Write a complex array of custom structs to file Objective C -

i need save , load contents of array of structs, know objective c particular data types can read/write with.

here struct:

struct scourse  {     nsmutablearray* holes; // holds integers (pars)     nsstring*       name;     int             size;     bool            inuse;  };  @interface coursesmanager : nsobject {     struct scourse courses[5]; } 

what data types i'll need use? each have different methods needed in order read/write? i'm looking non-complex way data need , file. quite in language i'm more familiar (c++), of particulars of objective-c still lost on me.

edit: solution (thanks help, everyone)

-(void)applicationwillresignactive:(uiapplication *)application  {      // save courses     nsmutablearray* totalwritearray = [[nsmutablearray alloc] initwithcapacity:max_courses];      (int = 0; < max_courses; ++i)      {         struct scourse savecourse = [coursesmanager getcourseatindex:i];          nsnumber* ninuse = [nsnumber numberwithbool:savecourse.inuse];               nsnumber* nsize = [nsnumber numberwithint:savecourse.size];          nsmutablearray* writearray = [[nsmutablearray alloc] initwithcapacity:4];         [writearray addobject:ninuse];         [writearray addobject:nsize];         [writearray addobject:savecourse.name];         [writearray addobject:savecourse.holes];         [totalwritearray addobject:writearray];     }      [totalwritearray writetofile:[self savefilepath] atomically:yes];  } 

and loading in...

-(void)loadfile {      nsstring *mypath = [self savefilepath];     bool fileexists = [[nsfilemanager defaultmanager] fileexistsatpath:mypath];     if (fileexists) {         nsmutablearray* totalreadarray = [[nsmutablearray alloc] initwithcontentsoffile:[self savefilepath]];          (int = 0; < max_courses; ++i)          {             struct scourse loadcourse = [coursesmanager getcourseatindex:i];              nsmutablearray* loadarray = [totalreadarray objectatindex:i];              nsnumber* ninuse = [loadarray objectatindex:0];             loadcourse.inuse = [ninuse boolvalue];                         nsnumber* nsize = [loadarray objectatindex:1];             loadcourse.size = [nsize integervalue];              nsstring* inname = [loadarray objectatindex:2];             loadcourse.name = inname;              nsmutablearray* inholes = [loadarray objectatindex:3];             loadcourse.holes = inholes;              [coursesmanager replacecourseatindex:i with:loadcourse];         }     }  } 

first thing first. shouldn't use plain old c structures. arc memory management not appreciate.

if familiar c++, should maybe use c++ class instead, please compiler , runtime. depends on want do.

array. use either nsarray or std::vector please, no plain c arrays. not sure how arc handle suppose not appreciate much. objective-c , c++ both provides tools need handle collections of whatever.

serialization. have several possibilities, 1 of them nscoder.

last word, called modern syntax, converting things objc objects quite easy.

bool b = yes; int = 10; double d = 3.14; char* s = "pouf pouf"; 

you objc equivalents boxin' thingy:

nsnumber* bo = @( b ); nsnumber* io = @( ); nsnumber* = @( d ); nsstring* = @( s ); nsarray* ao = @[ @( ), ]; nsdictionary* = @{ @"num" : io, @"str" : @( s ) }; 

to write in file, in 1 gracious step:

[@{ @"bool" : bo, @"array" : @[ @"string", @10, @( 10 + 20 ) ] }     writetofile: @"path.plist" atomically: yes]; 

but question remains, trying accomplish?