Objects from App Delegate empty in iOS5

[DanielMedia]

My app works fine in all versions of iOS4. However in iOS5, there seems to be a problem with how my code is getting objects from the app delegate.

iShadowBoxerAppDelegate *appDelegate = (iShadowBoxerAppDelegate *)[UIApplication sharedApplication].delegate;
NSMutableArray *globalFootwork = [appDelegate footwork];

In iOS 4 this works fine and loads a mutable array with objects from the app delegate. In iOS5 the mutable array is empty. Here is how the mutable array is setup in my app delegate:

(in my AppDelegate.h)

@property (nonatomic, retain) NSMutableArray *footwork;

(in my AppDelegate.m)

- (BOOL)applicationUIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptionsNSDictionary *)launchOptions {

NSMutableArray *newFootwork = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
[self setFootwork:newFootwork];
[newFootwork release];

(I then add objects to self.footwork)

}

I'd appreciate any help with this. Thanks.

[BrianSlick]

Nothing wrong here. There must be some other issue. Add logs, see what's happening.

[DanielMedia]

Thanks Slick.

Ok, maybe I'm not very iOS5 savvy but this seems very weird to me. I put a breakpoint in my application delegate and one in the controller which calls my application delegate.

If I load up the iOS4 simulator, the first breakpoint encountered is in my app delegate. If I load up the iOS5 simulator, the first breakpoint encountered is in the calling controller. Not the app delegate. Shouldn't the app delegate always load first? Weird...

[BrianSlick]

Are you sure you're talking about a fresh launch and not a resume?

[DanielMedia]

I deleted the app from the iPhone simulator(iOS5) and ran a fresh install. The breakpoint in the app delegate never gets called in iOS5. It does in iOS4 though.

[BrianSlick]

Add logs.

[Duncan C]

Originally Posted by DanielMedia

I deleted the app from the iPhone simulator(iOS5) and ran a fresh install. The breakpoint in the app delegate never gets called in iOS5. It does in iOS4 though.

Odd.

I'm grasping at straws here. Does your app delegate have a applicationDidFinishLaunching: method as well as an applicationidFinishLaunchingWithOptions:?

I believe that, for compatibility, the system will call the old style applicationDidFinishLaunching: method first if you have both.

Try adding an init method to your app delegate and setting a breakpoint on that.

[DanielMedia]

I found out what was going on. In iOS5 the flow of execution seems to work a little differently.

When I did this in iOS4 it worked:

- (BOOL)applicationUIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptionsNSDictionary *)launchOptions {

[window makeKeyAndVisible];
[window addSubview:tabBarController.view];

[self loadMoves];

}

But in iOS5 I have to load the moves first and THEN load the tab bar.

- (BOOL)applicationUIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptionsNSDictionary *)launchOptions {

[self loadMoves];

[window makeKeyAndVisible];
[window addSubview:tabBarController.view];

}

Was that just a dumb mistake on my part? Is it better to always load data PRIOR to setting the main view?

BTW, Thanks guys for the help : )

[BrianSlick]

I tend to make the view the last thing that happens. Kinda makes sense that way if you think about it. I do the makeKeyAndVisible dead last, too.

You probably also want to switch to using the rootViewController property of the UIWindow.

[DanielMedia]

Thanks Brian.

Here's what I changed it to according to your recommendations:

- (BOOL)applicationUIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptionsNSDictionary *)launchOptions {

[self setDefaultSettings];

[self startAudioSession];

[self loadMoves];

[window setRootViewController:tabBarController];

[window makeKeyAndVisible];

return YES;

}

[BrianSlick]

Yep. The only catch will be if those first 3 items could take too long. Your app might get killed. If that's the case, then you'll want to do them in the background or after a delay, and you'll have to tweak the view controllers for that possibility.

[DanielMedia]

I will do some testing on my devices and see if that will be an issue. Thanks again for your help Brian. I appreciate it!