I have a large import task I need to do with core data.
Let say my core data model look like this:
Car
----
identifier
type
I fetch a list of car info JSON from my server and then I want to sync it with my core data Car
object, meaning:
If its a new car -> create a new Core Data Car
object from the new info.
If the car already exists -> update the Core Data Car
object.
So I want to do this import in background without blocking the UI and while the use scrolls a cars table view that present all the cars.
Currently I'm doing something like this:
// create background context
NSManagedObjectContext *bgContext = [[NSManagedObjectContext alloc]initWithConcurrencyType:NSPrivateQueueConcurrencyType];
[bgContext setParentContext:self.mainContext];
[bgContext performBlock:^{
NSArray *newCarsInfo = [self fetchNewCarInfoFromServer];
// import the new data to Core Data...
// I'm trying to do an efficient import here,
// with few fetches as I can, and in batches
for (... num of batches ...) {
// do batch import...
// save bg context in the end of each batch
[bgContext save:&error];
}
// when all import batches are over I call save on the main context
// save
NSError *error = nil;
[self.mainContext save:&error];
}];
But I'm not really sure I'm doing the right thing here, for example:
Is it ok that I use setParentContext
?
I saw some examples that use it like this, but I saw other examples that don't call setParentContext
, instead they do something like this:
NSManagedObjectContext *bgContext = [[NSManagedObjectContext alloc] initWithConcurrencyType:NSPrivateQueueConcurrencyType];
bgContext.persistentStoreCoordinator = self.mainContext.persistentStoreCoordinator;
bgContext.undoManager = nil;
Another thing that I'm not sure is when to call save on the main context, In my example I just call save in the end of the import, but I saw examples that uses:
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserverForName:NSManagedObjectContextDidSaveNotification object:nil queue:nil usingBlock:^(NSNotification* note) {
NSManagedObjectContext *moc = self.managedObjectContext;
if (note.object != moc) {
[moc performBlock:^(){
[moc mergeChangesFromContextDidSaveNotification:note];
}];
}
}];
As I mention before, I want the user to be able to interact with the data while updating, so what if I the user change a car type while the import change the same car, is the way I wrote it safe?
UPDATE:
Thanks to @TheBasicMind great explanation I'm trying to implement option A, so my code looks something like:
This is the Core Data configuration in AppDelegate:
AppDelegate.m
#pragma mark - Core Data stack
- (void)saveContext {
NSError *error = nil;
NSManagedObjectContext *managedObjectContext = self.managedObjectContext;
if (managedObjectContext != nil) {
if ([managedObjectContext hasChanges] && ![managedObjectContext save:&error]) {
DDLogError(@"Unresolved error %@, %@", error, [error userInfo]);
abort();
}
}
}
// main
- (NSManagedObjectContext *)managedObjectContext {
if (_managedObjectContext != nil) {
return _managedObjectContext;
}
_managedObjectContext = [[NSManagedObjectContext alloc] initWithConcurrencyType:NSMainQueueConcurrencyType];
_managedObjectContext.parentContext = [self saveManagedObjectContext];
return _managedObjectContext;
}
// save context, parent of main context
- (NSManagedObjectContext *)saveManagedObjectContext {
if (_writerManagedObjectContext != nil) {
return _writerManagedObjectContext;
}
NSPersistentStoreCoordinator *coordinator = [self persistentStoreCoordinator];
if (coordinator != nil) {
_writerManagedObjectContext = [[NSManagedObjectContext alloc] initWithConcurrencyType:NSPrivateQueueConcurrencyType];
[_writerManagedObjectContext setPersistentStoreCoordinator:coordinator];
}
return _writerManagedObjectContext;
}
And this is how my import method looks like now:
- (void)import {
NSManagedObjectContext *saveObjectContext = [AppDelegate saveManagedObjectContext];
// create background context
NSManagedObjectContext *bgContext = [[NSManagedObjectContext alloc]initWithConcurrencyType:NSPrivateQueueConcurrencyType];
bgContext.parentContext = saveObjectContext;
[bgContext performBlock:^{
NSArray *newCarsInfo = [self fetchNewCarInfoFromServer];
// import the new data to Core Data...
// I'm trying to do an efficient import here,
// with few fetches as I can, and in batches
for (... num of batches ...) {
// do batch import...
// save bg context in the end of each batch
[bgContext save:&error];
}
// no call here for main save...
// instead use NSManagedObjectContextDidSaveNotification to merge changes
}];
}
And I also have the following observer:
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserverForName:NSManagedObjectContextDidSaveNotification object:nil queue:nil usingBlock:^(NSNotification* note) {
NSManagedObjectContext *mainContext = self.managedObjectContext;
NSManagedObjectContext *otherMoc = note.object;
if (otherMoc.persistentStoreCoordinator == mainContext.persistentStoreCoordinator) {
if (otherMoc != mainContext) {
[mainContext performBlock:^(){
[mainContext mergeChangesFromContextDidSaveNotification:note];
}];
}
}
}];