ios - Objective C variable being set to null -

so having problem variable in code becoming null after being set non null value. variable set here:

mklocalsearchcompletionhandler completionhandler = ^(mklocalsearchresponse *response, nserror *error) {      self.places = [response mapitems]; }; 

when call self.places outsides code snippet, self.places null. suggestions?

here's class (i took out methods brevity):

#import "addfencecontroller.h" #import "placeannotation.h"  @interface addfencecontroller () <uisearchbardelegate, uisearchcontrollerdelegate, cllocationmanagerdelegate, mkmapviewdelegate>  @property (nonatomic, strong) cllocationmanager *locationmanager; @property (nonatomic, strong) nsmutablearray *locations;  @property (nonatomic, strong) uisearchcontroller *searchcontroller; @property (nonatomic, strong) mklocalsearchrequest *localsearchrequest; @property (nonatomic, strong) mklocalsearch *localsearch; @property cllocationcoordinate2d coords; @property (nonatomic, strong) placeannotation *annotation;  @property (nonatomic, strong) nsarray *places;  @end  @implementation addfencecontroller { }  @synthesize latitude; @synthesize longitude; @synthesize region; @synthesize radius; @synthesize geofence; @synthesize places;  - (void)viewdidload {     [self.ibsearchbar setdelegate:self];      self.latitude = [self.geofence latitude];     self.longitude = [self.geofence longitude];     self.radius = [self.geofence radius]; }  - (void)startsearch:(nsstring *)searchstring {     if (self.localsearch.searching)     {         [self.localsearch cancel];     }      mklocalsearchrequest *request = [[mklocalsearchrequest alloc] init];      request.naturallanguagequery = searchstring;      mklocalsearchcompletionhandler completionhandler = ^(mklocalsearchresponse *response, nserror *error)     {         if (error != nil)         {             nsstring *errorstr = [[error userinfo] valueforkey:nslocalizeddescriptionkey];             uialertview *alert = [[uialertview alloc] initwithtitle:@"could not find places"                                                             message:errorstr                                                            delegate:nil                                                   cancelbuttontitle:@"ok"                                                   otherbuttontitles:nil];             [alert show];         }         else         {             self.places = [response mapitems];         }         [uiapplication sharedapplication].networkactivityindicatorvisible = no;     };      if (self.localsearch != nil)     {         self.localsearch = nil;     }     self.localsearch = [[mklocalsearch alloc] initwithrequest:request];      [self.localsearch startwithcompletionhandler:completionhandler];     [uiapplication sharedapplication].networkactivityindicatorvisible = yes;     self.region = [self setupgeofence:self.geofence.latitude.doublevalue:self.geofence.longitude.doublevalue]; }  - (void)searchbarsearchbuttonclicked:(uisearchbar *)searchbar {     [searchbar resignfirstresponder];     [self startsearch:self.ibsearchbar.text];      mkmapitem *mapitem = [self.places objectatindex:0];     self.latitude = [nsnumber numberwithdouble:mapitem.placemark.coordinate.latitude];     self.longitude = [nsnumber numberwithdouble:mapitem.placemark.coordinate.longitude];     [self.ibmapview setusertrackingmode:mkusertrackingmodenone];   ....  }  ....  @end 

there problem flow of program: when call

[self startsearch:self.ibsearchbar.text]; 

you kick off search, , return right away. access self.places in next statement, i.e. here

mkmapitem *mapitem = [self.places objectatindex:0]; 

because search did not have opportunity return!

a proper way handle add method class handles search completion, , call after setting self.places:

// make change in asynchronous handler: if (error != nil) {     ....     [alert show]; } else {     self.places = [response mapitems];     // add line     [self searchbarsearchcompleted]; } .... // add method class - (void)searchbarsearchcompleted {     mkmapitem *mapitem = [self.places objectatindex:0];     self.latitude = [nsnumber numberwithdouble:mapitem.placemark.coordinate.latitude];     self.longitude = [nsnumber numberwithdouble:mapitem.placemark.coordinate.longitude];     [self.ibmapview setusertrackingmode:mkusertrackingmodenone];     .... } 

this splits searchbarsearchbuttonclicked: method "before" , "after" parts. "before" part remains same - tells startsearch: initiate search.

the "after" part gets moved separate method. takes on when search complete. if not need places outside of searchbarsearchcompleted, may eliminate variable altogether, , pass array parameter.