Cocoa [[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] iconForFile:filePath caused memory leaks - objective-c

Question

I am creating a cocoa application where i need to find out the icon images of file/directory. I am using this for getting icon image form the given path.
NSImage *image = [[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] iconForFile:path];
This method is called recessively in whole application. The allocated memory of the application is increased as much i use my app. Using instruments when i look for the memory leaks, i find out that the above method is responsible for the 100% memory leaks.
How can i remove this memory leaks, or is their any other way why which i can get icon image and memory will not be a problem.
Please help me someone.
Thanks
Edited:
This is the method from which i am calling this method.
-(WEFile *)fileAtPath:(NSString *)filePath
{
WEFile *file = [[WEFile alloc] init];
file.fIconImage = [workSpace iconForFile:filePath];
file.Name = [fileManager displayNameAtPath:filePath];
file.type = [workSpace localizedDescriptionForType:[workSpace typeOfFile:filePath error:&error]];
NSDictionary *detailDict = [fileManager attributesOfItemAtPath:filePath error:&error];
file.modificationDate = [ Utility createDateFormat:[detailDict objectForKey:NSFileModificationDate]];
file.creationDate = [ Utility createDateFormat:[detailDict objectForKey:NSFileCreationDate]];
file.Size = [[detailDict objectForKey:NSFileSize] integerValue];
file.fPath = filePath;
NSDictionary *metaDict = [self metadataForFileAtPath:filePath];
file.addedDate = [ Utility createDateFormat:[metaDict objectForKey:#"kMDItemDateAdded"]];
file.lastOpenedDate = [ Utility createDateFormat:[metaDict objectForKey:#"kMDItemLastUsedDate"]];
return [file autorelease];
}
The method fileAtPath is called recursively from another and the WEFile class objects are stored in a array. and display in a tableview.
EDIT 2: Here is the code from where i call fileAtPath method. And this method directoryAtPath is called when table selection passing path of directory as a parameter.
-(WEDirectory *)directoryAtPath:(NSString *)dirPath
{
WEDirectory *dir = [[[WEDirectory alloc] init] autorelease];
NSArray *childArray = [self getContentsWithinDirectory:dirPath];
if (childArray && [childArray count]>0)
{
for (int i = 0; i<[childArray count]; i++)
{
NSURL *fileURL = [childArray objectAtIndex:i];
NSString *filePath = [self getPathFromURL:fileURL];
filePath = [filePath stringByReplacingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
BOOL isDir;
BOOL success = [fileManager fileExistsAtPath:filePath isDirectory:&isDir];
if (!success)
{
continue;
}
if(isDir)
{
WEDirectory *childDir = [[WEDirectory alloc] init] ;
childDir.dIconImage = [workSpace iconForFile:filePath];
childDir.Name = [fileManager displayNameAtPath:filePath];
childDir.type = [workSpace localizedDescriptionForType:[workSpace typeOfFile:dirPath error:&error]];
NSDictionary *detailDict = [fileManager attributesOfItemAtPath:filePath error:&error];
childDir.modificationDate = [ Utility createDateFormat:[detailDict objectForKey:NSFileModificationDate]];
childDir.creationDate = [ Utility createDateFormat:[detailDict objectForKey:NSFileCreationDate]];
childDir.Size = [[detailDict objectForKey:NSFileSize]integerValue];
childDir.dPath = filePath;
[dir.childsArray addObject:childDir];
[childDir release];
}
else
{
WEFile *childFile = [self fileAtPath:filePath];
[dir.childsArray addObject:childFile];
}
}
}
return dir ;
}

Answer 1

This works without causing memory leaks in my code - checked it with Leaks/Allocations:
GAppSettings.h your WEFile-class
NSImage *gAppIcon;
#property (readwrite, retain) NSImage *gAppIcon;
*.m
#synthesize gAppIcon;
in ->init
gAppIcon = nil;
in -> dealloc
[ gAppIcon release];
I am also using for storing and restoring
->initWithCoder
self.gAppIcon = [ decoder decodeObjectForKey:#"gAppIcon"];
->encodeWithCoder
[ coder encodeObject: [ self gAppIcon] forKey: #"gAppIcon"];
and
- ( id ) copyWithZone: ( NSZone *)zone
{
return self;
}
The icon is loaded frequently in another class:
GAppSettings *appSettings = [ [ [GAppSettings alloc] init] autorelease];
...
NSImage *appIcon = [ [ NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] iconForFile:completeAppPath];
[ appSettings setGAppIcon:appIcon];
...
return appSettings;
Then added to an array...