Compare two plist files or two NSDictionary in iOS

Question

I have downloaded a plist file from server, that contains key value pair. Once app resumes/restarts then again I have to download file and check if file has changed.

below is the code to download... I am storing the key values in NSDictionary.

 task1 = [session dataTaskWithURL:[NSURL URLWithString:[S3_SERVER_URL stringByAppendingString:propFile]] completionHandler:^(NSData *data, NSURLResponse *response, NSError *error) {
    propfilePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingString:propFile];
    NSLog(@"DestPath : %@", propfilePath);
    [receivedData appendData:data];
    NSLog(@"Succeeded! Received %lu bytes of data",(unsigned long)[data length]);
    [UIApplication sharedApplication].networkActivityIndicatorVisible = NO;
    [data writeToFile:propfilePath atomically:YES];

    if(error == nil){
        plistDictionary = [[NSDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfFile:propfilePath] retain];
        [task2 resume];
    } else {

    }

}];

How can i compare the contents of the two plist files or NS dictionary? Which function is best suited to do the above As I have to do this on app create/resume/restart? It should be compatible to both ios7 and ios8 SDK.

Hope this question will help you : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17757111/compare-nsdictionaries-containing-nsstrings — Ashish Kakkad, Jul 16 '15 at 13:00

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 16 '15 at 13:27

If you want all changed key follow this:- This will return array of all changed keys.

Create a category for NSDictionary

NSDictionary+newDict.h

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>

@interface NSDictionary (newDict)
- (NSArray*)changedKeysIn:(NSDictionary*)d;
@end

NSDictionary+newDict.m

#import "NSDictionary+newDict.h"

@implementation NSDictionary (newDict)

- (NSArray*)changedKeysIn:(NSDictionary*)d {
    NSMutableArray *changedKs = [NSMutableArray array];
    for(id k in self) {
        if(![[self objectForKey:k] isEqual:[d objectForKey:k]])
            [changedKs addObject:k];
    }
    return changedKs;
}
@end

Calling:-

#import "NSDictionary+newDict.h"

and:-

NSArray *keys = [dict1 changedKeysIn:dict2];
NSLog(@"%@", keys);

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 16 '15 at 13:14

2

You could use the isEqualToDictionary: method from the NSDictionary class.

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSDictionary_Class/index.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/NSDictionary/isEqualToDictionary:

answered Jul 16 '15 at 13:14

Daniel Albertini

381
2
9

Compare two plist files or two NSDictionary in iOS

2 Answers2