Difficulties writing NSMutableArra to plist!

[freshking]

Hi all,

im having difficulties saving an nsmutablearray to a plist.
Before adding an object ty my array (services), I set a type for each object as shown below in order to differenciate how they are displayed in my tableView:

typedef enum _StringType
{
Input, Received
} StringType;


@interface MyObject: NSObject
{
NSString* theString;
StringType type;

}
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSString* theString;
@property (readonly) StringType type;

-(id) initWithStringNSString*) aString andType: (StringType)_type;

@end

@implementation MyObject

@synthesize theString, type;

-(id) initWithString: (NSString*) aString andType: (StringType)_type{
self = [super init];
if( self != nil )
{
self.theString = aString;
type = _type;

}
return self;

}
//also add this in MyObject
-(void)dealloc
{
[theString release];
[super dealloc];
}

@synthesize theString, type;

@end

- (void)sendAction: (id) sender {

//when something new is input by the user
MyObject* obj = [[MyObject alloc] initWithString:input.text andType: Input];
[services addObject: obj];
[obj release];

[tableView reloadData];
}

This is the my code for writing the array to the plist:

- (void)applicationWillTerminateUIApplication *)application {

NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSError *error;
NSString *docsDir = [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDire ctory,NSUserDomainMask, YES) objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *appDir = [[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath];
NSString *dest = [docsDir stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"old.plist"];
[services writeToFile:dest atomically: YES];
NSLog(@"Services array: %@", services);

}

And this is how my array looks in the log:

2009-09-13 01:48:56.975 Texter[15619:20b] Services array: (
<MyObject: 0xd06510>,
<MyObject: 0xd31a10>,
<MyObject: 0xd8ba50>,
<MyObject: 0xd348f0>
)

For some reason, writeToFile: is unable the handle its operation with this array. With any other "normal" array the writing to the plist works perfectly. For example with:

NSArray *example = [[NSArray alloc] initWithObjects:@"one", @"two", @"three", nil];

I guess I would have to convert the array to some other format but I need it like this so that the tableView knows how the arrange its cell content when loading from the plist according to each objects type.

I hope somebody can help me out here!
Thanks alot!

[FlyingDiver]

You can only write property list objects to a file and get a plist: NSString, NSData, NSArray, or NSDictionary

You can't have custom objects in the array. If you want to write it out as a plist, you need to make it an array of dictionary object, with strings or whatever you need in the dictionaries.

joe

[freshking]

Then how would you recommend storing this data so that it can also be read?

[FlyingDiver]

Originally Posted by freshking

Then how would you recommend storing this data so that it can also be read?

What I said above. Instead of an array of MyObject objects, make it an array of NSDictionary objects. You'll have two entries in each dictionary, one being the string (an NSString), and the other the type (string or value).

joe

[vikinara]

Where am i going wrong? please help


myPrimaryinfo = [[NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:6]retain];

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date","Time","Address","City"," State","Zipcode",nil];

[myPrimaryinfo addObject:[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjects:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:
[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtDate.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtTime.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtAddress.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtCity.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtState.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtZip.text],nil]forKeys:keys]];


NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDire ctory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"myPrimaryinfo.pli st"];
[myPrimaryinfo writeToFileath atomically:YES];
NSLog(@"PrimaryInfo array: %@", myPrimaryinfo);

Originally Posted by FlyingDiver

What I said above. Instead of an array of MyObject objects, make it an array of NSDictionary objects. You'll have two entries in each dictionary, one being the string (an NSString), and the other the type (string or value).

joe

[FlyingDiver]

Originally Posted by vikinara

Where am i going wrong? please help


myPrimaryinfo = [[NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:6]retain];

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date","Time","Address","City"," State","Zipcode",nil];

[myPrimaryinfo addObject:[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjects:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:
[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtDate.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtTime.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtAddress.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtCity.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtState.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtZip.text],nil]forKeys:keys]];


NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDire ctory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"myPrimaryinfo.pli st"];
[myPrimaryinfo writeToFileath atomically:YES];
NSLog(@"PrimaryInfo array: %@", myPrimaryinfo);

You don't say what problem you're actually having, but this line is wrong:

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date","Time","Address","City"," State","Zipcode",nil];

All of the strings need to be objects, not just the first one. It needs to be:

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date",@"Time",@"Address",@"City",@" State",@"Zipcode",nil];

joe

[vikinara]

Hi

Thank u for the reply. I want to save the data in .plist. But i couldn't.Please help.

Originally Posted by FlyingDiver

You don't say what problem you're actually having, but this line is wrong:

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date","Time","Address","City"," State","Zipcode",nil];

All of the strings need to be objects, not just the first one. It needs to be:

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date",@"Time",@"Address",@"City",@" State",@"Zipcode",nil];

joe

[vikinara]

Also the .plist file s not created, i want to know if i am entering the string data in correct format. please advice.

thanks in advance
viki

Originally Posted by vikinara

Hi

Thank u for the reply. I want to save the data in .plist. But i couldn't.Please help.

[vikinara]

Thank u so much. once i modified the strings to objects, it worked fine and i got the .plist file created also.

here is the code for saving user input textfield value to be saved in .plist

-(IBAction)textFieldCheckid) sender {



myPrimaryinfo = [[NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:6]retain];

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date",@"Time",@"Address",@"City ",@"State",@"Zipcode",nil];

[myPrimaryinfo addObject:[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjects:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:
[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtDate.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtTime.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtAddress.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtCity.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtState.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtZip.text],nil]forKeys:keys]];


NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDire ctory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"myPrimaryinfo.pli st"];
[myPrimaryinfo writeToFileath atomically:NO];
NSLog(@"PrimaryInfo array: %@", myPrimaryinfo);

Originally Posted by vikinara

Hi

Thank u for the reply. I want to save the data in .plist. But i couldn't.Please help.

[sivasankarp]

I hope u resolved ur problem,can u send me ur sample code so tat i wil use it in my application.my plist was in this format as follows.kindly help me out

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<array>
<string>http://localhost:8888/sample</string>
<string>http://localhost:8888/sample</string>
</array>
</plist>

i wil send the url string from the implementation code.kindly help me in this pls..

-(IBAction)AddFieldid)sender;
{
NSMutableArray *myPrimaryinfo = [[NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:6]retain];

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"string",nil];

[myPrimaryinfo addObject:[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjects:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:
[NSString stringWithFormat:@"sample"],nil]forKeys:keys]];


NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDire ctory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"urls.plist"];
[myPrimaryinfo writeToFileath atomically:NO];
NSLog(@"PrimaryInfo array: %@", myPrimaryinfo);
}

Thanks

Originally Posted by vikinara

Thank u so much. once i modified the strings to objects, it worked fine and i got the .plist file created also.

here is the code for saving user input textfield value to be saved in .plist

-(IBAction)textFieldCheckid) sender {



myPrimaryinfo = [[NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:6]retain];

NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"Date",@"Time",@"Address",@"City ",@"State",@"Zipcode",nil];

[myPrimaryinfo addObject:[NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjects:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:
[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtDate.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtTime.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtAddress.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtCity.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtState.text],

[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",txtZip.text],nil]forKeys:keys]];


NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDire ctory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"myPrimaryinfo.pli st"];
[myPrimaryinfo writeToFileath atomically:NO];
NSLog(@"PrimaryInfo array: %@", myPrimaryinfo);