How to work with Settings.bundle

Question

I'm developing an iOS app with latest SDK.

I have created a Settings.bundle with a Root.plist and another four .plist and every setting on these files have each default value.

This is the first time I work with Settings.bundle and I'm lost. I have found this question where they said that I have to read Settings.bundle defaults values every time I run the application and I don't understand why.

I think I have to continue using NSUserDefaults here to read settings values.

I have these questions:

How can I read the values set on these settings using Setting app?
How can I know if the user changes one or more of these values? The user makes the app to goes background, open Setting app and change something. How can I know that programmatically?
How can I save any modification (a change in a setting value) and see that change on Settings app?

By the way, now I have this code:

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
    // Override point for customization after application launch.

    // Set the application defaults
    NSUserDefaults *defaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
    if (![defaults boolForKey:@"firstRun"])
    {
        NSDictionary *appDefaults = [PreferenceDefaultValues dictionary];
        [defaults registerDefaults:appDefaults];

        [[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setBool:YES forKey:@"firstRun"];

        [defaults synchronize];
    }

    return YES;
}

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 11 '13 at 18:17

The identifier of any preference item in the Settings.bundle plist can be accessed with NSUserDefaults. For example, if you have a preference item with an identifier named allowDiagnostics, then you can access the value for that item with [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] boolForKey:@"allowDiagnostics"] (assuming that it was a BOOL item).
You can use the NSUserDefaultsDidChangeNotification to get notified of any changes to your preferences.
The same way you read them. To continue the example of 1, [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setBool:YES forKey:@"allowDiagnostics"]. Note though, that allowing the user to change options from multiple places (Settings.bundle and somewhere in your app), can be confusing to the user.

Thanks for your answer. Do I have to do `[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] registerDefaults:appDefaults];` every time my app starts? — VansFannel, Mar 12 '13 at 06:31
I usually put that line of code in my `applicationDidFinishLaunching:withOptions` — Scott Berrevoets, Mar 12 '13 at 16:26

How to work with Settings.bundle

1 Answers1