Learn how to create collections and store data in those collections.

1. Collections

2. Overview
Objective
Learn how add and retrieve information from a collection.
Requirements
 Basics of ProdigyView
Estimated Time
8 minutes
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3. Follow Along With Code
Example
1. Download a copy of the example code at
www.prodigyview.com/source.
2. Install the system in an environment you feel
comfortable testing in.
3. Proceed to examples/design/Collections.php

4. What Are Collections
In programming a collection resembles a container. A
container can be described as a class or data structure
that is composed of instances of other objects and/or
variables.
In other words, it’s a class designed for holding data of a
specific type or any type. Some collections may hold only
strings while other collections may hold strings, doubles,
and integers. In ProdigyView, collections store any type of
data and can be ran through an iterator when needed.
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5. Collections Visual
Steak
Apples
Lettuce
My collections can
hold anything! My Collections Box

6. Creating A Collection
Let’s start out by simply creating a collection and adding
some data too it. Using the add() function will add a value
to the collection.
Instantiate the collections object
Add Values to the Collection

7. Adding Name Data
That was very straight forward. Now we are going to add
more information in, except this time we are going to
define a key so we easily find the data later.
Set the key that will be used to access the collection
Set the value to be stored in the collection associated with the key

8. Recalling Information
If you haven’t caught on yet, we’ve been adding a famous
1970 pop single. Now in our last slide we added data with
a key. Let’s get that data back using the key.
Retrieve the value stored in the collection based on the key

9. Recalled Info
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10. The Iterator
So we’ve added all this data to the collection and we can
pull it out using the name/key if we know it. What about
data that was added without a key using the add
method? At this point we need to iterate through our data
using the built in iterator.
Get the collection’s iterator
Iterate through the collection

11. The Iterator Says…
Looping through the iterator should give you this:

12. Iterate Manually
Now on some occasions we might want to have control of
the iterator. Not a problem, lets move it up, down, left and
right as we please.

13. Iterate Manually Results
The output from iterating manually.
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14. The Not So Obvious
1. PVCollections can take any object, array, or singular
value and add it the collection.
2. The iterator is actually a class called PVIterator which
can be called to work on its own when needed.
3. Every object that extends PVObject and
PVStaticObject has a PVCollection. Using the magic
functions __set() and __get() will put and retrieve
information into that collection.
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15. Summary
1. Using the add() function to added an item to the
collection.
2. Use the addWithName() to add an item by it’s name.
Item can be retrieved by it’s name also.
3. Use the getIterator() to retrieve the iterator and iterate
through the data in the collection.
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16. API Reference
For a better understanding of the Collections and the
Iterator, check out the api at the two links below.
PVCollections
PVIterator
More Tutorials
For more tutorials, please visit:
http://www.prodigyview.com/tutorials
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