Saving data to an existing plist - xcode

Question

I am working on a project that has a simple tableview with detail view.
Data source is a plist. I am trying to allow user input to be saved into the plist and shown in tableview. i have created a add view controller which gets presented and dismissed modally and has two text fields which allow the user to add the name of the city and name of the states, also a text field to input description.
Problem: how to save this data to my existing plist and show it in the tableview. Here is my code for the table view:
#implementation TableViewController
#synthesize content, searchResults;
- (id)initWithStyle:(UITableViewStyle)style
{
self = [super initWithStyle:style];
if (self) {
// Custom initialization
}
return self;
}
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
[super viewDidLoad];
content = [[NSArray alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"Data" ofType:#"plist"]];
}
- (IBAction)add;
{
AddViewController* controller = [[AddViewController alloc] init];
[self presentViewController:controller animated:YES completion:nil];
}
- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning
{
[super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section
{
if (tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView) {
return [self.searchResults count];
} else {
return [self.content count];
}
}
- (void)filterContentForSearchText:(NSString*)searchText scope:(NSString*)scope
{
NSPredicate *resultPredicate = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat: #"SELF['city'] BEGINSWITH[c] %# ", searchText];
searchResults = [[content filteredArrayUsingPredicate:resultPredicate] retain];
}
-(BOOL)searchDisplayController:(UISearchDisplayController *)controller shouldReloadTableForSearchString:(NSString *)searchString
{
[self filterContentForSearchText:searchString
scope:[[self.searchDisplayController.searchBar scopeButtonTitles]
objectAtIndex:[self.searchDisplayController.searchBar
selectedScopeButtonIndex]]];
return YES;
}
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
static NSString *CellIdentifier = #"Cell";
UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
if (cell == nil) {
cell = [[[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle: UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier: CellIdentifier] autorelease];
}
if (tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView) {
cell.textLabel.text = [[searchResults objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"city"];
cell.detailTextLabel.text = [[searchResults objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"state"];
cell.imageView.image = [UIImage imageNamed:[[self.searchResults objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"cityImage"]];
} else {
cell.textLabel.text = [[self.content objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"city"];
cell.detailTextLabel.text = [[self.content objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"state"];
cell.imageView.image = [UIImage imageNamed:[[self.content objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"cityImage"]];
}
return cell;
}
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
if (tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView) {
[self performSegueWithIdentifier: #"showDetails" sender: self];
}
}
-(void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender
{
if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:#"showDetails"]) {
NSIndexPath *indexPath = [self.tableView indexPathForSelectedRow];
DetailViewController *DVC = [segue destinationViewController];
if ([self.searchDisplayController isActive]) {
DVC.cityImageString = [[searchResults objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"cityImage"];
DVC.cityTextString = [[searchResults objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"cityText"];
DVC.cityNameString = [[searchResults objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"city"];
DVC.stateNameString = [[searchResults objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"state"];
} else {
DVC.cityImageString = [[self.content objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"cityImage"];
DVC.cityTextString = [[self.content objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"cityText"];
DVC.cityNameString = [[self.content objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"city"];
DVC.stateNameString = [[self.content objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] valueForKey:#"state"];
}
}
}
and here is the code for addViewController.h:
#interface AddViewController : UIViewController <UINavigationControllerDelegate,UIImagePickerControllerDelegate>{
IBOutlet UITextField *cityTextField;
IBOutlet UITextField *stateTextField;
IBOutlet UITextView *cityDescription;
UIImagePickerController* imagePicker;
}
#property (nonatomic, copy) NSString* name;
#property (nonatomic, copy) NSString* description;
#property (nonatomic, strong) UIImage* image;
#property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet UINavigationBar* navigationBar;
#property (nonatomic, strong) UITextField *cityTextField;
#property (nonatomic, strong) UITextField *stateTextField;
#property (nonatomic, strong) UITextView *cityDescription;
#property (nonatomic, strong) IBOutlet UIButton* choosePhotoButton;
#property (nonatomic, strong) IBOutlet UIButton* takePhotoButton;
- (IBAction)save;
- (IBAction)cancel;
- (IBAction)choosePhoto;
- (IBAction)takePhoto;
#end
and at last the add view controller .m
#implementation AddViewController
#synthesize cityTextField, stateTextField, cityDescription;
- (id)initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil
{
self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
if (self) {
// Custom initialization
}
return self;
}
- (IBAction)save
{
// Make sure the user has entered at least a recipe name
if (self.cityTextField.text.length == 0)
{
UIAlertView* alertView = [[UIAlertView alloc]
initWithTitle:#"Whoops..."
message:#"Please enter a city name"
delegate:nil
cancelButtonTitle:#"OK"
otherButtonTitles:nil];
[alertView show];
[alertView release];
return;
}
if (self.stateTextField.text.length == 0)
{
UIAlertView* alertView = [[UIAlertView alloc]
initWithTitle:#"Whoops..."
message:#"Please enter a city name"
delegate:nil
cancelButtonTitle:#"OK"
otherButtonTitles:nil];
[alertView show];
[alertView release];
return;
}
// Make sure the user has entered at least a recipe name
if (self.cityDescription.text.length == 0)
{
UIAlertView* alertView = [[UIAlertView alloc]
initWithTitle:#"Whoops..."
message:#"Please enter city description"
delegate:nil
cancelButtonTitle:#"OK"
otherButtonTitles:nil];
[alertView show];
[alertView release];
return;
}
self.name = self.cityTextField.text;
self.name = self.stateTextField.text;
self.description = self.cityDescription.text;
if ([[self parentViewController] respondsToSelector:#selector(dismissViewControllerAnimated:)]){
[[self parentViewController] dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
} else {
[[self presentingViewController] dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
}
}
- (IBAction)cancel {
{
if ([[self parentViewController] respondsToSelector:#selector(dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:)]){
[[self parentViewController] dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
} else {
[[self presentingViewController] dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
}
}
}
- (IBAction)choosePhoto
{
// Show the image picker with the photo library
imagePicker = [[UIImagePickerController alloc] init];
imagePicker.sourceType = UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypePhotoLibrary;
imagePicker.delegate = self;
imagePicker.allowsEditing = YES;
[self presentViewController:imagePicker animated:YES completion:nil];
}
- (IBAction)takePhoto {
UIImagePickerController *picker = [[UIImagePickerController alloc] init];
//picker.delegate = self;
picker.allowsEditing = YES;
picker.sourceType = UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypeCamera;
[self presentViewController:picker animated:YES completion:NULL];
}
- (void)touchesEnded:(NSSet *)touches withEvent:(UIEvent *)event {
UITouch *touch = [touches anyObject];
if ([cityDescription isFirstResponder] && [touch view] != cityDescription) {
[cityDescription resignFirstResponder];
}
}
- (void)touchesBegan:(NSSet *)touches withEvent:(UIEvent *)event {
[cityTextField resignFirstResponder];
[stateTextField resignFirstResponder];
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark UIImagePickerControllerDelegate
- (void)imagePickerController:(UIImagePickerController*)picker didFinishPickingMediaWithInfo:(NSDictionary*)info
{
// We get here when the user has successfully picked an image.
// Put the image in our property and set it on the button.
if (imagePicker) {
self.image = [info objectForKey:UIImagePickerControllerEditedImage];
[self.choosePhotoButton setImage:self.image forState:UIControlStateNormal];
} else {
if (picker) {
self.image = [info objectForKey:UIImagePickerControllerEditedImage];
[self.takePhotoButton setImage:self.image forState:UIControlStateNormal];
}
}
[self dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
[imagePicker release];
imagePicker = nil;
}
- (void)imagePickerControllerDidCancel:(UIImagePickerController*)picker
{
[self dismissViewControllerAnimated:YES completion:nil];
[imagePicker release];
imagePicker = nil;
}
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
[super viewDidLoad];
// Do any additional setup after loading the view.
}
- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning
{
[super didReceiveMemoryWarning];
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
#end
i know there are tons of almost similar questions and believe me i have looked at so many of them and i think i am hitting the wall with this one and i cant think of a proper way to do this. it may be so simple but for the life of me i cant figure this out and thats why i am trying to ask for help. i truly appreciate any help i can get. if needs be i can place the sample project on git hub for ease of access. also the project is built in ios 6 and the latest Xcode.
P.S. here is the link to the project on git hub: https://github.com/AdrianPhillips/TableSearch

