I'm using NSFileManager and i'm trying to copy a file to path "/var/mobile/Applications/7AC2295E-2775-41EA-B017-AB4048A09F0C/Document" the file will copy fine.
but the path of "7AC2295E-2775-41EA-B017-AB4048A09F0C" is randomly changed in every time i delete and install the app again. So, is there a way to get the correct path of my app or search for file name, If file exist then replace\delete..etc the file? thanks alot.
The proper way to get access to the Documents directory in your app's sandbox is:
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = paths[0];
Then you create your path:
NSString *filePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"filename.ext"];
You don't have to use the absolute path, use something like
NSString *documentsDirectory = [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES)objectAtIndex:0];
[[NSFileManager defaultManager] copyItemAtPath:[[NSBundle mainBundle]pathForResource:#"test" ofType:#"txt"] toPath:[documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"test.txt"] error:nil];
This demonstrates copying the file test.txt from the apps bundle to the documents directory.
Do something like this to create a file test.txt
[[NSFileManager defaultManager] createFileAtPath:[documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"test.txt"] contents:[NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:[NSURL URLWithString:#"http://a-cstudios.com/text.json"]] attributes:nil];
EDIT
If your using this and want to use it on a jailbroken device, to put something in the sandbox is the same as I said before, so you still don't have to use the UUID. If you want to put something in a system directory, that is when you would use something like /usr/include/, or wherever you want to. To put something in another apps sandbox, you would have to use the complete path, and you would have to know the UUID, as thats not part of your sandbox. So, unless you're copying a file to an app that you made, you have to use the complete path.
If your application needs to write a file to its Documents directory.
use something like :
NSString *filePath = NSHomeDirectory();
then append your actual file name to filePath.
then use filePath in your FileManager calls.
Related
I am trying to take content from one file and write it into another. I am reading fine, but I am not able to write it into another file.
I have a database of words. I want to separate the words into different files based on the number of letters. All four letter words go into one file, and so on. I added a txt file called "4letter" into my resources and the following is my code:
NSError *error;
//READ
NSString *dbFile = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"words" ofType:#"txt"];
NSString *test = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:dbFile encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error];
//convert from string to array
NSArray *lines = [test componentsSeparatedByString:#"\n"];
NSFileHandle *logFile = nil;
logFile = [NSFileHandle fileHandleForWritingAtPath:[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"4letter" ofType:#"txt"]];
//Test if write works
for (int i=0; i<5; i++)
{
NSString *randomAnagram = [[lines objectAtIndex:i] lowercaseString];
[logFile writeData: [randomAnagram dataUsingEncoding: NSNEXTSTEPStringEncoding]];
}
In iOS, you can't write into a file in your app's bundle -- the entire bundle is read-only. Use a path into the Documents folder instead.
See special File System Programming Guide for better understnading.
In iOS, you can't write into a file in your app's bundle -- the entire bundle is read-only.
Consider reading iOS Data Storage Guidelines to better understand the purpose of directories below, in context of iCloud backup.
<Application_Home>/AppName.app
This is the bundle directory containing the app itself. Do not write
anything to this directory. To prevent tampering, the bundle directory
is signed at installation time. Writing to this directory changes the
signature and prevents your app from launching again.
<Application_Home>/Documents/
Use this directory to store critical user documents and app data
files. Critical data is any data that cannot be recreated by your app,
such as user-generated content. The contents of this directory can be
made available to the user through file sharing. The contents of this
directory are backed up by iTunes.
<Application_Home>/Library/
This directory is the top-level directory for files that are not user
data files. You typically put files in one of several standard
subdirectories but you can also create custom subdirectories for files
you want backed up but not exposed to the user. You should not use
this directory for user data files. The contents of this directory
(with the exception of the Caches subdirectory) are backed up by
iTunes. For additional information about the Library directory, see
“The Library Directory Stores App-Specific Files.”
See full list (tmp/, Documents/Inbox) in iOS Standard Directories: Where Files Reside
UPDATE
I use NSFileManager method URLForDirectory:inDomain:appropriateForURL:create:error:
Like Caleb said, you can't write to your app's directory, but you can write to your app's Documents folder. You can get it like this:
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
Your app's bundle is read-only. There is two ways I could see:
1) Write in documents folder:
NSArray *pathList = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *path = [myPathList objectAtIndex:0];
2) Use sqlite database. This is the same as 1 (you must save db in documents anyway), but you're using sqlite database. I think this is better than a lot of txt and plist files: here's a tutorial on the topic.
I use the following code :
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *appFile = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"set.txt"];
NSString *data=#"Kostas";
[data writeToFile:appFile atomically:YES];
NSString *myData = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:appFile];
NSLog(#"Data : %# ",myData);
I am trying to take content from one file and write it into another. I am reading fine, but I am not able to write it into another file.
