TCBlobDownload

This library uses NSOperations to download big files (typically videos, music... well: BLOBs) using NSURLConnection in background threads.

Tested with files from ~150MB to ~1.2GB, mostly videos. It currently only supports ARC.

I've implemented TCBlobDownload which extends NSOperation and use TCBlobDownloadManager to execute it. You can set a delegate or use blocks (your choice) for each download to update your views etc…

Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

• Features
• Methods
• Usage
• Change Log
• Licence

======

Features

1. Download files in background threads.
2. Use blocks || delegate!
3. Pause and resume a download.
4. Set maximum number of concurrent downloads.
5. Custom download path and auto path creation.
6. [download cancelDownloadAndRemoveFile:BOOL]
7. Download dependencies.

Methods

TCBlobDownloadManager

- (TCBlobDownload *)startDownloadWithURL:(NSURL *)url
                downloadPath:(NSString *)customPathOrNil
                 andDelegate:(id<TCBlobDownloadDelegate>)delegateOrNil;

- (TCBlobDownload *)startDownloadWithURL:(NSURL *)url
                downloadPath:(NSString *)customPathOrNil
               firstResponse:(void (^)(NSURLResponse *response))firstResponseBlock
                    progress:(void (^)(float receivedLength, float totalLength))progressBlock
                       error:(void (^)(NSError *error))errorBlock
                    complete:(void (^)(BOOL downloadFinished, NSString *pathToFile))completeBlock;

- (void)startDownload:(TCBlobDownload *)blobDownload;

- (void)setDefaultDownloadDirectory:(NSString *)pathToDL;

- (void)setMaxConcurrentDownloads:(NSInteger)max;

- (NSUInteger)downloadCount;

- (void)cancelAllDownloadsAndRemoveFiles:(BOOL)remove;

TCBlobDownload

- (id)initWithUrl:(NSURL *)url
     downloadPath:(NSString *)pathToDL // cannot be nil
      andDelegate:(id<TCBlobDownloadDelegate>)delegateOrNil;

- (id)initWithUrl:(NSURL *)url
     downloadPath:(NSString *)pathToDL // cannot be nil
    firstResponse:(void (^)(NSURLResponse *response))firstResponseBlock
         progress:(void (^)(float receivedLength, float totalLength))progressBlock
            error:(void (^)(NSError *error))errorBlock
         complete:(void (^)(BOOL downloadFinished, NSString *pathToFile))completeBlock;

- (void)cancelDownloadAndRemoveFile:(BOOL)remove;

- (void)addDependentDownload:(TCBlobDownload *)blobDownload

Usage

Cocoapods

Add the following to your Podfile and run $ pod install:

pod 'TCBlobDownload'

If you don't have CocoaPods installed or integrated into your project, you can learn how to do so here.

Import as static library

1. Drag and drop TCBlobDownload.xcodeproj from Finder to your opened project.
2. Open your Project's Target -> Build Phases -> Target Dependencies and add TCBlobDownload. Then, click Link binary with libraries and add libTCBlobDownload.a (no worries if it's red).
3. Go to build settings, switch "always search user paths" to YES and add $(PROJECT_TEMP_DIR)/../UninstalledProducts/include to "User Header Search Paths".
4. Import in each file where you want to use the lib. (no worries if no autocomplete)

#import <TCBlobDownload/TCBlobDownloadManager.h>

1. Blocks

Blocks are cool. To immediately start a download in the default TCBlobDownloadManager directory (tmp/ by default):

#import "TCBlobDownloadManager.h"

TCBlobDownloadManager *sharedManager = [TCBlobDownloadManager sharedDownloadManager];

TCBlobDownload *downloader = [sharedManager startDownloadWithURL:@"http://give.me/abigfile.avi"
                       downloadPath:nil
                 firstResponse:^(NSURLResponse *response) {
		               // [response expectedContentLength]?
                 }
                 progress:^(float receivedLength, float totalLength){
                   // wow moving progress bar!
                 }
                 error:^(NSError *error){
                   // this not cool
                 }
                 complete:^(BOOL downloadFinished, NSString *pathToFile) {
									// okay
                 }];

If you set a customPath:

NSString *customPath = [NSTemporaryDirectory() stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"My/Custom/Path/"];

TCBlobDownload *downloader = [sharedManager startDownloadWithURL:@"http://give.me/abigfile.avi"
                  customPathOrNil:customPath // important
                      andDelegate:nil];

This will create the given path if needed and download the file in the Path/ directory. Remember that you should follow the iOS Data Storage Guidelines.

2. Delegate

You can either set a delegate which can implement those optional methods if delegates have your preference over blocks:

- (void)download:(TCBlobDownload *)blobDownload didReceiveFirstResponse:(NSURLResponse *)response
{
  // [response expectedContentLength]?
}

- (void)download:(TCBlobDownload *)blobDownload didReceiveData:(uint64_t)received onTotal:(uint64_t)total
{
  // wow moving progress bar! (bis)
}

- (void)download:(TCBlobDownload *)blobDownload didStopWithError:(NSError *)error
{
  // this is not cool
}

- (void)download:(TCBlobDownload *)blobDownload didFinishWithSucces:(BOOL)downloadFinished atPath:(NSString *)pathToFile
{
  // okay, okay
}

3. Other things you should know

Cool thing 1: If a download has been stopped and the local file has not been deleted, when you will restart the download to the same local path, the download will start where it has stopped using the HTTP Range=bytes header.

Cool thing 2: You can also set dependencies in your downloads using the addDependentDownload: method from TCBlobDownload. (See NSOperation Class Reference and the addDependency: method in particular.)

Change log

v1.4.0 (11/19/2013)

• Unit testing
• HTTP error status code handling #3
• Manager returns created downloads #5
• Cocoapods relase

v1.3.1 (6/01/2013)

• Bug fix

v1.3 (5/27/2013)

• Removed downloadCancelled and downloadFinished blocks
• Added a completion block : completeBlock(BOOL downloadFinished, NSString *pathToFile)
• Updated codestyle

v1.2 (5/06/2013)

• Now built as a static library
• Download dependencies support
• New block for download cancelled
• New block for first response
• Error localizations

v1.1 (4/26/2013)

• Blocks support
• Custom download path directory

v1.0 (4/18/2013)

• Initial release

Roadmap

If you have any idea or request, please suggest it! 😃

• Unit tests
• Cocoapod support
• Multi segmented downloads