managedObjectContext is nil

Question

I'm trying to add Core Data to an existing project. I've:

1)added the Core Data framework 2)added the accessors and properties to the AppDelegate 3)created the data model file

Now when I try to call NSManagedObjectContext *context = [self managedObjectContext]; from a view controller the context is nil and the managedObjectContext never fires.

Here is the AppDelegate:

#import "XXXAppDelegate.h"
#import <CoreData/CoreData.h>

@implementation XXXAppDelegate 

@synthesize window=_window;
@synthesize navigationController=_navigationController;
@synthesize managedObjectContext = _managedObjectContext;
@synthesize managedObjectModel = _managedObjectModel;
@synthesize persistentStoreCoordinator = _persistentStoreCoordinator;

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
    // Override point for customization after application launch.
    // Add the navigation controller's view to the window and display.
    self.window.rootViewController = self.navigationController;
    [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];

    return YES;
}

// Explicitly write Core Data accessors
- (NSManagedObjectContext *) managedObjectContext {
    if (managedObjectContext != nil) {
        return managedObjectContext;
    }
    NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *coordinator = [self persistentStoreCoordinator];
    if (coordinator != nil) {
        managedObjectContext = [[NSManagedObjectContext alloc] init];
        [managedObjectContext setPersistentStoreCoordinator: coordinator];
    }

    return managedObjectContext;
}

- (NSManagedObjectModel *)managedObjectModel {
    if (managedObjectModel != nil) {
        return managedObjectModel;
    }
    managedObjectModel = [NSManagedObjectModel mergedModelFromBundles:nil];

    return managedObjectModel;
}

- (NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *)persistentStoreCoordinator {
    if (persistentStoreCoordinator != nil) {
        return persistentStoreCoordinator;
    }
    NSURL *storeUrl = [NSURL fileURLWithPath: [[self applicationDocumentsDirectory]
                                               stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"<Project Name>.sqlite"]];
    NSError *error = nil;
    persistentStoreCoordinator = [[NSPersistentStoreCoordinator alloc]
                                  initWithManagedObjectModel:[self managedObjectModel]];
    if(![persistentStoreCoordinator addPersistentStoreWithType:NSSQLiteStoreType
                                                 configuration:nil URL:storeUrl options:nil error:&error]) {
        /*Error for store creation should be handled in here*/
    }

    return persistentStoreCoordinator;
}

- (NSString *)applicationDocumentsDirectory {
    return [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES) lastObject];
}

@end

EDIT: here is my view controller code

NSManagedObjectContext *context = [self managedObjectContext];
NSManagedObject *cardSet = [NSEntityDescription insertNewObjectForEntityForName:@"CardSet" inManagedObjectContext:context];
[cardSet setValue:@"Set 1" forKey:@"cardSetName"];

Answer 1

Try adding these condition to check if your managedObjectContext is nil or not wherever you want to use it. If its nil copy it from Appdelegate file.

 if (managedObjectContext == nil) 
 { 
    managedObjectContext = [(AppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate] managedObjectContext]; 
    NSLog(@"After managedObjectContext: %@",  managedObjectContext);
 }

Answer 2

Assuming your properties are declared... you are synthesizing them to ivars with an underscore in front. That's a good thing. However, the only place you want to access them with the underscore is in the implementation of the getter/setter for the property. Unfortunately, that's not happening in any of these. Change it to...

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

    return _managedObjectContext;
}

- (NSManagedObjectModel *)managedObjectModel {
    if (_managedObjectModel != nil) {
        return _managedObjectModel;
    }
    _managedObjectModel = [NSManagedObjectModel mergedModelFromBundles:nil];

    return _managedObjectModel;
}

- (NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *)persistentStoreCoordinator {
    if (_persistentStoreCoordinator != nil) {
        return _persistentStoreCoordinator;
    }
    NSURL *storeUrl = [NSURL fileURLWithPath: [[self applicationDocumentsDirectory]
                                               stringByAppendingPathComponent: @"<Project Name>.sqlite"]];
    NSError *error = nil;
    _persistentStoreCoordinator = [[NSPersistentStoreCoordinator alloc]
                                  initWithManagedObjectModel:[self managedObjectModel]];
    if(![_persistentStoreCoordinator addPersistentStoreWithType:NSSQLiteStoreType
                                                 configuration:nil URL:storeUrl options:nil error:&error]) {
        /*Error for store creation should be handled in here*/
    }

    return _persistentStoreCoordinator;
}

Answer 3

If you look at the Master-Detail Application template in Xcode you see they pass the ManagedObjectContext in the AppDelegate like this:

#import "AppDelegate.h"

#import "MasterViewController.h"

@implementation AppDelegate

@synthesize managedObjectContext = _managedObjectContext;
@synthesize managedObjectModel = _managedObjectModel;
@synthesize persistentStoreCoordinator = _persistentStoreCoordinator;

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
    // Override point for customization after application launch.
    UINavigationController *navigationController = (UINavigationController *)self.window.rootViewController;
    MasterViewController *controller = (MasterViewController *)navigationController.topViewController;
    NSLog(@"navigationController viewControllers: %@",[navigationController viewControllers]);
    NSLog(@"navigationController.topViewController: %@",navigationController.topViewController);

    controller.managedObjectContext = self.managedObjectContext;
    return YES;
}

If you need a TabBarViewController in front of your app the code looks like this:

#import "AppDelegate.h"

#import "MasterViewController.h"

@implementation AppDelegate

@synthesize managedObjectContext = _managedObjectContext;
@synthesize managedObjectModel = _managedObjectModel;
@synthesize persistentStoreCoordinator = _persistentStoreCoordinator;

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
    // Override point for customization after application launch.
    UITabBarController *tabController = (UITabBarController *)self.window.rootViewController;

    UINavigationController *navigationController = (UINavigationController *)[[tabController viewControllers] objectAtIndex:0];
    MasterViewController *controller = (MasterViewController *)[[navigationController viewControllers] objectAtIndex:0];
    controller.managedObjectContext = self.managedObjectContext;

    navigationController = (UINavigationController *)[[tabController viewControllers] objectAtIndex:1];
    controller = (MasterViewController *)[[navigationController viewControllers] objectAtIndex:0];
    controller.managedObjectContext = self.managedObjectContext;

    navigationController = (UINavigationController *)[[tabController viewControllers] objectAtIndex:2];
    controller = (MasterViewController *)[[navigationController viewControllers] objectAtIndex:0];
    controller.managedObjectContext = self.managedObjectContext;

    return YES;
}

Answer 4

I don't know how you got past without compiler errors, but your @synthesizes use underscore'd variables that your getters never access. Do it like this:

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

    return _managedObjectContext;
}

Take note of _managedObjectContext (with underscore). Do the same fixes with managedObjectModel and persistentStoreCoordinator.