ios - delete single files that are downloaded into the documents directory

Question

Firstly = I apologize because I have already tried to ask this once before here

I am really struggling with this:

// Override to support editing the table view.
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView commitEditingStyle:(UITableViewCellEditingStyle)editingStyle forRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{    
    if (editingStyle == UITableViewCellEditingStyleDelete)
    {
        // Delete the row from the data source.


        [_mainTableView deleteRowsAtIndexPaths:[NSArray arrayWithObject:indexPath] withRowAnimation:UITableViewRowAnimationFade];
    }

}

By using the code above I know it is possible to delete an entry from an array that is displayed in a UITableView. However I am wanting to delete files form my Documents Directory that are downloaded by the user and no longer required.

Now I in the mean time and after more searching this code:

    NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *documentsDirectoryPath = [paths objectAtIndex:0];

NSString *file = [[NSString alloc] init];

for(int i=0; i<[paths count]; i++)
{
    file = [documentsDirectoryPath stringByAppendingFormat:@"/%@",_fileArray];
    NSLog(@"%@", file);
}

NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];
[fileManager removeItemAtPath:file error:NULL];

Allows me to list all the files that are in the array in my console and this code:

- (void)removeFile:(NSString*)fileName {

    NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];

    NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);

    NSString *documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];

    NSString *fullPath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@.mp3", fileName]];

    [fileManager removeItemAtPath: fullPath error:NULL];

    NSLog(@"image removed");

}

together with: [self removeFile: _filename]; allows me to delete a specific file.

so I am making head way. But I am really stuck when it comes to a user being able to swipe and delete a file. Of Course I do not know what file is going to be in the directory.

Secondly - How do I handle being able to load the tableView once all the files are deleted? If I do that using this code:

NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
if ([paths count] > 0)
{
    NSLog(@"Path: %@", [paths objectAtIndex:0]);

    NSError *error = nil;
    NSFileManager *fileManager = [NSFileManager defaultManager];

    // Remove Documents directory and all the files
    BOOL deleted = [fileManager removeItemAtPath:[paths objectAtIndex:0] error:&error];


}

I get the an termination error - I think that is because the directory has also been removed.

I know there is a bit of code here, but I really hope someone and guide me through this:-)

Answer 1

If i correctly understood, you want step by step guide. Lets consider that you have a working UITableView (mainTableView) that take data from NSMutableArray (mainArray).

This will return document directory path.

-(NSString*)filePath{
NSString *path=[NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES)lastObject];

NSLog(@"%@",path);
return path;
}

Somewhere we need to init array ,i did it on viewDidLoad.

 - (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];

    mainDataArray=[[NSMutableArray alloc]init];
    [self loadContentsOfDirectory:[self filePath]];
}

//here i am  adding names of files from documents directory
-(void)loadContentsOfDirectory:(NSString*)path
{
    NSError *error=nil;
    NSArray *pathArray=[[NSFileManager defaultManager]contentsOfDirectoryAtPath:path error:&error];

   if (error) {
       NSLog(@"ERROR: %@",error);
   }else{
       if (pathArray) {
           [mainDataArray removeAllObjects];
           [mainDataArray addObjectsFromArray:pathArray];
       }
   }
}

#pragma mark UITableView_Methods

//delete file then if file is deleted , remove filename from array and remove cell
-(void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView commitEditingStyle:(UITableViewCellEditingStyle)editingStyle forRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath{
    if (editingStyle == UITableViewCellEditingStyleDelete)
    {
       NSString *fileName=[mainDataArray objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];

       NSError *error=nil;
       NSString *pathToDelete=[[self filePath]stringByAppendingPathComponent:fileName];
       BOOL succes=[[NSFileManager defaultManager]removeItemAtPath:pathToDelete error:&error];

       if (error) {
           NSLog(@"ERROR: %@",error);
       }

       // if file is succes deleted
       if (succes) {
           //remove this item from array 
           [mainDataArray removeObject:fileName];
           //and remove cell 
           [tableView deleteRowsAtIndexPaths:[NSArray arrayWithObject:indexPath] withRowAnimation:UITableViewRowAnimationLeft];
       }else{
            UIAlertView *alertView=[[UIAlertView alloc]initWithTitle:@"Alert!" message:@"File can not be deleted" delegate:nil cancelButtonTitle:@"OK" otherButtonTitles: nil];
           [alertView show];
       }
   }
}

- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section{
   return [mainDataArray count];
 }

 - (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath{
    static NSString *reusableCell=@"cell";

    UITableViewCell *cell=[tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:reusableCell];
    if (cell==nil) {
        cell=[[UITableViewCell alloc]initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:reusableCell];
    }
    cell.textLabel.text=[mainDataArray objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];

   return cell;
 }

I think your error is that you do not remove something maybe cell, object in array. Hope this will help.