdentifier];
customTableCell *cell = (customTableCell *)[tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:TableIdentifier];
if (cell == nil) {
NSArray *nib = [[NSBundle mainBundle] loadNibNamed:#"customTableCell" owner:self options:nil];
cell = [nib objectAtIndex:0];
}
cell.primaryImageView.image = [UIImage imageNamed:[thumbnails objectAtIndex:indexPath.row]];
cell.upgradeNameLabel.text = [upgrades objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
cell.descriptionLabel.text = [descriptions objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
cell.regularCurrencyIcon.image = [UIImage imageNamed:#"megaBubbleLarge30.png"];
cell.regularBubbleCostLabel.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#", megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]];
return cell;
}
- (CGFloat)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView heightForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
return 78;
}
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
rowID = indexPath.row;
[self makePayment:self];
}
- (IBAction)makePayment:(id)sender {
UIAlertView *messageAlert;
if (rowID == 0) {
if ([RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount >= [megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier] intValue]) {
//NSLog(#"Balance: %li | Cost: %# |-> Sufficient amount!", [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
if ([RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubblePopValue <= 1) {
[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubblePopValue++;
} else {
[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubblePopValue *= 2;
}
[[RWGameData sharedGameData] save];
NSLog(#"New Pop Value: %i", [RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubblePopValue);
} else {
messageAlert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:#"Not enough bubbles!!" message:#"You need to collect more bubbles or purchase them from our store!" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:#"Cancel" otherButtonTitles:#"Buy", nil]; [messageAlert show];
} NSLog(#"Cell ID: %li | Balance: %li | Cost: %#", rowID, [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else if (rowID == 1) {
if ([RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount >= [megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier] intValue]) {
NSLog(#"Balance: %li | Cost: %# |-> Sufficient amount!", [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else {
messageAlert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:#"Not enough bubbles!!" message:#"You need to collect more bubbles or purchase them from our store!" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:#"Cancel" otherButtonTitles:#"Buy", nil]; [messageAlert show];
} NSLog(#"Cell ID: %li | Balance: %li | Cost: %#", rowID, [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else if (rowID == 2) {
if ([RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount >= [megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier] intValue]) {
NSLog(#"Balance: %li | Cost: %# |-> Sufficient amount!", [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else {
messageAlert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:#"Not enough bubbles!!" message:#"You need to collect more bubbles or purchase them from our store!" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:#"Cancel" otherButtonTitles:#"Buy", nil]; [messageAlert show];
} NSLog(#"Cell ID: %li | Balance: %li | Cost: %#", rowID, [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else if (rowID == 3) {
if ([RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount >= [megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier] intValue]) {
NSLog(#"Balance: %li | Cost: %# |-> Sufficient amount!", [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else {
messageAlert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:#"Not enough bubbles!!" message:#"You need to collect more bubbles or purchase them from our store!" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:#"Cancel" otherButtonTitles:#"Buy", nil]; [messageAlert show];
} NSLog(#"Cell ID: %li | Balance: %li | Cost: %#", rowID, [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else if (rowID == 4) {
if ([RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount >= [megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier] intValue]) {
NSLog(#"Balance: %li | Cost: %# |-> Sufficient amount!", [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
} else {
messageAlert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:#"Not enough bubbles!!" message:#"You need to collect more bubbles or purchase them from our store!" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:#"Cancel" otherButtonTitles:#"Buy", nil]; [messageAlert show];
} NSLog(#"Cell ID: %li | Balance: %li | Cost: %#", rowID, [RWGameData sharedGameData].regularBubbleCount, megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]);
}
}
#end

Answer 1

You don't actively drive individual cells in a UITableView this way. You drive the dataSource that the table uses.
The dataSource should alert the table that data has changed. (Check the fetchedResultsController code in a sample project that Xcode creates for a project using Core Data.)
You can do several things to get the table and cell to update:
Call [myTable reloadData] (crudest, but easy for very few cells)
Call beginUpdate, signal the changes, call endUpdate (the fetchedResultsController way)
For custom cells, they can use KVO or NSNotificationCenter with the data source objects and update themselves when signaled. When cells are recycled, they need to unsubscribe. When reused they subscribe again. (No updates will be needed if they are not on-screen.)
For the first two, the table will start calling 'cellForRowAtIndexpath' for the cells it needs.

Answer 2

You can use -(UITableViewCell *)tableView:cellForRowAtIndexPath: for retrieving a specific cell from the tableView. Just provide the relevant index for the cell you want to reference with indexPathForRow:inSection:.

Answer 3

Problem solved.
I went ahead and did something very primitive, but it works. I'm sure there are many downfalls to this, but I can update it to be more reliable in the future.
In - (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath, I added the following:
if (indexPath.row == 0) {
cell.regularBubbleCostLabel.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#", megaBubbleUpgradeFees[[RWGameData sharedGameData].megaBubbleUpgradeTier]];
} ...