Settings.plist iOS - iphone

I have a Settings.plist file in my iOS application. I access it using this code below:
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"Settings.plist"];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath: path])
{
NSString *bundle = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"Settings" ofType:#"plist"];
[fileManager copyItemAtPath:bundle toPath: path error:&error];
}
NSMutableDictionary *savedStock = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile: path];
But, say I make some changes to the Settings.plist file in my application, like add another row. Then if I publish it, users that already have my app will have an out dated Settings.plist file. Any ideas on a workaround or anything? I have tried accessing the Settings.plist file straight from the NSString *bundle, but then the values don't "save".

You need to do a file modification date check, see my answer here. Then if the modification date is later than the last checked date, download the Settings.plist file and replace it in the users app.

Related

How can I overwrite the contents of a plist file? (iPhone / iPad)

I have a plist file in my main app bundle that I want to update via my app. Here is the code I'm using, the problem is that the plist doesn't seem to be getting updated. Is my code incorrect or is there another issue?
// Data
NSMutableDictionary *data = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
[data setObject:self.someValue forKey:#"Root"];
// Save the logs
NSString *filepath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"MyFile" ofType:#"plist"];
[data writeToFile:filepath atomically:YES];
Please can someone help me out?
IOS restricts writing to bundled files. If you want a writable plist, you need to copy it to your app's Documents folder and write to it there.
Here's how I'm doing it in one of my apps
//get file paths
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSArray *documentPaths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [documentPaths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *documentPlistPath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"document.plist"];
NSString *bundlePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath];
NSString *bundlePlistPath = [bundlePath stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"bundle.plist"];
//if file exists in the documents directory, get it
if([fileManager fileExistsAtPath:documentPlistPath]){
NSMutableDictionary *documentDict = [NSMutableDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfFile:documentPlistPath];
return documentDict;
}
//if file does not exist, create it from existing plist
else {
NSError *error;
BOOL success = [fileManager copyItemAtPath:bundlePlistPath toPath:documentPlistPath error:&error];
if (success) {
NSMutableDictionary *documentDict = [NSMutableDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfFile:documentPlistPath];
return documentDict;
}
return nil;
}
Hope this helps

storing pdf on local doesnt work in iphone

I'm new with iPhone development. I want to download a pdf using url and want to store it in a local folder.
Here is my code:
NSData *d = [[NSData alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:[NSURL URLWithString:#"http://demo.com/ebookapplication/book_pdf/20111108094614hii.pdf"]];
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"myfile.pdf"];
[d writeToFile:path atomically:YES];
if (![[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath:path])
{
NSString *myPathInfo = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"myfile" ofType:#"pdf"];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
[fileManager copyItemAtPath:myPathInfo toPath:path error:NULL];
}
NSURL *pdfurl = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:path];
NSURLRequest *requestObj = [NSURLRequest requestWithURL:pdfurl];
[detail.bookweb loadRequest:requestObj];//to display data in web view
This code is working for display pdf in web view using url, but it doesn't work for storing pdf in our local system. Actually I want to store these downloaded pdf in one folder and and display it in library format. Please help.
-writeToFile:Atomically has already placed your file in the folder you've specified in the -copyItemAtPath:toPath: method, and is thus redundant. The document was already in the documents directory folder, you then copied it over to the same directory! I think that's your problem.
EDIT:
This Line HERE:
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"myfile.pdf"];
specifies your path.
You can NSLog it with this line: NSLog(#"Document Path = %#", path);
As for your library comment, it shouldn't be that hard. My app, which basically does this already, wires
AQGridView: https://github.com/AlanQuatermain/AQGridView
And Apple's Docwatcher class from DITableView: http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/samplecode/DocInteraction/Listings/Classes_DITableViewController_h.html
Together to create an app that trolls the documents directory and adds files to an NSArray which are then displayed by the grid. A simpler approach would just be to use the DITableViewController though, considering it solves your problems, it's just the grid was for a little more pizzaz.

