Core Data : Apple's API for persisting data on Mac OS X

CORE DATA tells how to move from Core Data basics from Apple to advanced configurations, covering all aspects of a full-featured application based on the Mac OS X Core Data API. Chapters cover common applications, pros and cons, common pitfalls, and how to boost performance using Core Data on desktop and iPhone alike. Also included are numerous 'recipes' for unusual situations, making this a top reference for any in-depth computer library. Contents 5 Introduction 8 What Is Core Data? 9 In This Book 10 Acknowledgments 12 Getting Started with Core Data 14 Our Application 14 Our Application Design 15 Advanced Readers 16 Creating Our Xcode Project 16 Building the Data Model 16 Building the Controller Layer 22 Building the User Interface 25 Adding a Splash of Code 29 Core Data and Bindings 34 Key Value Coding 34 Key Value Observing 39 Cocoa Bindings and Core Data 40 Other Elements That Use KVO, KVC, and Core Data 44 Under the Hood of Core Data 51 NSManagedObject 52 NSFetchRequest 59 NSSortDescriptor 63 NSManagedObjectContext 64 NSManagedObjectModel 68 NSPersistentStoreCoordinator 69 Fetched Properties 71 Wrapping Up 72 Versioning and Migration 73 Some Maintenance Before We Migrate 74 A Simple Migration 76 Fundamentals of Core Data Versioning 82 A More Complex Migration 85 Automatic Data Migration 88 Manual Data Migration 90 Progressive Data Migration 90 Tips and Tricks 96 Performance Tuning 97 Persistent Store Types 97 Optimizing Your Data Model 99 Fetching 104 Faulting 108 Access Patterns 112 Spotlight, Quick Look, and Core Data 114 Integrating with Spotlight 116 Integrating with Quick Look 130 Putting It All Together 138 Taking It Further 139 Sync Services and Core Data 140 Sync Services Fundamentals 141 Updating Our Data Model 143 Creating the Sync Schema 146 Creating the Client Description File 149 Modifying the NSPersistentStoreCoordinator 151 Creating the Sync Helper 152 The Syncrospector 158 Wrapping Up 160 Multithreading and Core Data 162 Why Isn't Core Data Thread Safe? 162 Creating Multiple Contexts 163 Exporting Recipes 165 Importing Recipes 173 The Recursive Copy Reviewed 178 Wrapping Up 183 Core Data and iPhone 184 Similarities and Differences 184 Memory Management 190 Data Change Notifications 192 Recipes for the iPhone 195 Going Further 206 Recipe: Distributed Core Data 207 Building the Server 209 Building the Client 218 Testing the Networking Code 221 Wrapping Up 227 Recipe: Dynamic Parameters 228 Building the Xcode Example Project 230 The DocumentPreferences Object 230 Review 236 Index 238 A 238 B 238 C 238 D 239 E 240 F 240 G 241 H 241 I 241 K 241 L 241 M 241 N 242 O 243 P 244 Q 244 R 244 S 245 T 246 U 246 V 247 W 247 X 247 Z 247

Whether you are targeting Mac OS X or the iPhone, at some point your Cocoa application is probably going to need to persist data. You could struggle with SQLite, generate XML, or create your own binary format. Or, you can save time and energy by taking advantage of Apple's Core Data API instead.

Core Data makes it easy for you to work with object graphs and to persist data-but there are plenty of pitfalls and issues to watch out for. This book shows you everything from versioning to integrating with Quick Look, Sync Services, and Spotlight. You'll see how to boost performance and work in multithreaded applications. You'll work with Core Data on both the desktop and the iPhone.

By the end of Core Data, you'll have built a full-featured application, gained a complete understanding of Core Data, and learned how to integrate your application into OS X.

As an extra bonus, you'll see numerous recipes that are useful in unusual situations, or even in places where you wouldn't have thought to use the Core Data API before. It will become another indispensable tool in your kit.

Presents information on creating applications based on the Mac OS X Core Data APIs.