UISearchBar in iPhone/iPad application

Question

I have data like this...(All the data comes from .plist file...)

Searching Array - (
            {
            FirstName = "Ramesh";
            LastName = "Bean";
            EmpCode = 1001;
        },
            {
            FirstName = "Rohan";
            LastName = "Rathor";
            EmpCode = 102;
        },
            {
            FirstName = "Priya";
            LastName = "Malhotra";
            EmpCode = 103;
        },
            {
            FirstName = "Mukesh";
            LastName = "Sen";
            EmpCode = 104;
        },
            {
            FirstName = "Priya";
            LastName = "Datta";
            EmpCode = 105;
        }

    )

I want implement search data from this array on the basis of FirstName (key).

I am able to search data with the "FirstName(Key)"

but after filtering data suppose i clicked Row( in the data) which is displayed in the TableView. It Navigate me to New-Controller with all the information of that particular employee (like: FirstName,LastName,EmpCode).

How can i get information?

As i gone through the search sample codes.

Here is my search code...

NSString *searchText = searchBar.text;
    NSMutableArray *searchArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
    NSInteger TotalNoOfRecords=[self.SearchtableDataSource count];

    for (int i=0;i<TotalNoOfRecords;i++)
    {   NSDictionary *dictionary = [self.SearchtableDataSource objectAtIndex:i];
        NSArray *array = [dictionary objectForKey:@"FirstName"];


        [searchArray addObject:array];


    }
    for (NSString *sTemp in searchArray)
    {

        NSRange titleResultsRange = [sTemp rangeOfString:searchText options:NSCaseInsensitiveSearch];

        if (titleResultsRange.length > 0)
        {
                [copyListOfItems addObject:sTemp];

        }
    }

How can i improve this code?....Please guide me... [searchArray release]; searchArray = nil;

How we maintain all the "Keys(FirstName,LastName,EmpCode)" in the searchArray please help me out? Thanks...

Answer 1

I think the best approach would be to make an array of NSDictionary which has value for three keys namely "FirstName", "LastName", "EmpCode"

now to filter the data according to "FirstName" use NSPredicate instead of for loop,

NSString *searchText = searchBar.text;

NSPredicate* predicate = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:@"FirstName like[cd] %@",searchText];
NSArray* filteredArray = [self.SearchtableDataSource filteredArrayUsingPredicate:predicate];

In method cellForRowAtIndexPath

NSDictionary* currentEmp = [filteredArray objectAtIndex:inddexPath.row];

display the information in this currentEmp.

Similarly in didSelectRowAtIndexPath

NSDictionary* currentEmp = [filteredArray objectAtIndex:inddexPath.row];

and pass this dictionary in the next ViewController in which u want to dispaly the detail of the current employ.

if u have two table views one that of searchDisplayController (showing the filtered result) and one which is showing the whole result, then u can track this by having a BOOL variable tacking that is if filtering is active or not.