objective c,checking file exist at path

I have created a screen using Objective-C in an iPhone project. In that, there are 2 buttons (say A and B). On the click of button A, one xml file will be created in a folder (say INBOX).
My problem is, I need to create the file only if it does not exist at folder INBOX.
How can I do this? Can any one tell me the syntax?
Can you Please Check NSFileManager.
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSString *pathForFile;
if ([fileManager fileExistsAtPath:pathForFile]){
}
try this:
- (BOOL)checkAndCopy {
NSError **error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"yourFile.xml"];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath: path])
{
// this copy an existing xml (empty?) file from main bundle:
// try else to create a new file
NSString *bundle = [[ NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"yourFile" ofType:#"xml"];
[fileManager copyItemAtPath:bundle toPath:path error:error];
return YES;
}
return NO;
}
There have been similar questions on SO before:
This answer is probably most appropriate for you
Link to the NSFileManagerAPI

Creating a plist file only on first runnable in the device's documents directory

I current have everything setup to read from the documents directory and write to it , but Cannot do it because the file doesnt exist yet.
How is a file created within the code?
If you already have a template version of the document in your application's bundle then you should be able to write it to the application's document directory using something similar to the following. I haven't tested this code so I've probably got a few things wrong but that's the general idea.
- (void) applicationDidFinishLaunching {
NSArray* directories = NSSearchPathsForDirectoriesInDomain(NSDocumentsDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString* documentsDirectory = [directories objectAtIndex: 0];
NSString* path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent: #"Something.plist"];
if (![[NSFileManager sharedInstance] fileExistsAtPath: path]) {
NSString* infoTemplatePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: #"Something" ofType: #"plist"];
NSDictionary* info = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfFile: infoTemplatePath];
[info writeToFile: path];
}
}
Use NSFileManger's fileExistsAtPath: to see if the file exist. If not create it before going on to the code that requires the file.
This one works better for me:
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *documentDBFolderPath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"*.db"];
if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath:documentDBFolderPath])
{
NSString *resourceDBFolderPath = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"*.db"];
[fileManager copyItemAtPath:resourceDBFolderPath toPath:documentDBFolderPath error:&error];
}

PList Chicken/Egg Scenario

I want to read/write to cache.plist
If I want to read an existing premade plist file stored in the resources folder I can go:
path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath];
NSString *finalPath = [path stringByAppendingPathWithComponent#"cache.plist"];
NSMutableDictionary *root = ...
But then I wish to read it from the iPhone.
Can't, the Resources folder is only readable.
So I need to use:
NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomain,YES
So how can I have my plist file preinstalled to the Document Directory location?
Thus meaning I don't have to mess around with untidy code copying the plist file over at startup. (Unless that's the only way).
I know this isn't really what you're after, but as far as I know the only way to get the document into the Documents folder IS to actually copy it there...but only on the first startup. I'm going something similar for a sqlite database. Code is below, it works but please note it could do with a little bit of cleaning up:
// Creates a writable copy of the bundled default database in the application Documents directory.
- (void)createEditableCopyOfDatabaseIfNeeded {
// First, test for existence.
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *writableDBPath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"WordsDatabase.sqlite3"];
createdDatabaseOk = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:writableDBPath];
if (createdDatabaseOk) return;
// The writable database does not exist, so copy the default to the appropriate location.
NSString *defaultDBPath = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"WordsDatabase.sqlite3"];
createdDatabaseOk = [fileManager copyItemAtPath:defaultDBPath toPath:writableDBPath error:&error];
}
Just call in your AppDelegate - not too messy really?
Easy. Look first to see if it's in the documents directory. If it's not, find it inside your app's Resources folder ([[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource...]), then copy it into the documents directory using [[NSFileManager defaultManager] copyItemAtPath:...]. Then use the fresh copy in the documents directory with impunity.
The final product
NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath];
NSString *finalPath = [path stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"Cache.plist"];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *giveCachePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"Cache.plist"];
BOOL fileExists = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:giveCachePath];
if (fileExists) {
NSLog(#"file Exists");
}
else {
NSLog(#"Copying the file over");
fileExists = [fileManager copyItemAtPath:finalPath toPath:giveCachePath error:&error];
}
NSLog(#"Confirming Copy:");
BOOL filecopied = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:giveCachePath];
if (filecopied) {
NSLog(#"Give Cache Plist File ready.");
}
else {
NSLog(#"Cache plist not working.");
}