Possible to use two separate SQLite databases?

Question

I have one sqlite database in which I store both user-defined information and information which is read-only to the user. I feel like I may need to modify the read-only information in the future, and I don't want to have to do a whole data migration. Is there a way that I can use a separate sqlite database, which can easily be replaced, for the read-only information? If so, can you give a little direction as to how this can be done? I am confused since I currently have all entities on the xcdatamodel - would I create two data models? Not sure how that would work. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Partial answer from docs:

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/cocoa/Conceptual/CoreData/Articles/cdMOM.html

Configurations

A configuration has a name and an associated set of entities. The sets may overlap—that is, a given entity may appear in more than one configuration. You establish configurations programmatically using setEntities:forConfiguration: or using the Xcode data modeling tool (see Xcode Tools for Core Data), and retrieve the entities for a given configuration name using entitiesForConfiguration:.

You typically use configurations if you want to store different entities in different stores. A persistent store coordinator can only have one managed object model, so by default each store associated with a given coordinator must contain the same entities. To work around this restriction, you can create a model that contains the union of all the entities you want to use. You then create configurations in the model for each of the subsets of entities that you want to use. You can then use this model when you create a coordinator. When you add stores, you specify the different store attributes by configuration. When you are creating your configurations, though, remember that you cannot create cross-store relationships.

Then NSPersistentStoreCoordinator allows you to create multiple stores each with a different configuration.

Anyone have an example of how to do all of this?

Answer 2

Ok, I found out how to add another data model. File>New File>Iphone OS>Resource>Data Model. Moved my Entities to that Data Model. Compiled and seems to run, but with no data. Problem is, still have just one sqlite file. Need to find out how to use two, and associate each with appropriate model. Then, should be able to overwrite default sqlite file for new model on app update. BUT I will still have to do a migration, I think, since it will have created a sqlite file on the iPhone from the default file I specify. It shouldn't be a hard migration I hope since I won't have any user data in the file. Learning, but still, any further assistance appreciated.

Answer 3

You can actually use a single data model to accomplish this, however you'll need to manually (in code) assign entities to different NSPersistentStore instances, a little bit of code:

NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *coord = [[NSPersistentStoreCoordinator alloc] init];
NSPersistentStore *userStore = [coord addPersistentStoreWithType:NSSQLiteStore configuration:nil URL:someFileURL options:someoptions error:&error];
NSPersistentStore *otherStore = [coord addPersistentStoreWithType:NSSQLiteStore configuration:nil URL:someFileURL2 options:someoptions error:&error];

//Now you use the two separate stores through a managed object context that references the coordinator
NSManagedObjectContext *context = [[NSManagedObjectContext alloc] init];
[context setPersistentStoreCoordinator:coord];

NSManagedObject *userObject = [[NSManagedObject alloc] initWithEntity:entityDescFromModel insertIntoManagedObjectContext:context];
[context assignObject:userObject toPersistentStore:userStore];

NSManagedObject *otherObject = [[NSManagedObject alloc] initWithEntity:entityDescFromModel insertIntoManagedObjectContext:context];
[context assignObject:otherObject toPersistentStore:otherStore];

In this way you can always specify which store the objects are kept in. I don't think you'll have to do any extra work once the objects are in their respective stores, i.e. you should just be able to execute a fetch spec in the context that references the coordinator for both stores.

Answer 4

This doesn't work but please feel free to give feedback.

- (NSManagedObjectModel *)managedObjectModel {

    NSLog(@"%s", __FUNCTION__);
    if (managedObjectModel != nil) {
        return managedObjectModel;
    }
    //managedObjectModel = [[NSManagedObjectModel mergedModelFromBundles:nil] retain];

    NSString *mainPath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"MyApp" ofType:@"mom"];
    NSURL *mainMomURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:mainPath];
    managedObjectModel = [[NSManagedObjectModel alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:mainMomURL];

    [managedObjectModel setEntities:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:
                                          [[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Version"],
                                          [[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Book"],
                                          nil] forConfiguration:@"info"];

    [managedObjectModel setEntities:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:
                                          [[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Settings"],
                                          [[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Persons"],
                                          nil] forConfiguration:@"main"];

    return managedObjectModel;
}

and

- (NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *)persistentStoreCoordinator {

