How to convert CSV format into NSData or NSString in iPhone?

Question

I am making an iPhone app which requires the current Stock Prices.

I am receiving the data in CSV format from a link given below.

http://finance.yahoo.com/d/

Answer 1

Assuming you are asking how to parse the CSV data, here's a very simple bit of code to do it. Use google if you want to find more advanced parsers - they're out there..

// CsvParser2.h
#import 

@interface NSString (CsvParser2)
// Returns an array of arrays for rows & columns
-(NSArray *)csvRows;
@end


// CsvParser2.m
#import "CsvParser2.h"

@implementation NSString (CsvParser2)

// Simplest possible implementation... NOT memory efficient!
// No apologies, no refunds...
-(NSArray *)csvRows
{   
    NSMutableArray* outRows = [NSMutableArray array];

    NSCharacterSet* newlineCharSet = [NSCharacterSet newlineCharacterSet];
    NSCharacterSet* separatorCharactersSet = [NSCharacterSet characterSetWithCharactersInString:@","];

    NSArray* lines = [self componentsSeparatedByCharactersInSet:newlineCharSet];
    for ( NSString* line in lines )
    {
        if ( !line.length ) continue;
        NSArray* columns = [line componentsSeparatedByCharactersInSet:separatorCharactersSet];
        if ( columns.count )
        {
            [outRows addObject:columns];
        }
    }

    return outRows; // autoreleased
}

@end

This is defined as a category on NSString, to use it just do

NSMutableArray* myResponseAsArrayOfArraysOfStrings = [myCsvResponseAsAString csvRows];
for ( NSArray* row in myResponseAsArrayOfArraysOfStrings )
{
   for ( NSString* column in row )
   {
       NSLog( "%@", column );
   }
}

Hope this helps!

NOTE, this parser doesn't deal with quotes. Namely 1. If a field is quoted, the quotes are not stripped off. 2. If the quoted portion contains a comma the parser will split the line incorrectly.