Creating Array with properties for each item in Objective-c - objective-c

Question

tell me please, how do I create an array in which each element will have a number of properties. For example:
array:
|
|-item 1 ( property_1-"Name1", property_2-"LastName1", property_3-"Age1");
|-item 2 ( property_1-"Name2", property_2-"LastName2", property_3-"Age2");
|-item 3 ( property_1-"Name3", property_2-"LastName1", property_3-"Age2");
|-…
In this case, the different elements of an array can have one and the same property, such as in the code posted above - "item 3" has the "property 2" is the same as in "item 1", and "property 3" is the same as in "item 2"
Tell me, please, how best to do it and, if not difficult, write a simple example or a link to some tutorial.
Thank you in advance)

Answer 1

There are two methods that I would suggest:
1. Use a class to store all the properties
Here's an example:
#interface Wrapper : NSObject
#property (nonatomic, assign) NSString* property_1;
#property (nonatomic, assign) NSString* property_2;
#property (nonatomic, assign) NSString* property_3;
#end
Then you can use it as a dictionary:
NSString* value=[myWrapperInstance valueForKey: #"property_1"];
But here comes the alternative solution:
1. Use a NSDictionary to store all the properties
NSDictionary* dict= #{ #"property_1" : #"Name1" ,#"property_2" : #"Name2", #"property_3" : #"Name3" };
Then the solution comes easy:
NSMutableArray* objects=[NSMutableArray new];
for(int i=0; i<N; i++)
{
NSDictionary* dict= #{ #"property_1" : #"Name1" ,#"property_2" : #"Name2", #"property_3" : #"Name3" };
[objects addObject: dict];
}

Answer 2

Sounds like you want an NSArray of NSDictionary objects:
NSDictionary *dict1 = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:#"Name1", #"property_1", #"LastName1", #"property_2", #"Age1", #"property_3", nil);
NSDictionary *dict2 = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:#"Name2", #"property_1", #"LastName2", #"property_2", #"Age2", #"property_3", nil);
NSDictionary *dict3 = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:#"Name3", #"property_1", #"LastName3", #"property_2", #"Age3", #"property_3", nil);
NSArray *array = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:dict1, dict2, dict3, nil];
If you want to update this later then you should use NSMutableDictionary and NSMutableArray, respectively.
If you are not using ARC, the you need to release objects when you are finished with them.