Cocoa KVC question: "class is not key value coding-compliant"

Question

I'm trying to update some properties with KVC. The properties have been synthesized.

This line works:

myObject.value = intValue;

This doesn't work:

[self setValue:[NSNumber numberWithInt:intValue] forKey:@"myObject.value"];

And blows up with: Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSUnknownKeyException', reason: '[ setValue:forUndefinedKey:]: this class is not key value coding-compliant for the key myObject.value.'

Yet further up the method (awakeFromNib) other instances of the same class respond fine to setValue:forKey: calls. The only difference is this particular instance was created and wired up in IB.

Answer 1

It's telling you that isn't a valid key for that object, and indeed it isn't: "myObject.value" is a keypath, not a single key.

Answer 2

I agree with Chuck.

I think you need to do this instead:

[self setValue:[NSNumber numberWithInt:intValue] forKeyPath:@"myObject.value"];

or via each part of the key path like:

id myObject = [self objectForKey:@"myObject"];
[myObject setValue:[NSNumber numberWithInt:intValue] forKey:@"value"];

Answer 3

You cannot pass a key path as the second argument to -[NSObject setValue:forKey:]. You want to use setValue:forKeyPath: instead:

[self setValue:[NSNumber numberWithInt:intValue] forKeyPath:@"myObject.value"];

My understanding is that setValue:forKey: is provided as a performance optimization. Since it cannot take a key path, it doesn't have to parse the key string.