Answer 1

I can't find your code that do the actual "save" work. I guess it should be in the UIAlertView delegate,right ? And you did not tell us what's your problem. Following code maybe what's you seeking.
[content writeToFile:filePath atomically:YES]
Another reminder is: you should NOT save the plist back to main bundle, save it to Documents or Cache or other folder.

Answer 2

Just as every one has pointed out you can not write to the plist that is in your main bundle. You need to copy it from the bundle to your application document directory. Then you can just init from and write to the path in your documents directory. The other issue you have, is that nothing is communicating the new data from the AddViewController back to the TableViewController. You should create a protocol and delegate for your AddViewController.
For all the gore details see my pull request on GitHub.
https://github.com/GayleDDS/TableSearch.git

Answer 3

You have to copy the plist to the Documents folder first. You can't edit it into the original app folder. You can use this class to do this:
- (void) CreatePlistCopyInDocuments:(NSString *)plistName {
// First, test for existence.
BOOL success;
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *writablePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:plistName];
success = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:writablePath];
if (success) {
return;
}
// The writable file does not exist, so copy from the bundle to the appropriate location.
NSString *defaultPath = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath] stringByAppendingPathComponent:plistName];
success = [fileManager copyItemAtPath:defaultPath toPath:writablePath error:&error];
if (!success) {
NSAssert1(0, #"Failed to create writable file with message '%#'.", [error localizedDescription]);
}
}
You have just to pass the plist name to it.
Then you have to load it into some NSMutableDictionary like this:
NSString *documents = [NSHomeDirectory() stringByAppendingString:#"/Documents"];
NSString *plistInDocuments = [documents stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"UserData.plist"];
NSMutableDictionary *plistData = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc]initWithContentsOfFile:plistInDocuments];
After you have updated the values for the dictionary, you have to write the file back to the documents like this:
[plistData writeToFile:plistInDocuments atomically:YES];