Question

i have a string declare as such

NSString *str = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"I require an average GPA of at least %.2f to achieve my Goal of %@ this semester - NTU GPA Calculator", pgagoal,(NSString *)[myPickerDelegate.myGoal objectAtIndex: [myPicker selectedRowInComponent:0]]];

i declared a global variable

NSStrinng *tweetString

and wants to copy the the string in str to tweetString. how should i copy it? since both are pointers, i tried:

tweetString = str;

or

tweetString = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", str];

but it doest work.

---

EDIT:
my code:

-(void)alertView:(UIAlertView *)alertView clickedButtonAtIndex:(NSInteger)buttonIndex1{
NSLog(@"buttonindex 1 clicked");

NSString *str2;
NSLog(@"tweetString before if: %@", tweetString);
if (pgagoal < 0) {
    NSString *str2 = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"Confirm, Guarantee, Chop and Stamp! I can achieve my Goal of %@ this semester - NTU GPA Calculator", (NSString *)[myPickerDelegate.myGoal objectAtIndex: [myPicker selectedRowInComponent:0]]];
    NSLog(@"tweetString: < 0 %@", str2);
}
else if (pgagoal > 5){
    NSString *str2 = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"Its impossible!, i need an average GPA of at least %.2f to achieve %@ this semester - NTU GPA Calculator", pgagoal,(NSString *)[myPickerDelegate.myGoal objectAtIndex: [myPicker selectedRowInComponent:0]]]; 
    NSLog(@"tweetString: >5 %@", str2);
}

else{
    NSString *str2 = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"I require an average GPA of at least %.2f to achieve my Goal of %@ this semester - NTU GPA Calculator", pgagoal,(NSString *)[myPickerDelegate.myGoal objectAtIndex: [myPicker selectedRowInComponent:0]]];
    NSLog(@"tweetString with else: %@", str2);
}

//did i update tweetString correctly?
tweetString = [NSString stringWithString:str2]; <-- stop working from this point EXC_BAD_ACCESS

NSLog(@"tweetString after if else: %@", tweetString);
[self sendEasyTweet:tweetString];
NSLog(@"tweetString: %@", tweetString);
[str2 release];
}

- (void)sendEasyTweet {    
// Set up the built-in twitter composition view controller.
TWTweetComposeViewController *tweetViewController = [[TWTweetComposeViewController alloc] init];


// Set the initial tweet text. See the framework for additional properties that can be set.
[tweetViewController setInitialText:tweetString];

// Create the completion handler block.
[tweetViewController setCompletionHandler:^(TWTweetComposeViewControllerResult result) {        
    switch (result) {
        case TWTweetComposeViewControllerResultCancelled:
            // The cancel button was tapped.
            NSLog(@"Tweet cancelled");
            break;
        case TWTweetComposeViewControllerResultDone:
            // The tweet was sent.
            NSLog(@"Tweet done");
            break;
        default:
            break;
    }

    // Dismiss the tweet composition view controller.
    [self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
}];

// Present the tweet composition view controller modally.
[self presentModalViewController:tweetViewController animated:YES];
}

EDIT2:
Debbuger output:

2011-12-29 09:54:22.963 GPA[487:707] buttonindex 1 clicked
2011-12-29 09:54:22.966 GPA[487:707] tweetString before if: NTU GPA Calculator <-- i init the string at viewDidLoad
2011-12-29 09:54:22.968 GPA[487:707] tweetString with else: I require an average GPA of at least 1.56 to achieve my Goal of Third Class Honors this semester - NTU GPA Calculator
(gdb)

EDIT3:
my tweetString is declared in view controller.h as

    @interface GPAMainViewController : UIViewController <GPAFlipsideViewControllerDelegate>{
UIPickerView * myPicker;
GPAAppDelegate * myPickerDelegate;
IBOutlet UITextField *txtGPA;
IBOutlet UITextField *txtTotalAU;
IBOutlet UITextField *txtRemainingAU;
double pgagoal;
NSString *tweetString;
}

@property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet UIPickerView * myPicker;
@property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet GPAAppDelegate *myPickerDelegate;
@property (nonatomic, retain) UITextField *txtGPA;
@property (nonatomic, retain) UITextField *txtTotalAU;
@property (nonatomic, retain) UITextField *txtRemainingAU;
@property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *tweetString;

-(IBAction)finishEditing:(id)sender;
-(IBAction)calculateGoal: (id) sender;
-(IBAction)showInfo:(id)sender;
-(IBAction)nextField:(id)sender;
-(IBAction)resetField:(id)sender;
-(void)sendEasyTweet:(id)sender;

Answer 1

The reason that it doesn’t work (it is probably crashing with an EXC_BAD_ACCESS) is because the scope of the variable str is only within the block in which it is declared, the block of the else part of your if/else statement. Try something like this:

-(void)alertView:(UIAlertView *)alertView clickedButtonAtIndex:(NSInteger)buttonIndex1 {
    NSString* str; //declare string here so it is in scope the entire method
    .
    . //your code
    .
    .

    if(yourConditionHere) {
        //make sure you initialize str here as well so if the else part of the statement
        // isn't executed, you aren't trying to access an uninitialized variable
    } else {
        str = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:@"I require an average GPA of at
            least %.2f to achieve my Goal of %@ this semester - NTU GPA Calculator", 
            pgagoal,(NSString *)[myPickerDelegate.myGoal objectAtIndex: [myPicker 
            selectedRowInComponent:0]]]; //give str a value

        NSLog(@"tweetString with else: %@", str);
    } //Variable str is going out of scope here the way you have your code set up now

    tweetString = [str copy];

    NSLog(@"tweetString after if else: %@", tweetString);
    [self sendEasyTweet:tweetString];
    NSLog(@"tweetString: %@", tweetString);
    [str release];
}