I have a database of words. I want to separate the words into different files based on the number of letters. All four letter words go into one file, and so on. I added a txt file called "4letter" into my resources and the following is my code:
NSError *error;
//READ
NSString *dbFile = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"words" ofType:#"txt"];
NSString *test = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:dbFile encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error];
//convert from string to array
NSArray *lines = [test componentsSeparatedByString:#"\n"];
NSFileHandle *logFile = nil;
logFile = [NSFileHandle fileHandleForWritingAtPath:[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"4letter" ofType:#"txt"]];
//Test if write works
for (int i=0; i<5; i++)
{
NSString *randomAnagram = [[lines objectAtIndex:i] lowercaseString];
[logFile writeData: [randomAnagram dataUsingEncoding: NSNEXTSTEPStringEncoding]];
}
In iOS, you can't write into a file in your app's bundle -- the entire bundle is read-only. Use a path into the Documents folder instead.
See special File System Programming Guide for better understnading.
In iOS, you can't write into a file in your app's bundle -- the entire bundle is read-only.
Consider reading iOS Data Storage Guidelines to better understand the purpose of directories below, in context of iCloud backup.
<Application_Home>/AppName.app
This is the bundle directory containing the app itself. Do not write
anything to this directory. To prevent tampering, the bundle directory
is signed at installation time. Writing to this directory changes the
signature and prevents your app from launching again.
<Application_Home>/Documents/
Use this directory to store critical user documents and app data
files. Critical data is any data that cannot be recreated by your app,
such as user-generated content. The contents of this directory can be
made available to the user through file sharing. The contents of this
directory are backed up by iTunes.
<Application_Home>/Library/
This directory is the top-level directory for files that are not user
data files. You typically put files in one of several standard
subdirectories but you can also create custom subdirectories for files
you want backed up but not exposed to the user. You should not use
this directory for user data files. The contents of this directory
(with the exception of the Caches subdirectory) are backed up by
iTunes. For additional information about the Library directory, see
“The Library Directory Stores App-Specific Files.”
See full list (tmp/, Documents/Inbox) in iOS Standard Directories: Where Files Reside
UPDATE
I use NSFileManager method URLForDirectory:inDomain:appropriateForURL:create:error:
Like Caleb said, you can't write to your app's directory, but you can write to your app's Documents folder. You can get it like this:
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
Your app's bundle is read-only. There is two ways I could see:
1) Write in documents folder:
NSArray *pathList = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *path = [myPathList objectAtIndex:0];
2) Use sqlite database. This is the same as 1 (you must save db in documents anyway), but you're using sqlite database. I think this is better than a lot of txt and plist files: here's a tutorial on the topic.
I use the following code :
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *appFile = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"set.txt"];
NSString *data=#"Kostas";
[data writeToFile:appFile atomically:YES];
NSString *myData = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:appFile];
NSLog(#"Data : %# ",myData);
I'm using this code to read data from a local (in the XCode project) .plist file.
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"GameData.plist"];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath: path])
{
NSString *bundle = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"GameData" ofType:#"plist"];
[fileManager copyItemAtPath:bundle toPath: path error:&error];
}
gameData = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile: path];
And it worked great the start, but now I find when I step through the code in the simulator that my game is using a version of the .plist file that existed right at the start, and the new fields I've set up in my new GameData.plist file is not appearing.
I presume that's because it doesn't get the data again if the file already exists? but then how do I get the new version of the .plist file? I tried removing the if statement, but I get a runtime error saying the file already exists.
It sounds like you need to setup a version system. But, the only reason to copy a file from the bundle to the documents folder is so you can edit it, so you need to think about how to merge the updated file in the bundle and the users additions in the documents folder.
Once you have a plan for merging the files, then you can change your if statement so it doesn't just check if the file already exists (if it does, you need to delete it before you can replace it) but also considers the version. You may want to store the currently copied version number in user defaults and add a version number to the file in the bundle. You may also want to keep the user modified data in a different file and use that as overrides.
How to create a file and save it as a text file in iPad through the application?. If I had to read that file at a later stage how to specify the absolute path. Could some one help on this.
Is it possible to display the text file created using the iPad app in the device homescreen, so that user's will be able to modify it.
To Write a file to documents directory use following code, (you may need to do some syntax correction as not tested)
NSArray *documentPaths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDir =[documentPaths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *filePath = [documentsDir stringByAppendingPathComponent:yourFileName];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
[fileManager createFileAtPath:filePath contents:nil attributes:nil];
// Open a handle to it.
NSFileHandle* pfile = [NSFileHandle fileHandleForWritingAtPath:filePath];
[pfile writeData:[[NSString stringWithString:#"YourData"] dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]];
And to provide user facility to edit it you can use, one option I can see.
Enable "Application supports iTunes file sharing"in plist file of the application so that user would be able to see the documents through the itunes.
You need to read and check the content though to track the changes done to document.
My app allows users to create and delete files from the documents folder within the app. They can do it through the app itself or manually using itunes. Is there are way to access what's left in the documents folder without any hardcoding of the filenames?
Thank you.
You can get NSArray with all items in given directory using contentsOfDirectoryAtPath:error: method in NSFileMamanger:
NSString *documentsDirectory = [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES) objectAtIndex:0];
NSArray *allItems = [[NSFileManager sharedFileManager] contentsOfDirectoryAtPath:documentsDirectory error:NULL];