iOS Copy SQLite Database and excluding it from iCloud - iphone

Question

My application just rejected because I copied sqlite database in NSDocumentDirectory and didn't exclude it from being synced to iCloud. I tried to add code to exclude it from iCloud but it is still occupying same space in iCloud. Here is my code.
- (BOOL)addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL:(NSURL *)URL {
if (&NSURLIsExcludedFromBackupKey == nil) { // iOS <= 5.0.1
const char* filePath = [[URL path] fileSystemRepresentation];
const char* attrName = "com.apple.MobileBackup";
u_int8_t attrValue = 1;
int result = setxattr(filePath, attrName, &attrValue, sizeof(attrValue), 0, 0);
return result == 0;
} else { // iOS >= 5.1
NSError *error = nil;
[URL setResourceValue:[NSNumber numberWithBool:YES] forKey:NSURLIsExcludedFromBackupKey error:&error];
return error == nil;
}
}
+ (void)copyDatabaseIfNeeded {
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSError *error = nil;
NSString *toPath = [self getDBPath];
BOOL success = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:toPath];
if(!success) {
NSString *fromPath = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:databaseName];
NSURL *toURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:toPath];
NSURL *fromURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:fromPath];
[[NSFileManager defaultManager] addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL:toURL];
[[NSFileManager defaultManager] addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL:fromURL];
success = [fileManager copyItemAtURL:fromURL toURL:toURL error:&error];
if (!success)
NSLog(#"Failed to create writable database file with message '%#'.", [error localizedDescription]);
}
}
+ (NSString *)getDBPath {
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDir = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
return [documentsDir stringByAppendingPathComponent:databaseName];
}
Please help.

Answer 1

You set the skip back attribute to the file before coping it, since the file is not yet copied there the filemanager can't change the properties of that file:
Also you are not calling the addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL: on self but on NSFileManager which does have this method declared.
You can addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL: from a class method if you declared it as an instance methods, change it to + to make it a class method.
Change it to something like:
+ (BOOL)addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL:(NSURL *)URL {
if (&NSURLIsExcludedFromBackupKey == nil) { // iOS <= 5.0.1
const char* filePath = [[URL path] fileSystemRepresentation];
const char* attrName = "com.apple.MobileBackup";
u_int8_t attrValue = 1;
int result = setxattr(filePath, attrName, &attrValue, sizeof(attrValue), 0, 0);
return result == 0;
} else { // iOS >= 5.1
NSError *error = nil;
[URL setResourceValue:[NSNumber numberWithBool:YES] forKey:NSURLIsExcludedFromBackupKey error:&error];
return error == nil;
}
}
+ (void)copyDatabaseIfNeeded {
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSError *error = nil;
NSString *toPath = [self getDBPath];
BOOL success = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:toPath];
if(!success) {
NSString *fromPath = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:databaseName];
NSURL *toURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:toPath];
NSURL *fromURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:fromPath];
success = [fileManager copyItemAtURL:fromURL toURL:toURL error:&error];
if (success) {
[self addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL:toURL];
} else {
NSLog(#"Failed to create writable database file with message '%#'.", [error localizedDescription]);
}
}
}
Also a my comment stated I removed the [[NSFileManager defaultManager] addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL:fromURL]; since that file will a not be included in an iCloud backup and b files in the bundle are readonly and can't there for be modified.

Answer 2

I was on the phone with an Apple support guy about this.
However, rather than repeating stuff, this answer covers it well: Setting NSDocumentDirectory so it doesn't backup to iCloud

Answer 3

Please refer to Technical Q&A QA1719 which describes that the technique you employ in addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL is advised for iOS 5.0.1 and earlier. For iOS 5.1 and later, you should use the following:
- (BOOL)addSkipBackupAttributeToItemAtURL:(NSURL *)URL
{
assert([[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath: [URL path]]);
NSError *error = nil;
BOOL success = [URL setResourceValue: [NSNumber numberWithBool: YES]
forKey: NSURLIsExcludedFromBackupKey error: &error];
if(!success){
NSLog(#"Error excluding %# from backup %#", [URL lastPathComponent], error);
}
return success;
}

Answer 4

NSDocumentDirectory has nothing to do with iCloud. the documents directory for an iOS application is NOT automatically backed up to iCloud at all. Its the same as it ever was, just a sandbox directory for your app.
You only store things in iCloud if the following conditions are met:
Your app has entitlements specifying iCloud sandbox container name
Your user is logged into iCloud on their device
You explicitly get the ubiquity container's documents directory and store things there.
So if you dont want to store something in iCloud, dont get the documents directory for the ubiquity container, dont connect to iCloud at all...
Also the iCloud backup is not even an application level setting the user sets it, so I dont know why yo u even have iCloud enabled. Just put your data in the data directory and apple will have no problem with it.