Question

I have a previously created Sqlite database file that I am bundling with an iOS application. My question is what is the best way to write this data to the phone so that I may alter the tables from the application there on?

My research indicates that I may need to loop through the entire .sql file and insert/create the necessary tables and values on the phone manually.

Is there no way to just write the database to internal storage and then manipulate it from then on?

Answer 1

You can add it to your supporting files in the project and then copy the file as a template db if it doesn’t exist and then open it. Once you open it you can do what you want with it.

Here’s some sample code from a sample project I had that does this. In my sample it’s a contact database. Notice how ensurePrepared will copy it from the bundle if it doesn’t exist. I copy to library path but you can copy to documents path.

- (BOOL)ensureDatabaseOpen: (NSError **)error
{
    // already created db connection
    if (_contactDb != nil)
    {
        return YES;
    }

    NSLog(@">> ContactManager::ensureDatabaseOpen");    
    if (![self ensureDatabasePrepared:error])
    {
        return NO;
    }

    const char *dbpath = [_dbPath UTF8String]; 
    if (sqlite3_open(dbpath, &_contactDb) != SQLITE_OK &&
        error != nil)
    {
        *error = [[[NSError alloc] initWithDomain:@"ContactsManager" code:1000 userInfo:nil] autorelease];
        return NO;
    }

    NSLog(@"opened");

    return YES;
}

- (BOOL)ensureDatabasePrepared: (NSError **)error
{
    // already prepared
    if ((_dbPath != nil) &&
        ([[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath:_dbPath]))
    {
        return YES;
    }

    // db in main bundle - cant edit.  copy to library if !exist
    NSString *dbTemplatePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"contacts" ofType:@"db"];
    NSLog(@"%@", dbTemplatePath);

    NSString *libraryPath = [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSLibraryDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES) lastObject];
    _dbPath = [libraryPath stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"contacts.db"];

    NSLog(@"dbPath: %@", _dbPath);

    // copy db from template to library
    if (![[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath:_dbPath])
    {
        NSLog(@"db not exists");
        NSError *error = nil;
        if (![[NSFileManager defaultManager] copyItemAtPath:dbTemplatePath toPath:_dbPath error:&error])
        {
            return NO;
        }

        NSLog(@"copied");
    }    

    return YES;    
}