Parse iOS SDK: Query using UISearchDisplayController - ios

Question

Scenario = I have an app that allows users to search for other users that use the service. In the search page there is a UISearchDisplayController that when a user begins typing in the search bar, a tableView will programmatically appear (just like any other UISearchDisplayController) and filter all of the users in the database depending on whats being typed ('begins-with'). So the user will begin typing, "B... r...." and users will begin to populate the tableView from "Brad" to "Brandon" and so on based on the text being inputted.
Question = How would one go about designing the parse query to achieve this effect?
Specific Questions =
1) When and Where to begin the initial query?...
PFQuery *searchQuery = [PFUser query];
[searchQuery whereKey:#"username" containsString:controller.searchBar.text];
[searchQuery orderByDescending:#"updatedAt"];
[searchQuery findObjectsInBackgroundWithBlock:^(NSArray *objects, NSError *error) {
NSLog(#"%#", objects);
searchArray = objects;
}];
in "searchDisplayControllerDidBeginSearch"?
2) When and Where do I put the logic to fill in the tableView?
PFObject *searchObject = [searchArray objectAtIndexPath:indexPath.row];
cell.nameLabel.text = searchObject[#"name"];
in "cellForRowAtIndexPath"?
If there is anyone out there that knows this and can help me out Id appreciate it.

Answer 1

Here is a simple example:
#import <Parse/Parse.h>
#interface MySearchController : PFQueryTableViewController
#end
And implementation
#import "MySearchController.h"
#interface MySearchController() <UISearchBarDelegate, UISearchDisplayDelegate>
#property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UISearchBar *searchBar;
#property (nonatomic, strong) NSMutableArray *searchResults;
#end
#implementation MySearchController
- (id)initWithCoder:(NSCoder *)aCoder
{
self = [super initWithCoder:aCoder];
if (self) {
// get users
self.parseClassName = [PFUser parseClassName];
self.pullToRefreshEnabled = YES;
self.paginationEnabled = YES;
self.objectsPerPage = 10;
self.searchResults = [NSMutableArray new];
}
return self;
}
- (void)filterResults:(NSString *)searchTerm {
[self.searchResults removeAllObjects];
for (PFUser *user in self.objects)
{
NSString *username = user.username;
if ([[username lowercaseString] hasPrefix:[searchTerm lowercaseString]])
{
[self.searchResults addObject:user];
}
}
}
- (BOOL)searchDisplayController:(UISearchDisplayController *)controller shouldReloadTableForSearchString: (NSString *)searchString {
[self filterResults:searchString];
return YES;
}
- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView
{
return 1;
}
- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section
{
return (tableView == self.tableView) ? self.objects.count : self.searchResults.count;
}
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
PFUser *user = (tableView == self.tableView) ? self.objects[indexPath.row] : self.searchResults[indexPath.row];
static NSString *identifier = #"reuseIdentifier";
UITableViewCell *cell = [self.tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:identifier];
if (!cell)
{
cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault
reuseIdentifier:identifier];
}
cell.textLabel.text = user.username;
return cell;
}
#end
The main thing to note about this that threw me off is that you have two table views, so you have to be careful.
One of the table views is from the original query, it will give you all users, that one is self.tableView. The other is from the search results, self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView. The latter is active while searching. Therefore, you must return different values for each regular tableviewcontroller method. The number of rows is either self.objects.count or self.searchResults.count. The correct user is either self.objects[indexPath.row] or self.searchResults[indexPath.row]. It is easy to check which table view you're dealing with in a given protocol method, just use this condition:
(tableView == self.tableView)