Can simply importing a header ever lead to run-time issues? - objective-c

I realize that doing this can lead to compile errors. But is an import always safe if no (new) compile errors or warnings arise? If I use an import statement (e.g. to remove duplicate protocol definition warning), could doing so, on it's own, ever change the run-time behavior? What checks (if any) are necessary to ensure invariability of operation after a new header import?

Yes, importing a header can lead to run-time issues.
For example, you may get a warning that a selector is unknown so the compiler is making assumptions about its signature. If you fix that warning by importing the relevant header, then that changes the code the compiler is emitting. Generally, it would change the code from broken to correct, but that nevertheless results in a run-time change.
If you use #import, then the header could define preprocessor macros that radically alter the subsequent code. For example, it could #define setNeedsDisplay setHidden or something.
The only way I can think of to verify that importing the header didn't alter the generated code is to examine the generated code and compare before and after. You can ask Xcode or clang to produce assembly from the compilation. You could also use otool -tV to disassemble the binaries (although that wouldn't show changes in, say, static data like strings).

Related

How to handle 'Object': ambiguous symbol in Visual Studio

I am creating a C++/CLI wrapper for native C code that has it's own Object typedef and am receiving the C2872 'Object': ambiguous symbol error when linking. The compiler output is:
1>C:\src\OS_kernel.h(27): error C2872: 'Object': ambiguous symbol
1>C:\src\OS_types.h(261): note: could be 'ObjectStruct *Object'
1>C:\src\OS_kernel.h(27): note: or 'System::Object'
It may be worth mentioning that I am mocking this native C code for the purposes of the C++/CLI wrapper; not sure if that opens up a potential solution that would otherwise not be available if no source code was available. I'm guessing there is a way to specify which definition I want the code to use, but I don't know how to specify that. Is that possible? I want to specify it to use the ObjectStruct *Object.
It would be great if I didn't have to modify the mock code since it could potentially be hundreds or thousands of individual places.
As an aside, I am also receiving this error for other types the native library is using, such as Buffer and Boolean.
OK, since you're getting the error in OS_kernel.h, I'm guessing that's part of the C code you're wrapping.
Obviously, one possible solution is to treat the name Object as a reserved word, and edit your C code to not use it. One could argue that this is the most correct solution, but it may not be possible to do that.
Depending on how you're referencing the C code, it may be reasonable to compile it as C++, and stick it entirely within a namespace. That way, when the C code (now C++ code) uses Object it will see the typedef within its namespace, and you'll have the option to reference either namespace in your code.
The fact that you're getting this error from your library's header file indicates to me that you've got a using namespace System; directive, and that the #include of your library's header files comes after that using directive. Consider removing the using namespace System;, or at least moving it after the #include. This way, you won't get that error in the library's headers, you'll just have to deal with it in your code.

use of undeclared identifier 'git_diff_perfdata' with libgit2

I'm trying to write some code that uses git_diff_perfdata from the Libgit2 library.
git_diff_perfdata s;
However, when compiling on my Mac I get the error:
use of undeclared identifier 'git_diff_perfdata'
My understanding is that Libgit2 is meant to be used exclusively through the inclusion of git2.h. Is that correct?
git_diff_perfdata is defined in sys/diff.h and used in status.h
Should I be including sys/diff.h directly. If so, why? Alternatively, what errors might I be making? Looking at the header code I'm unable to see how sys/diff.h is included through anything that is included by git2.h.
Additionally, from what I can tell git_diff_perfdata isn't meant to be an opaque data type (i.e. only the pointer is defined).
I'm using the code downloaded from:
https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/archive/v0.26.0.zip
The headers in sys are part of the public API, but they're a bit lower level. You can think of them as internal implementation details that have been made public because they might be useful to application developers. If you want to use them, include them directly.

Can not build thisJoinPoint lazily for this advice since it has no suitable guard

What is a "suitable guard" and what does it look like?
Linked this question because it refers to the same compiler message and the answer mentions a guard but not how to create one. Looked through the AspectJ docs but did not find and answer there.
This Lint warning is usually switched off in AJDT (AspectJ Development Tools) within Eclipse, but you can activate it as a warning or even error like this (I had to do it to actually see it at all when trying to reproduce your issue):
You can just ignore the Lint warning because basically it only says that there is no way for certain pointcuts to populate the thisJoinPoint object lazily during runtime because the pointcut has no dynamic component like if(), cflow() or similar, which is actually good news because it means that all your joinpoints can be determined statically during compile/weave time and are thus faster than dynamic pointcuts. On the other hand, the warning says that the tjp object always has to be created because for some reason it is also always needed during runtime and thus cannot be instantiated lazily.

Is there a way to get a warning if a specific member of an Obj-C class is never used?

I have a set of generated Objective-C classes with properties based on some input file. What I would like to achieve is that I see a warning if one of those properties is never referenced in my code, so I can get rid of the corresponding part in the input files.
Is there a clang attribute or similar that can achieve this?
Try the free version of FauxPas software. Is a code analyzer very good in addition to xcode and instruments. It will show you unused methods, unused imports, unused localized strings, and many other things. (I have nothing to do with this software)

Can VB.NET-specific warnings be suppressed by <SupressMessage>?

I would like to suppress some of these VB.NET warnings at class level. (=Not globally.) Supression is intended as temporary woarkaround until the code of some classes gets properly cleaned. There are hundreds of ID: 42016 (Option Strict On disallows implicit conversions from 'TypeA' to 'TypeB'.) warnings in legacy code, I cannot afford to fix them all right now.
I found that SuppressMessage attribute can be effectively used for the task but I cannot find proper argument values to supply to <SuppressMessage()> for warning 42016.
My question is: can be warning 42016 and other above referenced VB.NET-specific warnings suppressed by SuppressMessage attribute?
If you know there is no way of doing it, I will accept it as the answer, too.
Note: I know how to suppress them globally, this is not an option at the moment.
No, that does not get you anywhere. SuppressMessageAttribute is only used by code analysis (aka FxCop), the VB.NET compiler ignores it. And it is not a warning, it is a compile error. You can never ignore an error.
Option Strict can only be changed at file scope, there is no support for changing it on-the-fly. The only reasonable approach here is to tackle the borken source code one .vb file at a time. Not an unreasonable approach.