Database
I'm thinking of using a plain text format for a data file format for my app/platform. It seems to me that I can use string programming to read and write data from a plain text file, and since almost all of the data needs to be read and written in series rather than searched through like a dictionary-type database, a plain text file seems like a good solution.
The problem is converting the numeric values to objects, performing a calculation, and placing them into an array.
So my questions include 1) Am I missing something before I go ahead and make plain text files my format for application data?
2) What are some of the efficient ways to take comma separated float values in a string from a location or file (after locating the symbol used by the reader to identify the beginning and end of the data string), convert each into an object, perform a calculation, and add that value to an array? I need several such sub-arrays, which then have to be re-calculated together. Will a new stack be opened for a new array, or should I direct the computer to open a new stack for each new array that is needed simultaneously?
Let's say I have these values in a string read from a text file: "12.3,12.5,12.6,13.2,13.4,13.8"
So let's say I take the string, read to a comma, convert it into an NSNumber object, all assigned to an instance variable. Then I do the same for the second value, etc. Is it better to take a couple of values and perform the calculation, move the result to another array, and then re-use the instance variables, or is it better to store an array of the NSNumber objects before doing any calculations? Should I read each value, assign a variable, and then put all the variables and calculation directives onto a queue?
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