iOS Core Data Export Import

[Marco]

Can anyone suggest a way to Export records from an iOS Core Data database (is there a .dump command in Core Data whithout the create table statements?) then have the ability to import the export file back into the existing iOS Core Data database.

Thank you

[dany_dev]

for export in xml, read this snippet
Exporting from Core Data on iOS. : Scott Means

for import, parse it with NSXMLParser and add to core data normally.

[rcirka]

The core data back-end database is just a sqlite file. Once you find the location of the file you can do anything you want with it. I am fond of firefox sqlite manager. You can also just do a command line dump: sqlite x.db .dump > output.sql

To find the location of the file, add the following to your command arguments:
-com.apple.CoreData.SQLDebug 1

When you load it in the simulator, look in the console and it should show something like this:
CoreData: annotation: Connecting to sqlite database file at "/Users/rcirka/Library/Application Support/iPhone Simulator/4.3.2/Applications/7DC5DD03-18DF-48FC-B532-F825C97CF464/Library/Caches/MYEQ.sqlite"

[Marco]

Thanks for the replies.

This Export and Import will be done by users in the iOS app. I was hoping to find a way from the iOS app to call a Core Data command to do a .dump (or something similar to it) what would export certain records (master/detail) into an sql file. Then if the user needs to restore that data, from the iOS app Core Data I would call that file that would import those records back into the existing database.

[dany_dev]

I don't know where you want that the user put its file, however rcirka said you to obtain the sqlite database.....and seem to be what you are looking for

[Marco]

When they are running the iOS App I will save this export file to the App documents folder located in either the iPhone or iPad.

This will be a way for the user to backup certain filtered records. Then, if something goes wrong they can reimport this exported file back into the App.

[rcirka]

If you want to back up the whole database file, you can just copy it through the file system.

 [[NSFileManager defaultManager] copyItemAtPath:[[self applicationDocumentsDirectory] stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"db.sqlite"] toPath:[[self applicationDocumentsDirectory] stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"db_backup.sqlite"] error:nil];

If you want to just backup certain pieces of information, you may to create a new core data store and copy the info there.

[Marco]

rcirka, currently that is what I am doing with the app, copying the entire sqlite db. New requirements have changed this, because I need to just export portion of the data. But I like your suggestion to create a new sqlite db that just contains the portion of data that I need to export.

By doing it that way, the only worries I would have is when importing the data back in, the id's will change and the children id's will need to change also.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

[dany_dev]

seem that you should do as said here
iphone - How to force coredata to rebuild sqlite database model? - Stack Overflow
http://ablogontech.wordpress.com/200...iphone-os-3-0/

[Marco]

Originally Posted by dany_dev

seem that you should do as said here
iphone - How to force coredata to rebuild sqlite database model? - Stack Overflow
Using a Pre-Populated SQLite Database with Core Data on iPhone OS 3.0 A Blog on Tech

Thanks I am checking them out.