I have a .txt file (in plain text format) and I would like to integrate this into a iOS app I am starting to write. The info in the text file must be searchable by the app. Is there a way to do this? If so, what would be best way to do so? Or would I need to add this text file into ViewController.m in code instead?
You will need to add the txt file to your project and then read it into memory. Here is one way to read the entire contents into memory at once:
NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"yourTextFile"
ofType:#"txt"];
NSError *error = nil;
NSString *data = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:path
encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding
error:&error];
if (error) {
// handle the error condition
} else {
// continue your processing
}
Related
I'm developing an App that Loads database of Airports.
I put the database ".JSON" File in my Application in Xcode.
Everything's working well, except a Very long time to load the database.
I used this way to get an array from the JSON File.
-(void)readDataFromFile
{
NSString * filePath =[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"airports" ofType:#"json"];
NSError * error;
NSString* fileContents =[NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:filePath encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error];
if(error)
{
NSLog(#"Error reading file: %#",error.localizedDescription);
}
self.airports = (NSArray *)[NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:[fileContents dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding] options:0 error:NULL];
NSLog(#"%#",self.airports);
}
MY QUESTION
How can I move this time of wait when the application load?
In Small Words I need to load the database at the Start up !
The earliest time to do this is in the application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions method in your app delegate class.
I have the following method that is meant to get all the words contained in text file and add them to an array. I think the problem is where my .txt file is located. I am adding it into the project explorer right next to the classes. I have read elsewhere that it is meant to go in your Resource folder, however I think newer versions of XCode no longer creates a resource folder for you. Regardless here is my method:
-(void) getWords
{
NSString *filePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"WordList" ofType:#"txt"];
NSString *wordFile = [[NSString alloc] initWithContentsOfFile:filePath encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:nil];
NSArray* words = [wordFile componentsSeparatedByString:#"\n"];
NSLog(#"Found %lu words", (unsigned long)[words count]);
}
Could someone help me get this method to find my file? Where can I put the .txt file? Thanks.
I've made an app that is relying on reading and writing a plist-file. This works well when I'm running the app in the iPhone simulator, but doesn't work at all when I'm testing it on my iPhone. I've also made a pre made text file in .txt format with demo data. The app works when I'm running this file.
All the reading and writing is done in a class that looks like this:
-(void)saveArray:(NSMutableArray *)inputArray
{
albumArray = inputArray;
NSArray *path = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentFolder = [path objectAtIndex:0];
NSString *filePath = [documentFolder stringByAppendingFormat:#"albums.plist"];
[albumArray writeToFile:filePath atomically:YES];
}
Update: Changed the string from "stringByAppendingFormat" to "stringByAppendingPathComponent" and it seems to work now. Thanks a lot! You guys made my day made.
Are you sure, that the folders already exist?
Here is a function i'm using to get the path to my file:
- (NSString*) pathToSavedAlbums
{
NSURL *applicationSupportURL = [self applicationDataDirectory];
if (! [[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath:[applicationSupportURL path]])
{
NSError *error = nil;
[[NSFileManager defaultManager] createDirectoryAtPath:[applicationSupportURL path]
withIntermediateDirectories:YES
attributes:nil
error:&error];
if (error)
{
NSLog(#"error creating app support dir: %#", error);
}
}
NSString *path = [[applicationSupportURL path] stringByAppendingPathComponent:#"albums.plist"];
return path;
}
Check the spelling of the plist name as well as the case, device is case sensitive for docs but simulator isn't. Also try deleting the app from the device and reinstalling it ?
writeToFile:atomically: returns a bool, so check that to see if it fails to even write to the path. Check the file path string and ensure this is where you want it to go.
The example below should take a link from m3u playlist and add it to anArray. (So I will get the NSArray(NSMutableArray) with certain links in it)
NSString *fileContents = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:#"myfile.m3u" encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:NULL];
NSArray *lines = [fileContents componentsSeparatedByString:#"\n"];
NSLog (#"%#",lines);
All the time I had (null) in NSLog Message.
All the time when I try NSLog or if/else statement to check is there is link in array it gives me the null object in it.
After that I thought the problem was in m3u type and I've tried to change type in txt and read. (For those who don't know, M3U is just the text in UTF-8 encoding and the changing type should give the result)
Then I've tried the .txt files but it doesn't work too. So there is the code of it.
