An -observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context

Question

I am relatively new to KVO, so there is a good chance that I am violating some fundamental rule. I am using Core Data.

My app crashes with the following message: And what I can't understand is why a CGImage is getting involved in observing a value that is set on a MeasurementPointer object.

        *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException', reason: '<CGImage 0x276fc0>: An -observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context: message was received but not handled.
Key path: measurementDescriptor
Observed object: <MeasurementPointer: 0x8201640> (entity: MeasurementPointer; id: 0x8200410 <x-coredata://EBEE0687-D67D-4B03-8C95-F4C60CFDC20F/MeasurementPointer/p75> ; data: {
    measurementDescriptor = "0x260fd0 <x-coredata://EBEE0687-D67D-4B03-8C95-F4C60CFDC20F/MeasurementDescriptor/p22>";
})
Change: {
    kind = 1;
    new = "<MeasurementDescriptor: 0x262530> (entity: MeasurementDescriptor; id: 0x260fd0 <x-coredata://EBEE0687-D67D-4B03-8C95-F4C60CFDC20F/MeasurementDescriptor/p22> ; data: {\n    measurementName = Temperature;\n    measurementUnits = \"\\U00b0C\";\n    sortString = nil;\n})";
}
Context: 0x0'
*** Call stack at first throw:
(
    0   CoreFoundation                      0x30897ed3 __exceptionPreprocess + 114
    1   libobjc.A.dylib                     0x3002f811 objc_exception_throw + 24
    2   CoreFoundation                      0x30897d15 +[NSException raise:format:arguments:] + 68
    3   CoreFoundation                      0x30897d4f +[NSException raise:format:] + 34
    4   Foundation                          0x34a13779 -[NSObject(NSKeyValueObserving) observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context:] + 60
    5   Foundation                          0x349b6acd NSKeyValueNotifyObserver + 216
    6   Foundation                          0x349b6775 NSKeyValueDidChange + 236
    7   Foundation                          0x349ae489 -[NSObject(NSKeyValueObserverNotification) didChangeValueForKey:] + 76
    8   CoreData                            0x3165b577 _PF_ManagedObject_DidChangeValueForKeyIndex + 102
    9   CoreData                            0x3165ac51 _sharedIMPL_setvfk_core + 184
    10  CoreData                            0x3165dc83 _svfk_0 + 10
    11  SPARKvue                            0x000479f1 -[MeasurementViewController doneAction:] + 152
    12  CoreFoundation                      0x3083f719 -[NSObject(NSObject) performSelector:withObject:withObject:] + 24
    13  UIKit                               0x31eb1141 -[UIApplication sendAction:to:from:forEvent:] + 84
    14  UIKit                               0x31f08315 -[UIBarButtonItem(UIInternal) _sendAction:withEvent:] + 92
    15  CoreFoundation                      0x3083f719 -[NSObject(NSObject) performSelector:withObject:withObject:] + 24
    16  UIKit                               0x31eb1141 -[UIApplication sendAction:to:from:forEvent:] + 84
    17  UIKit                               0x31eb10e1 -[UIApplication sendAction:toTarget:fromSender:forEvent:] + 32
    18  UIKit                               0x31eb10b3 -[UIControl sendAction:to:forEvent:] + 38
    19  UIKit                               0x31eb0e05 -[UIControl(Internal) _sendActionsForEvents:withEvent:] + 356
    20  UIKit                               0x31eb1453 -[UIControl touchesEnded:withEvent:] + 342
    21  UIKit                               0x31eafddd -[UIWindow _sendTouchesForEvent:] + 368
    22  UIKit                               0x31eaf757 -[UIWindow sendEvent:] + 262
    23  UIKit                               0x31eaa9ff -[UIApplication sendEvent:] + 298
    24  UIKit                               0x31eaa337 _UIApplicationHandleEvent + 5110
    25  GraphicsServices                    0x31e4504b PurpleEventCallback + 666
    26  CoreFoundation                      0x3082cce3 __CFRUNLOOP_IS_CALLING_OUT_TO_A_SOURCE1_PERFORM_FUNCTION__ + 26
    27  CoreFoundation                      0x3082cca7 __CFRunLoopDoSource1 + 166
    28  CoreFoundation                      0x3081f56d __CFRunLoopRun + 520
    29  CoreFoundation                      0x3081f277 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 230
    30  CoreFoundation                      0x3081f17f CFRunLoopRunInMode + 58
    31  GraphicsServices                    0x31e445f3 GSEventRunModal + 114
    32  GraphicsServices                    0x31e4469f GSEventRun + 62
    33  UIKit                               0x31e51123 -[UIApplication _run] + 402
    34  UIKit                               0x31e4f12f UIApplicationMain + 670
    35  SPARKvue                            0x000031ff main + 70
    36  SPARKvue                            0x000031b4 start + 40
)
terminate called after throwing an instance of 'NSException'
Program received signal:  “SIGABRT”.

All that is happening to trigger this is:

[[self measurementPointer] setMeasurementDescriptor:descriptor];

Given this,

[[meterDisplay measurementPointer] addObserver:self 
            forKeyPath:@"measurementDescriptor"
            options:NSKeyValueObservingOptionNew
            context:nil];

Basically, MeasurementPointer objects point to MeasurementDescriptor objects - and both are NSManagedObject subclasses. MeasurementDescriptor objects describe a specific 'measurement' and 'unit' combination (e.g., "Temperature (°C)" or "Wind Speed (mph)"). MeasurementDescriptors are something like singletons to the extent that there is only one for each unique measurement-unit combo.

MeasurementPointers are referenced by other objects - both Model objects and Controller objects. A MeasurementPointer references a MeasurementDescriptor. Many objects are interested in knowing when a MeasurementPointer starts referencing a new/different MeasurementDescriptor. Such a change might cause a graph display's axis to change, for example. Or, in the code above, might cause a meter display to show a different sample (from a selected set of samples).

I think that fundamental problem is that a CGImage is receiving a message that is not intended for it... unfortunately, this is intermittent, so I have not been able to find a pattern that triggers it.

Answer 1

I had the same problem, but in my case I was observing a different context. Then I put all in the same context and the crash was gone. I hope this helps someone.

Answer 2

I ran into this problem by accidentally passing the target in as the observer (instead of self) like so:

[self.someView addObserver:self.someView forKeyPath:@"key" options:0 context:nil];

The error message was not at all helpful in identifying this so just thought I'd post in case anyone else does the same thing.

Answer 3

You have an object that got dealloc'ed and did not stop observing another object. Walk through all of your -addObserver... calls and make sure they are matched with -removeObserver... calls at least in the -dealloc and possibly in the -viewDidUnload depending on your application structure.

Answer 4

I saw this error when I sent the observeValueForKeyPath method to super, which I had not registered as an observer for the change. Apple docs say "Be sure to call the superclass's implementation [of observeValueForKeyPath] if it implements it."

My fix was to change:

- (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath
                      ofObject:(id)object
                        change:(NSDictionary *)change
                       context:(void *)context {
  if ([keyPath isEqualToString:kPropertyThatChanges]) {
    ...
  }
  [super observeValueForKeyPath:keyPath ofObject:object change:change context:context];
}

to:

- (void)observeValueForKeyPath:(NSString *)keyPath
                      ofObject:(id)object
                        change:(NSDictionary *)change
                       context:(void *)context {
  if ([keyPath isEqualToString:kPropertyThatChanges]) {
    ...
  }
}