Global variable is not working correctly - ios

Question

In my view controller's main file, I created a property for an NSArray object named finalStringsArray:
#property (strong, nonatomic) NSArray *finalStringsArray;
Then in viewDidLoad, I make sure to initialize the object:
self.finalStringsArray = [[NSArray alloc]init];
Further down the viewDidLoad method implementation, I query my server for data, get rid of some of the extra junk that the server sends me like blank space, and then I place my perfect strings inside of my finalStringsArray array:
[query findObjectsInBackgroundWithBlock:^(NSArray *objects, NSError *error) {
if (!error) {
NSString *parseString = [[NSString alloc]initWithFormat:#"%#", objects];
NSString *cURL=[self stringBetweenString:#"=" andString:#")" withstring:parseString];
NSString *newString = [cURL stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:#" " withString:#""];
NSString *newString2 = [newString stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:#"(" withString:#""];
NSString *newString3 = [newString2 stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:#"\\n" withString:#""];
_finalStringsArray = [newString3 componentsSeparatedByString:#","];
int index;
for(index = 0; index < _finalStringsArray.count; index++) {
NSString *string = [[NSString alloc]init];
string = _finalStringsArray[index];
NSLog(#"Count: %d", _finalStringsArray.count);
}
NSLog(#"Count: %d", _finalStringsArray.count);
} }
];}
All that matters in the above code is this statement: _finalStringsArray = [newString3 componentsSeparatedByString:#","];
This adds my finalized strings to my _finalStringsArray array object. You will notice that I am NSLogging the count property of my array: NSLog(#"Count: %d", _finalStringsArray.count);
When I perform these NSLogs, they always NSLog with the correct count of 2.
Here's my problem though. Further down, I have a method implementation that needs to use the count property of _finalStringsArray as well. But for some reason, it always NSLogs as "0" and I can't figure out why.
Below are the 3 method implementations that are below my viewDidLoad. I need to be able to access the count property of _finalStringsArray in the method implementation for
-(NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section:
- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning
{
[super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
NSLog(#"all good string count3: %d", _finalParseStrings.count);
}
- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView {
return 1 ;
}
-(NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section {
NSLog(#"all good string count5: %d", [self.finalStringsArray count]);
return [self.finalStringsArray count];
}

Answer 1

findObjectsInBackgroundWithBlock: is an asynchronous method. Probably
numberOfRowsInSection: is called before the completion block has been called
and assigned a new array.
You probably should call [self.tableView reloadData] at the end of the completion
block to update the table view with the fetched data.
I don't know if PFQuery calls the completion block on the main thread.
If not then you have to dispatch the data source assignment and the reloadData call to the main queue.

Answer 2

You should use the proper setter & getter for that property that you declared.
I bet if you change this line:
_finalStringsArray = [newString3 componentsSeparatedByString:#","];
to this:
self.finalStringsArray = [newString3 componentsSeparatedByString:#","];
in your block function, you might have better luck.