Extra Credit Relating Users in Parse: User Profiles: Do we really know our "Friends"?

In my ProfileViewController.m I placed the below

- (void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender {
    if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:@"showProfileView"]) {
        ProfileViewController *vc = (ProfileViewController *)segue.destinationViewController;
        vc.userId = self.selectedUserId; // could set this in didSelectRowAtIndexPath
    }
}

and added the below in ProfileViewController.h

@property (nonatomic, strong) NSString *userId;
@property (nonatomic, strong) NSString *selectedUserId;

I think I might be reading your hint wrong because it's not working and I think I would have to put something in the didSelectRowAtIndexPath in the FriendsViewController.m

Really think I am close but missing something crucial. :/

Yeah, so I'm assuming the segue occurs from FriendsViewController to ProfileViewController. In that case you need to prepare for the segue before it happens by putting that method in FriendsViewController. You'll also need to move your selectedUserId property and set it in the didSelectRowAtIndexPath method in FriendsViewController.

So think about how it will flow when a user taps on a friend. First, didSelectRowAtIndexPath is called, and you can grab which friend was selected based on the indexPath (gives you the number for the row). Tapping on the row causes the segue to occur, which means that prepareForSegue will be called before it actually happens. You set the data there and get segued to ProfileViewController. So then when that view controller loads, you can look at the data you set in prepareForSegue and use it to populate the fields in ProfileViewController.

Hope this helps!

First of all thanks for all your help I think I am getting closer! So the first part of your hint makes much more sense to me.

In FriendsViewController.m I have this, which I think is now correct:

#import "FriendsViewController.h"
#import "EditFriendsViewController.h"
#import "ProfileViewController.h"

-(void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender{
    if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:@"showEditFriends"]){
        EditFriendsViewController *viewController = (EditFriendsViewController *)segue.destinationViewController;

        viewController.friends = [NSMutableArray arrayWithArray:self.friends];
    }

    if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:@"showProfileView"]) {
        ProfileViewController *vc = (ProfileViewController *)segue.destinationViewController;
        vc.userId = self.selectedUserId; // could set this in didSelectRowAtIndexPath
    }
}

The part I am still stuck at right now in the didSelectRowAtIndexPath in FriendsViewController.m. Here is what I have attempted so far and not sure where to take it.

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath{

    [self.tableView deselectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath animated:NO];
    UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
    NSString *user = self.selectedUserId;
}

After that I'll have to tackle how to "look at the data you set in prepareForSegue and use it to populate the fields in ProfileViewController."

Thanks again for your help!

Your table view has an array of PFUser objects as its data source. We can copy and paste this line from cellForRowAtIndexPath:

PFUser *user = [self.friends objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];

Pasting that in didSelectRowAtIndexPath will give you the user that was tapped on. Then you can get the user's ID with

self.selectedUserId = user.objectId;

Make sure you get the right object ID when ProfileViewController loads and then you can move on from there. :)

Ah that makes so much sense!

I think I am getting the right objectID, I put in an NSLog statement to make sure and it spits out some characters that Parse is associating with the selected user.

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath{

    [self.tableView deselectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath animated:NO];
    PFUser *user = [self.friends objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
    self.selectedUserId = user.objectId;
    NSLog(@"%@", self.selectedUserId);
}

Now in ProfileViewController I believe I have to set up a PFQuery to find the fields (firstName, lastName, etc.) of that selectedUserId but again I get stumped. My hunch is that I have to make another property in ProfileViewController but not sure what it should do exactly. I am really starting to get an understanding of this by working through the steps! Thanks Ben :).

So glad to hear it! You learn so much by working through your own problems.

Let me know if you get your PFQuery working or if you come up with more questions! :) If you do end up with more questions, post them as new ones here in the Forum and tag me so I make sure I see them.

If you are talking about resetting user passwords, check out this section in the Parse docs: https://parse.com/docs/ios_guide#users-resetting/iOS

Ah, I see. In that case you should be able to just overwrite the current user's password field (I think).

im not sure how efficient this may be, but maybe if you create a new NSString called *oldPassword (or whatever you fancy) in the same area that you created the original password string && whenever the user first signs up you now have two different references to one original password(this will be the case only in the beginning or for however long they don't decide to change their password. just say for instance the user keeps the same password forever).Anyways, so it will assign one value to the two different variables. So now since you have two references you can now check to see if oldPassword isEqualTo the whatever they are typing in the textfield. if it does then.. move on and save the newPassword value to the original password string && you can choose to keep the old password as the oldest password if that makes sense.On the other hand, if it doesn't match oldPassword, use an alertView or give them a certain amount of chances. that way, you can keep track of the two most recent passwords that the user has created. Might not be the best way but its only a suggestion.