NSURLRequest or alternative & structuring data for use with NSBrowser? (Total Noob questions...)
NSURLRequest or alternative & structuring data for use with NSBrowser? (Total Noob questions...)
- Subject: NSURLRequest or alternative & structuring data for use with NSBrowser? (Total Noob questions...)
- From: Cliff Pruitt <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 4 May 2007 11:23:09 -0400
Hi everyone,
I've sort of been trying to learn Cocoa on & off for a couple of
years now & after many re-starts its just now kind of starting to
make sense this time around. That said, I've hit a block in terms of
knowing where to go with some things.
I'm working on a little app for personal use that just has the
following requirements:
1.
Use an HTTP GET or POST to request a document from a website.
I'll need to pass a few parameters like a record ID to allow the
server to do the lookup & generate the file.
That document will be formatted in whatever way is easiest to process
with Cocoa after I get it (XML?).
The document will represent a hierarchy of data, roughly equivalent
to a virtual file system with unlimited files & folders etc...
2.
That document will be parsed or otherwise used to populate an NS
Browser view.
I'm basically trying to re-create a VERY simple finder column view to
allow me to access records within a custom web service.
Selecting a virtual "folder" displays sub-items. Selecting a "file"
leaf displays record info.
** As a side note, I don't want to get into the whole SOAP type web
services thing because I don't really want to deal with creating the
web service on the server at this point. I'd rather just make it a
straightforward HTTP Post.
So far I have my UI set up & connected and I have the browser view
populating columns with fake data from its delegate (just enough to
get columns/cells to respond when clicked). Next I need to just worry
about getting the file from the web. So this is where I get stuck.
I have these unknowns I'm hoping someone can help answer:
1. What object is best to use for a single HTTP request? I've looked
at NSURLRequest, NSURLConnection, NSURLDownload, etc... and I've read
through the "URL Loading System" docs. I sort of get parts of it,
but it doesn't seem clear about how all the pieces fit together and
what each piece is intended to specifically do.
2. Is it best to download the text to memory and load it into another
object, or DL to a temp directory and then read the file back in with
something, say to parse XML?
3. WHat is the best way to model hierarchical data for use with
NSBrowser? Is there an accepted "best way" of doing it? Dumping
everything into an array containing arrays within arrays seems...
convoluted at best.
Anyway, if anyone can offer some advice I'd really appreciate it. I
do try to get as far as I can on my own before bugging a list with
noob questions.
Thanks a lot,
Cliff
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