Load and save NSMutableArray won't work - objective-c

Question

first of all, I have a class which mamages an NSMutableArray.
When the class is instantiated, it should look if there is already a saved array and load it, or otherwise made a new one.
everytime an item is added it should be saved. but: nothing happens.
#import "NEList.h"
#interface NEList()
#end
#implementation NEList
#synthesize theInternArray;
-(id) initWithArray {
self = [super init];
if(self != nil) {
NSLog(#"build");
theInternArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:20];
return self;
}
return nil;
}
-(id) initWithContent {
self = [super init];
if(self != nil) {
NSLog(#"load");
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *filePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"theFiles"];
theInternArray = [NSMutableArray arrayWithContentsOfFile:filePath];
if(theInternArray == nil) {
theInternArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:200];
}
NSLog(#"second %#", theInternArray);
return self;
}
return nil;
}
-(BOOL) save {
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *filePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"theFiles"];
return [self.theInternArray writeToFile:filePath atomically:NO];
}
-(BOOL) addObject:(NEListItem *)theItem {
[theInternArray addObject:theItem]; [self save];
UILocalNotification *localNotif = [[UILocalNotification alloc] init];
localNotif.fireDate = theItem.theBestBeforeDate;
localNotif.timeZone = [NSTimeZone defaultTimeZone];
localNotif.alertBody = [theItem.theName stringByAppendingString:#" expires!"];
localNotif.alertAction = NSLocalizedString(#"View Details", nil);
localNotif.soundName = UILocalNotificationDefaultSoundName;
localNotif.applicationIconBadgeNumber = 1;
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] scheduleLocalNotification:localNotif];
return true;
}
-(NEListItem *) getElementAtIndex:(NSUInteger)theIndex {
return [theInternArray objectAtIndex:theIndex];
}
-(BOOL)removeObjectByName:(NSString *)theName {
for (NEListItem *tempItem in theInternArray) {
if([tempItem.theName isEqualToString:theName]) {
[theInternArray removeObject:tempItem];
break;
return true;
}
}
NSLog(#"Nicht gefunden");
return false;
}
#end
the save method is called in another class which owns an instance of NEList

Answer 1

Ok, all I changed was the "initWithContent" Method and the save method. I've commented out your code and under it made the changes to use NSUserDefaults. NSUserDefaults should save a binary file of your Array and later get it back and convert it back to a NSArray. If this doesn't work just let me know what error your getting.
-(id) initWithContent {
self = [super init];
if(self != nil) {
NSLog(#"load");
/*
NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *filePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"theFiles"];
theInternArray = [NSMutableArray arrayWithContentsOfFile:filePath];
if(theInternArray == nil) {
theInternArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:200];
}
NSLog(#"second %#", theInternArray);*/
NSUserDefaults *uDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
theInternArray = [uDefaults objectForKey:#"internArray"];
if (!theInternArray)
{
theInternArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:200];
}
NSLog(#"%#", theInternArray);
return self;
}
return nil;
}
-(BOOL) save {
/*NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *filePath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"theFiles"];*/
NSUserDefaults *uDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
[uDefaults setObject:theInternArray forKey:#"internArray"];
//return [self.theInternArray writeToFile:filePath atomically:NO];
return [uDefaults objectForKey:#"internArray"];
}
Oh, and the reason why your way didn't work is because it's not that simple to save a file then get it back. You would need to print out your data from the array (like "item1,item2,item3, etc." to the file, then parse it and create a NSArray with that data later.

Answer 2

So, this is the solution worked for me.
First of all, this is my custom class which is stored in the arrays:
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#interface NEListItem : NSObject <NSCoding>
#property (nonatomic, strong) NSString *theName;
#property (nonatomic, strong) NSString *theBestBeforeDate;
#property (nonatomic, strong) NSDate *theInternDate;
-(id) initWithName:(NSString *) theInitName;
#end
and the implementation
#import "NEListItem.h"
#implementation NEListItem
#synthesize theName = _theName;
#synthesize theBestBeforeDate = _theBestBeforeDate;
#synthesize theInternDate = _theInternDate;
-(id)initWithName:(NSString *)theInitName {
self = [super init];
if(self != nil) {
self.theName = theInitName;
return self;
}
return nil;
}
- (void)encodeWithCoder:(NSCoder *)coder;
{
[coder encodeObject:self.theName forKey:#"theName"];
[coder encodeObject:self.theBestBeforeDate forKey:#"theBBDate"];
[coder encodeObject:self.theInternDate forKey:#"theInternDate"];
}
- (id)initWithCoder:(NSCoder *)coder;
{
self = [[NEListItem alloc] init];
if (self != nil)
{
self.theName = [coder decodeObjectForKey:#"theName"];
self.theInternDate = [coder decodeObjectForKey:#"theInternDate"];
self.theBestBeforeDate = [coder decodeObjectForKey:#"theBBDate"];
}
return self;
}
#end
so, this is needed for saving custom values.
the save method:
-(BOOL) save {
NSLog(#"save called");
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setObject:[NSKeyedArchiver archivedDataWithRootObject:theInternArray] forKey:#"savedArray"];
return true;
}
and the loading which is part of a init method
NSUserDefaults *currentDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
NSData *dataRepresentingSavedArray = [currentDefaults objectForKey:#"savedArray"];
NSArray *oldSavedArray = [NSKeyedUnarchiver unarchiveObjectWithData:dataRepresentingSavedArray];
if (oldSavedArray != nil) {
theInternArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray:oldSavedArray];
return self;
}
else
theInternArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:200];
return self;
}
many thanks to ManOx which helped me a lot