iPhone sdk 4.1: Application CRASHES when i try to access a .plist file third time.

Question

I have a menu scene, help scene, settings scene and game scene. When i enter into game scene, it loads some data string from a .plist file into a NSMutableArray. I am doing this reading and loading procedure as follows-

+ (void) addObjectsToArray:(NSMutableArray*) mutableArray fromFile:(NSString*) filePath
{
    NSString *bundle = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath];

    NSString *path = [bundle stringByAppendingPathComponent:filePath];

    [mutableArray addObjectsFromArray: [NSMutableArray arrayWithContentsOfFile:path]];
    [bundle release];

}

I can get into the game scene and can back to menu scene from there. But when I try to get into the game scene forth time(menu scene to game then back to menu scene and go to game scene again and do), the app just crashes.

I have found the crash point(using NSLog)-

+ (void) addObjectsToArray:(NSMutableArray*) mutableArray fromFile:(NSString*) filePath
{
    NSString *bundle = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath];
    **NSLog(@"always reach here");**
    NSString *path = [bundle stringByAppendingPathComponent:filePath];**// CRASH POINT**
    **NSLog(@"Forth time, doesnt reach here");**

    [mutableArray addObjectsFromArray: [NSMutableArray arrayWithContentsOfFile:path]];
    [bundle release];

}

But why crashing i dont understand and found no solution yet.

Answer 1

Any stack trace?

Anyway try to wrap it into a try-catch. I always do this when handling files whether they are from bundle or downloaded.

@try {
    NSString *bundle = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath];

    NSString *path = [bundle stringByAppendingPathComponent:filePath];

    [mutableArray addObjectsFromArray: [NSMutableArray arrayWithContentsOfFile:path]];
    [bundle release];
}
@catch (NSException * e) {
    NSLog (@"exception: %@", exception);
}

My guess is that filePath is nil. Maybe try to NSLog(@"filePath: %@", filePath); in the beginning of (void) addObjectsToArray:(NSMutableArray*) mutableArray fromFile:(NSString*) filePath

Cheers mate.

Answer 2

I think you should not release bundle
"[[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath]" should return an autorelease object.

Then as you release it, its relain count should reached 0 at the 4rd time and crash the app

Answer 3

You must not release an object if you don't own it.
You are responsible for (auto)releasing an object only if you increased its retain-count. Either by calling retain explicitly or by calling methods with alloc, copy or new in the name.

Please read the Memory Managment Guide again

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Btw, if you run the analyzer (you can find it in the Build menu) it will point you at the exact line where you did something wrong.