iOS Application Support Directory Exists on Devices by Default

iOS: Can't save file to 'Application Support' folder, but can to 'Documents'

Unlike the Documents directory, the Application Support directory does not exist in the app's sandbox by default. You need to create it before you can use it.

And a much simpler way to get a reference to the directory is:

NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSApplicationSupportDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *appSupportDirectory = paths.firstObject;

Programmatically get path to Application Support folder

This is outdated, for current best practice use FileManager.default.urls(for:in:) as in the comment by @andyvn22 below.

the Best practice is to use NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains with NSApplicationSupportDirectory as "long winded" as it may be.

Example:

NSArray *paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSApplicationSupportDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
NSString *applicationSupportDirectory = [paths firstObject];
NSLog(@"applicationSupportDirectory: '%@'", applicationSupportDirectory);

NSLog output:

applicationSupportDirectory: '/Volumes/User/me/Library/Application Support'

Create nested directory in Application Support in Swift

Please try this code, it's supposed to work.

It uses the API of FileManager to create the Application Support folder if it does not exist.

do {
    let applicationSupportFolderURL = try FileManager.default.url(for: .applicationSupportDirectory, in: .userDomainMask, appropriateFor: nil, create: true)
    let appName = Bundle.main.object(forInfoDictionaryKey: "CFBundleDisplayName") as! String
    let folder = applicationSupportFolderURL.appendingPathComponent("\(appName)/folder1", isDirectory: true)
    print("[ERR]: Folder location: \(folder.path)")
    if !FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: folder.path) {
        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: folder, withIntermediateDirectories: true, attributes: nil)
    }
} catch { print(error) }

Text File is not being created in applicationSupport folder in Swift

Apart from the wrong API absoluteString the application support folder might not exist.

This is more reliable

let string = "password"
let encrypted = string.toHexString()
let fileManager = FileManager.default
do {
    let applicationSupportDirectory = try fileManager.url(for: .applicationSupportDirectory, in: .userDomainMask, appropriateFor: nil, create: true)
    let fileUrl = applicationSupportDirectory.appendingPathComponent(self.filePin)
    let data = Data(encrypted.utf8)
    try data.write(to: fileUrl)
    print("The file was created")
} catch {
    print(error, "File was not created")
}

unable to write to a file in AplicationSupport directory

The problem is that writeToURL will not create any missing directories in the path for you. If you call:

NSError *error;
[sharedFM createDirectoryAtURL:appDirectory withIntermediateDirectories:NO attributes:nil error:&error];

this will create the directory.

One question, why are you adding the bundleIdentifier into the path? The app support directory you get is already private to your app's sandbox. If you don't add this then you don't need to create the directory.

Objective C documents directory keeps changing on device

If you are storing paths in persistent storage with the intent to use that path at some date in the future, you should store only the path relative to the app's Documents folder and then whenever you need to access that resource, get the Documents folder path at runtime and append your relative path of your resource.

As an aside, I only see this changing sandbox path behavior when I run my app via Xcode. If I run the app directly from my device, the path is unchanged. Regardless, I'd always be inclined to use relative paths rather than fixed paths. I would never assume that the sandbox path couldn't change (e.g., if app is backed up and restored later, I wouldn't assume that the paths are unchanged).

iPhone simulator folder not in Application Support

Xcode versions 3.x-5.x

Simulator usually is installed together with SDK so most probably you should look (e.g., if you installed Xcode 3.1 and SDK 4.3 in their default locations) within:

/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneSimulator.platform/Developer/Applications/iOS Simulator.app

Apps that are installed on your iPhone Simulator should be (if for example compiled for iOS 4.3) located in:

~/Library/Application Support/iPhone Simulator/4.3/Applications/[app GUID]

If you are looking for .sqlite database within Application, it should reside in:

~/Library/Application Support/iPhone Simulator/4.3/Applications/[app GUID]/Documents/[appname].sqlite 

Xcode 6

The simulator devices are located in:

~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/

so your application data (e.g. application database in app Document folder) will be in

~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices/[simulator device id]/data/Applications/[app GUID]/Documents/[appname.sqlite]

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