Passing data from local file using json

domshyra picture domshyra · Jun 3, 2012 · Viewed 20.5k times · Source

I am trying to pass data to labels from my JSON file onto a simple ViewController but I don't know where to actually pass that data. Would I be able to just add to my setDataToJson method or would I add the data in my viewDidLoad method?

here is my code

@interface NSDictionary(JSONCategories)
+(NSDictionary*)dictionaryWithContentsOfJSONString:(NSString*)fileLocation;
@end

@implementation NSDictionary(JSONCategories)

+(NSDictionary*)dictionaryWithContentsOfJSONString:(NSString*)fileLocation{
    NSData* data = [NSData dataWithContentsOfFile:fileLocation];
    __autoreleasing NSError* error = nil;
    id result = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:data 
                                                options:kNilOptions error:&error];
    if (error != nil) return nil;
    return result;
}
@end

@implementation ViewController
@synthesize name;

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];

}

-(void)setDataToJson{

    NSDictionary *infomation = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfJSONString:@"Test.json"];
    name.text = [infomation objectForKey:@"AnimalName"];//does not pass data
}

Answer

Alladinian picture Alladinian · Jun 3, 2012

The problem is the way you're trying to retrieve your file. In order to do it right, you should find first its path in the bundle. Try something like this:

+(NSDictionary*)dictionaryWithContentsOfJSONString:(NSString*)fileLocation{
    NSString *filePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:[fileLocation stringByDeletingPathExtension] ofType:[fileLocation pathExtension]];
    NSData* data = [NSData dataWithContentsOfFile:filePath];
    __autoreleasing NSError* error = nil;
    id result = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:data 
                                                options:kNilOptions error:&error];
    // Be careful here. You add this as a category to NSDictionary
    // but you get an id back, which means that result
    // might be an NSArray as well!
    if (error != nil) return nil;
    return result;
}

After doing that and once your view is loaded, you should be able to set your labels by retrieving the json like this:

-(void)setDataToJson{
    NSDictionary *infomation = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfJSONString:@"Test.json"];
    self.name.text = [infomation objectForKey:@"AnimalName"];
}

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    [self setDataToJson];
}