SSDataSources

Simple data sources for your UITableView and UICollectionView because proper developers don't repeat themselves. :)

No doubt you've done the tableView:cellForRowAtIndexPath: and tableView:numberOfRowsInSection: (and collectionView:cellForItemAtIndexPath: and collectionView:numberOfItemsInSection:) dance many times before. You may also have updated your data and neglected to update the table or collection view. Whoops -- crash! Is there a better way?

SSDataSources is a collection of objects that conform to UITableViewDataSource and UICollectionViewDataSource. This is my own implementation of ideas featured in objc.io's wonderful first issue.

SSDataSources powers various tables in my app MUDRammer - a modern MUD client for iPhone and iPad. Let me know if you use it in your app!

Install

Install with Cocoapods. Add to your podfile:

pod 'SSDataSources', :head # YOLO

Samples

git clone https://github.com/splinesoft/SSDataSources.git
cd SSDataSources/Example
pod install
open ExampleSSDataSources.xcworkspace

Array Data Source

SSArrayDataSource powers a table or collection view with a single section. See SSArrayDataSource.h for more details.

Check out the example project for sample table and collection views that use the array data source.

@interface WizardicTableViewController : UITableViewController
@end

@implementation WizardicTableViewController {
    SSArrayDataSource *wizardDataSource;
}

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    wizardDataSource = [[SSArrayDataSource alloc] initWithItems:
                        @[ @"Merlyn", @"Gandalf", @"Melisandre" ]];

	// SSDataSources creates your cell and calls
	// this configure block for each cell with 
	// the object being presented in that cell,
	// the parent table or collection view,
	// and the index path at which the cell appears.
    wizardDataSource.cellConfigureBlock = ^(SSBaseTableCell *cell, 
                                            NSString *wizard,
                                            UITableView *tableView,
                                            NSIndexPath *indexPath) {
        cell.textLabel.text = wizard;
    };
    
    // Set the tableView property and the data source will perform
    // insert/reload/delete calls on the table as its data changes.
    // This also assigns the table's `dataSource` property.
    wizardDataSource.tableView = self.tableView;
}
@end

That's it - you're done!

Perhaps your data changes:

// Optional - row animation for table updates.
wizardDataSource.rowAnimation = UITableViewRowAnimationFade;
	
// Automatically inserts two new cells at the end of the table.
[wizardDataSource appendItems:@[ @"Saruman", @"Alatar" ]];

// Update the fourth item; reloads the fourth row.
[wizardDataSource replaceItemAtIndex:3 withItem:@"Pallando"];

// Sorry Merlyn :(
[wizardDataSource moveItemAtIndex:0 toIndex:1];
	
// Remove the second and third cells.
[wizardDataSource removeItemsInRange:NSMakeRange( 1, 2 )];

Perhaps you have custom table cell classes or multiple classes in the same table:

wizardDataSource.cellCreationBlock = ^id(NSString *wizard, 
                                         UITableView *tableView, 
                                         NSIndexPath *indexPath) {
	if( [wizard isEqualToString:@"Gandalf"] )
		return [MiddleEarthWizardCell cellForTableView:tableView];
	else if( [wizard isEqualToString:@"Merlyn"] )
		return [ArthurianWizardCell cellForTableView:tableView];
};

Your view controller should continue to implement UITableViewDelegate. SSDataSources can help there too:

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tv didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
	NSString *wizard = [wizardDataSource itemAtIndexPath:indexPath];
	
	// do something with `wizard`
}

Sectioned Data Source

SSSectionedDataSource powers a table or collection view with multiple sections. Each section is modeled with an SSSection object, which stores the section's items and a few other configurable bits. See SSSectionedDataSource.h and SSSection.h for more details.

Check out the example project for a sample table that uses the sectioned data source.

@interface ElementalTableViewController : UITableViewController
@end

@implementation ElementalTableViewController {
    SSSectionedDataSource *elementDataSource;
}

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    // Let's start with one section
    elementDataSource = [[SSSectionedDataSource alloc] initWithItems:@[ @"Earth" ]];

    elementDataSource.cellConfigureBlock = ^(SSBaseTableCell *cell, 
                                             NSString *element,
                                             UITableView *tableView,
                                             NSIndexPath *indexPath) {
        cell.textLabel.text = element;
    };
    
    // Setting the tableView property automatically updates 
    // the table in response to data changes.
    // This also sets the table's `dataSource` property.
    elementDataSource.tableView = self.tableView;
}
@end

SSSectionedDataSource has you covered if your data changes:

// Animation for table updates
elementDataSource.rowAnimation = UITableViewRowAnimationFade;

// Add some new sections
[elementDataSource appendSection:[SSSection sectionWithItems:@[ @"Fire" ]]];
[elementDataSource appendSection:[SSSection sectionWithItems:@[ @"Wind" ]]];
[elementDataSource appendSection:[SSSection sectionWithItems:@[ @"Water" ]]];
[elementDataSource appendSection:[SSSection sectionWithItems:@[ @"Heart", @"GOOOO PLANET!" ]]];

// Are you 4 srs, heart?
[elementDataSource removeSectionAtIndex:( [elementDataSource numberOfSections] - 1 )];

Core Data

You're a modern wo/man-about-Internet and sometimes you want to present a UITableView or UICollectionView backed by a core data fetch request or fetched results controller. SSDataSources has you covered with SSCoreDataSource, featured here with a cameo by MagicalRecord.

@interface SSCoreDataTableViewController : UITableViewController
@end

@implementation SSCoreDataTableViewController {
    SSCoreDataSource *dataSource;
}

- (void) viewDidLoad {
	[super viewDidLoad];
	
	NSFetchRequest *triggerFetch = [Trigger MR_requestAllSortedBy:[Trigger defaultSortField]
                                                        ascending:[Trigger defaultSortAscending]];
   
    dataSource = [[SSCoreDataSource alloc] initWithFetchRequest:worldFetch
                                                      inContext:[NSManagedObjectContext 
                                                                 MR_defaultContext]
                                             sectionNameKeyPath:nil];
                                                 
    dataSource.cellConfigureBlock = ^(SSBaseTableCell *cell, 
                                      Trigger *trigger, 
                                      UITableView *tableView,
                                      NSIndexPath *indexPath ) {
        cell.textLabel.text = trigger.name;
    };
    
    // SSCoreDataSource conforms to NSFetchedResultsControllerDelegate.
    // Set the `tableView` property to automatically update the table 
    // after changes in the data source's managed object context.
    // This also sets the tableview's `dataSource`.
    dataSource.tableView = self.tableView;
    
    // Optional - row animation to use for update events.
    dataSource.rowAnimation = UITableViewRowAnimationFade;
    
    // Optional - setting the fallbackTableDataSource will call 
    // tableView:canEditRowAtIndexPath:
    // tableView:canMoveRowAtIndexPath:
    // tableView:commitEditingStyle:forRowAtIndexPath 
    // on your fallback delegate if you need to implement editing and moving
    dataSource.fallbackTableDataSource = self;
}
@end

Thanks!

SSDataSources is a @jhersh production -- (electronic mail | @jhersh)