objective-c - How to show an UImage in an array?

Question

I'm trying to show in my app also images instead of text and so I'm trying to integrate UIImages in my text array. Badly I get every time I try to implement an error so I decided to ask objective-c pros. Every help is needed and welcome!

This is my .h array code:

// array
@property (nonatomic, strong) NSArray *aFacts;

// pich a random fact
@property (NS_NONATOMIC_IOSONLY, readonly, copy) NSString *randomAFact;

and my .m array code

-(instancetype) init {
    self = [super init];
    if (self) {
        _aFacts = @[@"Humans are the only primates that don’t have pigment in the palms of their hands.",
                         [UIImage imageNamed:@"refresh"],
];

    }
    return self;
    }

// arcm4
-(NSString *)randomAFact {
    int random = arc4random_uniform((int)self.aFacts.count);
    return (self.aFacts)[random];
}

@end

This code is shown in a label. Do you think the label will show an successful integrated image in the array?

You can't put strings and images in an array and then hope to only get strings out. You need to organise your data better, like with a custom class. You also can't show images directly in a label. — Wain, Aug 02 '15 at 13:59
@Wain no I want a mixed output. One time images and one time strings. Could you please help me? — agr0, Aug 02 '15 at 14:00
@appzYourLife because this is just a fragment of my code and everything is configured for a label so changing would be really difficult. — agr0, Aug 02 '15 at 14:03
Ok. You can insert images inside a `UILabel` using the `attributedText` property. Look over here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19318421/how-to-embed-small-icon-in-uilabel — Luca Angeletti, Aug 02 '15 at 14:05
@appzYourLife and do you have an idea how to do this with an array? Sorry but I'm a objective-c newbee — agr0, Aug 02 '15 at 14:07
Yes must you need to show mere where the method `randomFact` gets called to populate the label. We will need to update that piece of code too. — Luca Angeletti, Aug 02 '15 at 14:14
@appzYourLife once in the viewDidLoad in my vc self.Label.text = [self.aFactBook randomAFact]; and then every time by clicking the new button self.Label.text = [self.aFactBook randomAFact]; — agr0, Aug 02 '15 at 14:17

Luca Angeletti · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-02T15:36:40.940

Preamble

To add text to a label you write this (as you are doing now).

self.label.text = @"This is a test";

To add an image you write this.

NSTextAttachment * attachment = [[NSTextAttachment alloc] init];
attachment.image = [UIImage imageNamed:@"refresh"];
self.label.attributedText = [NSAttributedString attributedStringWithAttachment:attachment];

So we should do the following changes to your code.

1. Populating the array.

You should not add the image directly inside the array. Add an NSAttributedString instead. So your init becomes:

- (instancetype) init {
    self = [super init];
    if (self) {
        NSTextAttachment * attachment = [[NSTextAttachment alloc] init];
        attachment.image = [UIImage imageNamed:@"refresh"];
        NSAttributedString * attributedString = [NSAttributedString attributedStringWithAttachment:attachment];
        _aFacts = @[@"Humans are the only primates that don’t have pigment in the palms of their hands.", attributedString];
    }
    return self;
}

2. Updating randomAFact

Delete your randomFact method and add this new version.

- (void)populateLabel:(UILabel*)label {
    int random = arc4random_uniform(@(_aFacts.count).intValue);
    NSObject * element = _aFacts[random];
    if ([element isKindOfClass:NSString.class]) {
        NSLog(@"Will add string")          
        label.attributedText = nil;         
        label.text = (NSString*) element;
    } else if ([element isKindOfClass:NSAttributedString.class]) {
        NSLog(@"Will add image")
        label.text = nil;           
        label.attributedText = (NSAttributedString*)element;
    } else {
        NSLog(@"_aFacts array is supposed to contain only NSString(s) and NSAttributedString(s). Instead a %@ has been found at index %d", NSStringFromClass(element.class), random);
    }
}

As you can see this method receives as parameter a UILabel and populates it with a random value from _aFacts.

3. Calling populateLabel

Now you will need to update the code that populates your label.

So where you have something like this:

self.label.text = [self.aFactBook randomAFact];

you will need to use this:

[self.aFactBook populateLabel:self.label];

Hope it helps.

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been [moved to chat](http://chat.stackoverflow.com/rooms/85014/discussion-on-answer-by-appzyourlife-objective-c-how-to-show-an-uimage-in-an-a). — Martijn Pieters, Aug 03 '15 at 14:07

objective-c - How to show an UImage in an array?

1 Answers1

Preamble

1. Populating the array.

2. Updating randomAFact

3. Calling populateLabel