Question

I have the following method that uses blocks and completion handlers:

    // Returns YES if photo is stored in a virtual vacation.
- (BOOL) photoIsOnVacation
{
    __block BOOL photoOnFile = NO;

    // Identify the documents folder URL.
    NSFileManager *fileManager = [[NSFileManager alloc] init];
    NSError *errorForURLs      = nil;
    NSURL *documentsURL        = [fileManager URLForDirectory:NSDocumentDirectory
                                                     inDomain:NSUserDomainMask
                                            appropriateForURL:nil
                                                       create:NO
                                                        error:&errorForURLs];
    if (documentsURL == nil) {
        NSLog(@"Could not access documents directory\n%@", [errorForURLs localizedDescription]);
    } else {

        // Retrieve the vacation stores on file.
        NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:NSURLLocalizedNameKey, nil];
        NSArray *vacationURLs = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] contentsOfDirectoryAtURL:documentsURL
                                                              includingPropertiesForKeys:keys
                                                                                 options:NSDirectoryEnumerationSkipsHiddenFiles
                                                                                   error:nil];
        if (!vacationURLs) photoOnFile = NO;
        else {

            // Search each virtual vacation for the photo.
            for (NSURL *vacationURL in vacationURLs) {
                NSError *errorForName  = nil;
                NSString *vacationName = nil;
                [vacationURL getResourceValue:&vacationName forKey:NSURLNameKey error:&errorForName];
                [VacationHelper openVacationWithName:vacationName usingBlock:^(UIManagedDocument *vacationDocument) {
                    NSError *error              = nil;
                    NSManagedObjectContext *moc = vacationDocument.managedObjectContext;

                    // Build fetch request.
                    NSFetchRequest *request          = [NSFetchRequest fetchRequestWithEntityName:@"Photo"];
                    NSString *currentPhotoID         = [self.chosenPhoto objectForKey:FLICKR_PHOTO_ID];
                    request.predicate                = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:@"unique = %@", currentPhotoID];
                    NSSortDescriptor *sortDescriptor = [NSSortDescriptor sortDescriptorWithKey:@"unique" ascending:YES];
                    request.sortDescriptors          = [NSArray arrayWithObject:sortDescriptor];

                    // Execute fetch request.
                    NSArray *checkPhotos = [moc executeFetchRequest:request error:&error];
                    if (error) {
                        NSLog(@"Error searching for photo:%@",error);
                    } else {
                        Photo *checkPhoto = [checkPhotos lastObject];
                        if ([checkPhoto.unique isEqualToString:currentPhotoID]) photoOnFile = YES;
                    }
                }];
                if (photoOnFile) break;
            }
        }
    }
    return photoOnFile;
}

My problem is that photoOnFile is always false because execution reaches the return before the block that contains the fetch request. I’ve tried embedding the photoOnFile assignment within dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(),^{ but that hasn’t helped. Any guidance appreciated.

Update: here is the reworked code successfully incorporating Ken’s recommended solution:

    - (void)checkIfPhotoIsOnVacationAndDo:(void(^)(BOOL photoIsOnVacation))completionBlock
{
    __block BOOL photoIsOnVacation = NO;

    // Identify the documents folder URL.
    NSFileManager *fileManager = [[NSFileManager alloc] init];
    NSError *errorForURLs      = nil;
    NSURL *documentsURL        = [fileManager URLForDirectory:NSDocumentDirectory
                                                     inDomain:NSUserDomainMask
                                            appropriateForURL:nil
                                                       create:NO
                                                        error:&errorForURLs];
    if (documentsURL == nil) {
        NSLog(@"Could not access documents directory\n%@", [errorForURLs localizedDescription]);
    } else {

        // Retrieve the vacation stores on file.
        NSArray *keys = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:NSURLLocalizedNameKey, nil];
        NSArray *vacationURLs = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] contentsOfDirectoryAtURL:documentsURL
                                                              includingPropertiesForKeys:keys
                                                                                 options:NSDirectoryEnumerationSkipsHiddenFiles
                                                                                   error:nil];
        if (!vacationURLs) photoIsOnVacation = NO;
        else {

            // Search each virtual vacation for the photo.
            for (NSURL *vacationURL in vacationURLs) {
                NSError *errorForName  = nil;
                NSString *vacationName = nil;
                [vacationURL getResourceValue:&vacationName forKey:NSURLNameKey error:&errorForName];
                [VacationHelper openVacationWithName:vacationName usingBlock:^(UIManagedDocument *vacationDocument) {
                    NSError *error              = nil;
                    NSManagedObjectContext *moc = vacationDocument.managedObjectContext;

                    // Build fetch request.
                    NSFetchRequest *request          = [NSFetchRequest fetchRequestWithEntityName:@"Photo"];
                    NSString *currentPhotoID         = [self.chosenPhoto objectForKey:FLICKR_PHOTO_ID];
                    request.predicate                = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:@"unique = %@", currentPhotoID];
                    NSSortDescriptor *sortDescriptor = [NSSortDescriptor sortDescriptorWithKey:@"unique" ascending:YES];
                    request.sortDescriptors          = [NSArray arrayWithObject:sortDescriptor];

                    // Execute fetch request.
                    NSArray *checkPhotos = [moc executeFetchRequest:request error:&error];
                    if (error) {
                        NSLog(@"Error searching for photo:%@",error);
                    } else {
                        Photo *checkPhoto = [checkPhotos lastObject];
                        if ([checkPhoto.unique isEqualToString:currentPhotoID]) {
                            photoIsOnVacation = YES;
                            completionBlock(photoIsOnVacation);
                        }
                    }
                }];
                if (photoIsOnVacation) break;
            }
            completionBlock(photoIsOnVacation);
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

Asynchronicity tends to spread. Once you make an API asynchronous, all of its callers have to be redesigned to work asynchronously, too. Therefore, a method like your - (BOOL) photoIsOnVacation is untenable because its interface is synchronous – the caller expects to have an answer as soon as the call completes – but the implementation doesn’t work that way.

You have to redesign to something like - (void) checkIfPhotoIsOnVacationAndDo:(void(^)(BOOL photoIsOnVacation))block. That takes a block from the caller and invokes the block with the answer when it is known.