    NSLog(@"%s", __FUNCTION__);
    if (persistentStoreCoordinator != nil) {
        return persistentStoreCoordinator;
    }

    NSString *storePath = [[self applicationDocumentsDirectory] stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"Main.sqlite"];

    NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
    if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath:storePath]) {
        NSString *defaultStorePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"Default" ofType:@"sqlite"];
        if (defaultStorePath) {
            [fileManager copyItemAtPath:defaultStorePath toPath:storePath error:NULL];
        }
    }

    NSURL *storeUrl = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:storePath];
    NSDictionary *options = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:[NSNumber numberWithBool:YES], NSMigratePersistentStoresAutomaticallyOption, [NSNumber numberWithBool:YES], NSInferMappingModelAutomaticallyOption, nil];    


    NSString *infoStorePath = [[self applicationDocumentsDirectory] stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"Info.sqlite"];
    if (![fileManager fileExistsAtPath:infoStorePath]) {
        NSString *defaultInfoStorePath = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"DefaultInfo" ofType:@"sqlite"];
        if (defaultInfoStorePath) {
            [fileManager copyItemAtPath:defaultInfoStorePath toPath:infoStorePath error:NULL];
        }
    }

    NSURL *infoStoreUrl = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:infoStorePath];

    persistentStoreCoordinator = [[NSPersistentStoreCoordinator alloc] initWithManagedObjectModel: [self managedObjectModel]];
    //persistentStoreCoordinator = [[NSPersistentStoreCoordinator alloc] init]; 

    NSPersistentStore *mainStore = [persistentStoreCoordinator addPersistentStoreWithType:NSSQLiteStoreType configuration:@"main" URL:storeUrl options:options error:&error];
    NSPersistentStore *infoStore = [persistentStoreCoordinator addPersistentStoreWithType:NSSQLiteStoreType configuration:@"verses" URL:infoStoreUrl options:options error:&error];

    NSManagedObject *settingsEntity = [[NSManagedObject alloc] initWithEntity:[[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Settings"] insertIntoManagedObjectContext:self.managedObjectContext];
    [self.managedObjectContext assignObject:settingsEntity toPersistentStore:mainStore];

    NSManagedObject *persons = [[NSManagedObject alloc] initWithEntity:[[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Persons"] insertIntoManagedObjectContext:self.managedObjectContext];
    [self.managedObjectContext persons toPersistentStore:mainStore];

NSManagedObject *version = [[NSManagedObject alloc] initWithEntity:[[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Version"] insertIntoManagedObjectContext:self.managedObjectContext];
[self.managedObjectContext assignObject:version toPersistentStore:infoStore];

NSManagedObject *book = [[NSManagedObject alloc] initWithEntity:[[managedObjectModel entitiesByName] objectForKey:@"Book"] insertIntoManagedObjectContext:self.managedObjectContext];
[self.managedObjectContext assignObject:book toPersistentStore:infoStore];

and

- (NSManagedObjectContext *)managedObjectContext {

    NSLog(@"%s", __FUNCTION__);
    if (managedObjectContext != nil) {
        return managedObjectContext;
    }

    NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *coordinator = [self persistentStoreCoordinator];
    if (coordinator != nil) {
        managedObjectContext = [NSManagedObjectContext new];
        [managedObjectContext setPersistentStoreCoordinator: coordinator];
    }
    return managedObjectContext;
}

Answer 5

Well, here's what I ended up doing. Two managedObjectModels, two managedObjectContexts, two persistentStoreCoordinators, and hence, two persistent stores. All totally separate, which is fine, since there is no relationship between the data in the two stores at all. And here is the kicker as to why sqlite files get created with no entities and no data at all: before the entities even get created you need to execute at least one fetch request in the db. Who knew? Well, obviously, not me. Anyway, this works well for me, as I won't even have the second store ready until after the app is launched (it is for an additional feature). Now, when my data file is finally ready, I can just add the sqlite file, uncomment the code pertaining to it, and send the app to the app store. It won't touch the store with the user data in it. And, I am going to keep my read-only store in my bundle so no migration. How's that sound?