Convert UITextView text into [String], separating paragraphs into the Strings

Question

I have an iOS project using Xcode 7 and Swift3. I have a UITextView that enables the user to save that text via NSUserDefaults into a String variable. However, if the user has a lot of text that includes paragraphs, when they save the text, it compiles it together to be one big long string of text, not recognizing the original paragraphs.

How do I have the string of text in essence recognize there are paragraphs and then make them into separate strings that are part of a [String]? Is this possible?

Example of text:

This is a complex task for me.

I don't know how to do this.

After the user names this text, which is two separate small paragraphs, it would save to NSUserDefaults as:

This is a complex task for me.  I don't know how to do this.

I know rather than save a String to NSUserDefaults I need to instead use a [String], but I still can't figure out how to take a UITextView and convert it's text into the string array, separating each paragraph into a separate String.

So if I convert the `UITextView` text into an `NSString` can I then use textView.components(separatedBy: \n) and it would separate them based on detecting a new line? — ChallengerGuy, Nov 16 '16 at 19:39

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 16 '16 at 20:25

0

I looked at the reference in Apple's documents concerning paragraphs. I then took the advice and did the following:

// Assign the text to an NSString Variable
var newTextNS = instructions.text! as NSString

// Separate the text paragraphs into String Variables
var newArray = newTextNS.components(separatedBy: "\n")

I then had an array with all the different paragraphs as separate String variables.

Worked just as I needed it too.

answered Nov 16 '16 at 20:25

ChallengerGuy

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There is no need to use `NSString`. `String` has the `components(separatedBy:)` method. – rmaddy Nov 16 '16 at 20:33

user2071152 · Answer 2 · 2016-11-16T22:10:22.527

Please check Apple's reference Words, Paragraphs, and Line Breaks

NSArray *arr = [myString componentsSeparatedByString:@"\n"];

or

NSString *string = /* assume this exists */;

NSRange range = NSMakeRange(0, string.length);

[string enumerateSubstringsInRange:range

                           options:NSStringEnumerationByParagraphs

                        usingBlock:^(NSString * _Nullable paragraph, NSRange paragraphRange, NSRange enclosingRange, BOOL * _Nonnull stop) {             // ... }];

Hope it helps.

Convert UITextView text into [String], separating paragraphs into the Strings

2 Answers2