Im confused on what to assign to what value?

Question

Help?
```optionals.swift
let movieDictionary = ["Spectre": ["cast": ["Daniel Craig", "Christoph Waltz", "Léa Seydoux", "Ralph Fiennes", "Monica Bellucci", "Naomie Harris"]]]
var leadActor: String = ""
// Enter code below
if let name = movieDictionary["Daniel Craig"], let leadActor = name["cast"] {
}
```

Reed Carson · Accepted Answer

I can help you with opening the dictionary, which can be extremely confusing. Think of it as opening it layer by layer.
First you want the first layer which is the movie Spectre. 
You can use 
swift
if let movie = movieDictionary["Spectre"] {
}

this puts you in that first layer. Now you want to get to the second layer. You use the temporary constant you just made ("movie") which stands for the first layer. 
swift
if let cast = movie["cast"] {
}

now you are in the second layer, cast, which contains an array of the actors stored as strings. You want the actor at index 0, the first position in the array. And you want to assign that to leadActor
swift
leadActor = cast[0]

Now, whatever is at index 0 of cast has been assigned to leadActor
swift
if let movie = movieDictionary["Spectre"] {
    if let cast = movie["cast"] {
        leadActor = cast[0]
    }
}
`
I'd say think of it like peeling an onion but I hate that metaphor and onions dont contain strings

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shane reichefeld

shane reichefeld

Im confused on what to assign to what value?

1 Answer

Reed Carson

Reed Carson