arrayWithFile returns count of 0 - objective-c

Question

I am writing an app that copies a plist into the docsdir and then reads it into a mutable array. The code below, however, returns a count of 0 for the array. The line with the dictionary log, however, returns the correct items. I have also verified that the file is being copied to the docsdir.
-(NSString *)docsDir {
return [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES) objectAtIndex:0];
}
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
[super viewDidLoad];
NSString *listPath = [[self docsDir]stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"list.plist"];
if (![[NSFileManager defaultManager]fileExistsAtPath:listPath]) {
[[NSFileManager defaultManager]copyItemAtPath:[[NSBundle mainBundle]pathForResource:#"list" ofType:#"plist"] toPath:listPath error:nil];
NSLog(#"Chicken");
}
NSLog(#"%#", [NSDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfFile:listPath]);
_array = [NSArray arrayWithContentsOfFile:listPath];
NSLog(#"Count: %i", [_array count]);
}
- (void)viewDidUnload
{
[super viewDidUnload];
/ / Release any retained subviews of the main view.
}
- (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
return (interfaceOrientation != UIInterfaceOrientationPortraitUpsideDown);
}

Answer 1

Usually this is because by default root element in plist files is a Dictionary.
Right click and select Open as Source Code, your file may look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>foo</key>
<array>
<string>foo1</string>
<string>foo2</string>
<string>foo3</string>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>
where the root element is a dict, change it to:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<array>
<string>foo1</string>
<string>foo2</string>
<string>foo3</string>
</array>
</plist>
where the root element is an array. You can now edit as usual.

Answer 2

Open the plist file with Xcode.
Just find the 'key' at the top left corner and Type of the plist.
Make sure the Type is Array.

Answer 3

I think your plist is a dictionary that contains an array.
Try this
NSDictionary *dict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithContentsOfFile:listPath]
NSArray *array = [dict objectForKey:#"key"];

Answer 4

Plists are usually saved a dictionaries:
Here's an example :
<dict>
<key>tiltingAnim</key>
<dict>
<key>filenamePrefix</key>
<string>radar_</string>
<key>delay</key>
<real>0.25</real>
<key>animationFrames</key>
<string>1,2,3,4,5,5,4,3,2,1,2,3,4,5</string>
</dict>
<key>takingAHitAnim</key>
<dict>
<key>filenamePrefix</key>
<string>radar_</string>
<key>delay</key>
<real>0.1</real>
<key>animationFrames</key>
<string>5,5,7,8,8</string>
</dict>
<key>blowingUpAnim</key>
<dict>
<key>filenamePrefix</key>
<string>radar_</string>
<key>delay</key>
<real>0.2</real>
<key>animationFrames</key>
<string>5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17</string>
</dict>
<key>transmittingAnim</key>
<dict>
<key>filenamePrefix</key>
<string>radar_</string>
<key>delay</key>
<real>0.3</real>
<key>animationFrames</key>
<string>5,6,5,6,5,6,5</string>
</dict>
</dict>
Now, there are 2 solutions to your question.
Either get the contents into a dictionary then take out the array for a specific key.
Open up the plist with a text editor and change the root key into then change root into . If your plist is static and in the bundle resources then you could do this but if it's a plist generated by your code then i wouldn't recommend this.