//Check if there is my file
NSString *addPath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"somefile" ofType:#"m3u" ];
if ([fileMgr fileExistsAtPath:addPath] ) {
NSLog(#"Yes.We see the file");
}
else {
NSLog(#"Nope there is no file");
}
//Rename
NSString *path1 = addPath;
NSString *theNewFilename = [path1 stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:#"m3u" withString:#"txt"];
NSLog(#"Renamed file adress is %#", theNewFilename);
//Check if there is our renamed file(file manager was allocated before)
NSString *addPath1 = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"somefile" ofType:#"txt" ];
if ([fileMgr fileExistsAtPath:addPath1] ) {
NSLog(#"Yes we had the renamed file");
}
else {
NSLog(#"No we don't");
}
Checking is there is m3u file worked fine. I had Addres to Renamed file too. But when it was checking is there is renamed file, there was no file (null in NSLog).
After all that stuff, and without any hope to reach my destination I've tried to read txt file line by line separated by /n with 5 links in it.
NSString *fileContents1 = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:#"myfile.txt" encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:NULL];
NSArray *lines1 = [fileContents1 componentsSeparatedByString:#"\n"];
NSLog (#"%#",fileContents1);
NSLog (#"%#",lines1);
Both Messages were NULL
One more thing all this stuff I tried to make in -(IBAction)fileRead { } linked to button
(Yes I've presed button every time to check my NSLog)Program was checked in iPhone Simulator. Will be glad if someone say what is the trouble. Also if there is easier way to make this with url. (Tried Couple times with NSUrl and had Nothing but null )
Just because you've changed the path doesn't mean that you've renamed/moved/copied an item, path is just a string. Use NSFileManager methods like
– moveItemAtURL:toURL:error: or
– moveItemAtPath:toPath:error:.
Also, NSString doesn't care about extension, so it's completely safe to read your m3u file to NSString, no need to rename it.
NSString *addPath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:#"somefile" ofType:#"m3u" ];
if ([fileMgr fileExistsAtPath:addPath] ) {
NSLog(#"Yes.We see the file");
NSString *fileContents1 = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:addPath encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:NULL];
NSArray *lines1 = [fileContents1 componentsSeparatedByString:#"\n"];
NSLog (#"%#",fileContents1);
NSLog (#"%#",lines1);
}
else {
NSLog(#"Nope there is no file");
}
I seem to have stumbled over a problem regarding saving an xml file from a string (this is done on the iPhone)
The file itself exists and included in the project (hence within the workspace), and all indications I get from the code snippet which follows passes without any errors on the emulator and fail on the iPhone (error 513), but in either case the file is not saved!
{
Hits = config->Hits;
NSString* filenameStr = [m_FileName stringByAppendingFormat: #".xml" ];
NSString* pData = [self getDataString]; // write xml format - checked out ok
NSError *error;
/* option 2 - does not work as well
NSBundle *mainBundle = [NSBundle mainBundle];
NSURL *xmlURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:[mainBundle pathForResource: m_FileName ofType: #"xml"]];
if(![pData writeToURL: xmlURL atomically: true encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error])
{
NSLog(#"Houston - we have a problem %s#\n",[error localizedFailureReason]);
return false;
}
*/
if(![pData writeToFile: filenameStr atomically: FALSE encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error])
{
NSLog(#"Houston - we have a problem %s#\n",[error localizedFailureReason]);
return false;
}
return true;
}
Any help would be appreciated,
-A
You should not write to files included in the application package. On a real iPhone, you may be prevented from doing this because these files are digitally signed.
Even if you can modify a packaged file, it is not a good place to store data. Re-installing the application from an App Store upgrade or an Xcode build will overwrite the file with the original.
Instead, store your XML into the Documents directory. You can get the path like this:
NSArray* paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory,
NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString* documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
NSString* leafname = [m_FileName stringByAppendingFormat: #".xml" ];
NSString* filenameStr = [documentsDirectory
stringByAppendingPathComponent:leafname];
If your file needs some initial state that you don't want to generate in your code, have your app check that it is present in the documents directory the first time it is needed and, if it is missing, copy it from the template in the package.
An alternative to storing structured data is to use user defaults. For example:
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setObject:foo forKey:FOO_KEY];