Reading text file with NSString:stringWithContentsOfFile?

Question

Reading text file with NSString:stringWithContentsOfFile?

NSString *txtFilePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"\help" ofType:@"txt"];
NSString *txtFileContents = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:txtFilePath encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:NULL];

NSLog(@"File:  %@",txtFileContents);

I get "null" as the result. How do I know what path to specify?

thanks

(I placed the file just under "Groups and Files" ... so not sure if I need to specify a path or just the file name. Maybe there is something else wrong ???

Answer 1

I think the backslash in your path is confusing things. Try this:

NSString *txtFilePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"/help" ofType:@"txt"];

Also, as noted in the comments, you need to use the Build Phase of your project to copy the "help.txt" file.

Answer 2

Try this. What you want is the path to help.txt but you have to split it up into its name and extension for the method to work.

NSString *txtFilePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: @"help" ofType: @"txt"];

It also wouldn't hurt to specify NULL instead of nil for the error argument. This is because nil represents objects whereas NULL represents pointers.

Answer 3

Here's a common file that I include in a ton of my projects (.h first, followed by .m):

I name this one FileHelpers.h:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

NSString *pathInDocumentDirectory(NSString *fileName);

I name this one (of course) FileHelpers.m:

#include "FileHelpers.h"

NSString *pathInDocumentDirectory(NSString *fileName)
{
    // Get list of document directories in sandbox
    NSArray *documentDirectories = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);

    // Get one and only one document directory from that list
    NSString *documentDirectory = [documentDirectories objectAtIndex:0];

    // Append passed in file name to that directory, return it
    return [documentDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:fileName];

} // pathInDocumentDirectory

As an aside, I have to admit that I didn't come up with this solution myself, but it's been so long that I've used it that I can't remember now where I got it. If anyone knows, please feel free to attribute the appropriate credit!