issues reading from plist file - objective-c

Question

I have created a simple plist file with some user preferences for a card game I'm writing.
I have also created a controller that reads and writes to this plist file which is a singelton.
everything works fine, but then after a couple of tries it stops working.
Logging the values to the console it shows the list returning a value of 0 which causes my app to crash
I have deleted the plist and created a new one and then the same story, works fine for 2 or three time and then boom zero.
here is a copy of the controller singelton code:
#implementation userOptionsController
static userOptionsController* _sharedOptionsController = nil;
#synthesize backgroundSound=_backgroundSound;
#synthesize soundEffects = _soundEffects;
#synthesize coach = _coach;
#synthesize numberOfDecks = _numberOfDecks ;
+(userOptionsController*)sharedOptionsController{
#synchronized([userOptionsController class])
{
if(!_sharedOptionsController)
[[self alloc]init];
return _sharedOptionsController;
}
return nil;
}
+(id)alloc
{
#synchronized ([userOptionsController class])
{
NSAssert(_sharedOptionsController == nil, #"Attempted to allocate a second instance of userOptionsController singleton");
_sharedOptionsController = [super alloc];
return _sharedOptionsController;
}
return nil;
}
- (id) init {
self = [super init];
if (self) {
}
return self;
}
-(void)readPlistFile
{
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"playerPrefOptions.plist"];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath: path])
{
NSString *bundle = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"playerPrefOptions" ofType:#"plist"];
[fileManager copyItemAtPath:bundle toPath: path error:&error];
}
NSMutableDictionary *temp = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile: path];
self.backgroundSound = [[temp objectForKey:#"backgroundSounds"]boolValue];
self.soundEffects = [[temp objectForKey:#"soundEffects"]boolValue];
self.coach =[[temp objectForKey:#"coach"]boolValue];
self.numberOfDecks = [[temp objectForKey:#"numberOfDecks"]intValue];
}
-(void)writeOptionsToFile
{
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"playerPrefOptions.plist"];
NSMutableDictionary *infoDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile: path];
NSNumber *moshe = [NSNumber numberWithInt:self.numberOfDecks];
[infoDict setObject: moshe forKey:#"numberOfDecks"];
[infoDict setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:self.coach] forKey:#"coach"];
[infoDict setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:self.backgroundSound] forKey:#"backgroundSounds"];
[infoDict setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:self.soundEffects] forKey:#"soundEffects"];
[infoDict writeToFile:path atomically:YES];
}
#end
so the property :
int numberOfDecks =[userOptionsController sharedOptionsController].numberOfDecks;
will return zero.
any ideas?
thanks.

Answer 1

Rather than use a plist for this content, it looks like NSUserDefaults is a more appropriate location.
Instead of shipping the app with a default plist file, instead just registerDefaults: with NSUserDefaults (often done in your app delegate application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:).
Then, whenever any changes are made just update NSUserDefaults and call synchronize to save the changes.

Answer 2

Try this and see what it does (what logs are output):
#implementation userOptionsController
+ (userOptionsController*)sharedOptionsController
{
static dispatch_once_t pred = 0;
__strong static id _sharedObject = nil;
dispatch_once(&pred, ^{
_sharedObject = [[self alloc] init];
});
return _sharedObject;
}
- (id) init {
self = [super init];
if (self) {
}
return self;
}
-(void)readPlistFile
{
NSError *error;
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"playerPrefOptions.plist"];
NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath: path])
{
NSString *bundle = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"playerPrefOptions" ofType:#"plist"];
if (![fileManager copyItemAtPath:bundle toPath: path error:&error]) {
NSLog(#"ERROR - file couldn't be copied: %#", error);
}
}
NSMutableDictionary *temp = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile: path];
if (temp == nil) {
NSLog(#"ERROR - file couldn't be read");
}
self.backgroundSound = [[temp objectForKey:#"backgroundSounds"]boolValue];
self.soundEffects = [[temp objectForKey:#"soundEffects"]boolValue];
self.coach =[[temp objectForKey:#"coach"]boolValue];
self.numberOfDecks = [[temp objectForKey:#"numberOfDecks"]intValue];
}
-(void)writeOptionsToFile
{
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *path = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"playerPrefOptions.plist"];
NSMutableDictionary *infoDict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithContentsOfFile: path];
NSNumber *moshe = [NSNumber numberWithInt:self.numberOfDecks];
[infoDict setObject: moshe forKey:#"numberOfDecks"];
[infoDict setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:self.coach] forKey:#"coach"];
[infoDict setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:self.backgroundSound] forKey:#"backgroundSounds"];
[infoDict setObject:[NSNumber numberWithBool:self.soundEffects] forKey:#"soundEffects"];
if (![infoDict writeToFile:path atomically:YES]) {
NSLog(#"ERROR - failed to write the new file (%#)", path);
} else {
NSLog(#"Completed write of:\n%#", infoDict);
}
}
#end