Unable to create a readonly sqlite store in Core Data: Cocoa Error 260 - ios

Question

I'm trying to create a NSSQLiteStoreType with the readonly option (NSReadOnlyPersistentStoreOption). This fails if the sqlite file doesn't exist (see code below). If it does exist, the store is added without any errors.
The error I get is Cocoa Error 260:
NSFileReadNoSuchFileError = 260, // Read error (no such file)
So it looks like CoreData tries to read a file that doesn't exist, instead of creating a new one...
It seems that when adding NSReadOnlyPersistentStoreOption you can only open a previously existing store, but not create one. This doesn't make sense to me.
Is there any way to create a brand new readonly store in Core Data?
If not, is there some workaround?
// DB URL
NSFileManager *fm = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
NSURL *dbURL = [[fm URLsForDirectory:NSDocumentDirectory
inDomains:NSUserDomainMask] lastObject];
dbURL = [dbURL URLByAppendingPathComponent:#"store.sqlite"];
// Object Model
NSURL *modelURL = [[NSBundle mainBundle] URLForResource:#"Model" withExtension:#"momd"];
NSAssert([fm fileExistsAtPath:[modelURL path]], #"File not found");
NSManagedObjectModel *model = [[NSManagedObjectModel alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:modelURL];
// Store Coordinator
NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *coord = [[NSPersistentStoreCoordinator alloc] initWithManagedObjectModel:model];
// Add a readonly SQLite store
NSError *err = nil;
NSPersistentStore *store = [coord addPersistentStoreWithType:NSSQLiteStoreType
configuration:nil URL:dbURL
options:#{NSReadOnlyPersistentStoreOption : #YES}
error:&err];
if (store == nil) {
// I get a Cocoa Error 260.
NSLog(#"Error: %#", err);
}

Answer 1

Creating a new, empty, read-only store makes no sense, and the results you're seeing are exactly what would be expected. By specifying read-only you are specifically indicating that no file should be written, so as a result.... no file is written.
It's hard to tell what you're trying to accomplish. If the file were created, you would not be able to use it, since it would contain no data and since the read-only flag would prevent you from adding any data. An empty file would be exactly as useful.
But no, there is no way to tell Core Data to create a new persistent store file but have that file be read only, mainly because such an operation would be nonsensical and useless.
If you have some reason to want a persistent store file which is both empty and unwritable (and if you do, please share), you would need to
Add the persistent store without the read-only flag
Call removePersistentStore:error: to remove that persistent store
Add the persistent store again, with the read-only flag.
You will now have a persistent store which contains no data, and which you are prevented from adding data to.
A simpler alternative that is just as effective is to not create the file in the first place. An empty read-only persistent store serves literally no purpose at all, so the easy approach is to just not bother creating it.