How to display section header\Tile after sorting uitableview - ios

Question

I am sorting my tableview by Distributor using the code below (it was Alphabetical by product)
NSSortDescriptor *aSort =[[NSSortDescriptor alloc] initWithKey:#"Dis" ascending:YES];
[distribArray sortUsingDescriptors:[NSMutableArray arrayWithObject:aSort]];
NSLog( #"data from table %#", distribArray);
[self.tableView reloadData];
NSLog(#"ok2222222222");
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setValue:#"Dis" forKey:#"ListBy"];
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] synchronize];
I would like to know what the easiest way to display the Distributor name as a Title header above all the products for that Distributor. I currently display the Distributor name in the DetailsView of the cell for each product.
I would like to go from.
Product 1
Acme
Product 2
Acme
Product 3
Acme
To this below and keep my UITableView\Cells
Acme
Product 1
Product 2
Product 3
....
Many Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

maybe it is not the fastest way, but i think it is simple
first create a small inner class like this:
#interface ProductSection
#property (strong, nonatomic) NSString* sectionName;
#property (strong, nonatomic) NSMutableArray* products;
#end
then use this instead your sort:
NSSortDescriptor *aSort =[[NSSortDescriptor alloc] initWithKey:#"Dis" ascending:YES];
NSArray* products = [distribArray sortUsingDescriptors:[NSMutableArray arrayWithObject:aSort]];
self.sections = [NSMutableArray array];
NSString* currentDistributor = nil;
for (Product* p in products) {
if (![p.Dis isEqualToString:currentDistributor]) {
ProductSection* section = [[ProductSection alloc] init];
section.sectionName = p.Dis;
section.products = [NSMutableArray array];
[self.sections addObject:section];
currentDistributor = p.Dis;
}
ProductSection* section = [self.sections lastObject];
[section.products addObject:p];
}
[self.tableView reloadData];
where self.sections is a mutable array of ProductSection
next use this in your Table View Data Source:
- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section {
return [[[self.sections objectAtIndex:section] products] count];
}
- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView {
return [self.sections count];
}
- (NSString *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView titleForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section {
[[self.sections objectAtIndex:section] sectionName];
}
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
Product* p = [[[self.sections objectAtIndex:indexPath.section] products] objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
...
}
hope that will help