CFStringGetCStringPtr returns NULL on iOS7 - ios7

I have the following code in my Application:
static void foo(CFStringRef str)
{
CFStringEncoding encoding = CFStringGetSystemEncoding();
const char * cString = CFStringGetCStringPtr(str, encoding);
//.....
}
It's been around since iOS 5, and always worked.
Since iOS 7 release, CFStringGetCStringPtr returns NULL.
Adding the following code, have solved it:
if (cString==NULL)
{
cString = [
((NSString *)str) cStringUsingEncoding:[NSString defaultCStringEncoding]
];
}
Still, I would like to know if anyone knows what causes the problem?

CFStringGetCStringPtr() isn't guaranteed to return non-NULL. From the docs (emphasis added):
Whether or not this function returns a valid pointer or NULL depends on many factors, all of which depend on how the string was created and its properties. In addition, the function result might change between different releases and on different platforms. So do not count on receiving a non-NULL result from this function under any circumstances.
Always have a fallback to CFStringGetCString(), but even better, use Objective-C and NSString's helper methods (e.g. UTF8String).

Related

Core Foundation: why LLVM analyzer report that caller doesn't own object created with *Create* function?

According to The Create Rule I have created my own "constructor" - CFStringCreateFromGoString. It contains "Create" in its name. I expect that if I call CFStringCreateFromGoString then I own returned object.
But according to LLVM static analyzer this is not entirely true and in some cases I receive warning Incorrect decrement of the reference count of an object that is not owned at this point by the caller - see 1.h. And in other cases where is no warning - see 2.h.
From common.h:
CFStringRef CFStringCreateFromGoString(_GoString_ str) {
return CFStringCreateWithBytes(NULL, (UInt8*)_GoStringPtr(str), (CFIndex)_GoStringLen(str), kCFStringEncodingUTF8, false);
}
From 1.h:
CGRect _GetTextLineGeometry(CGContextRef context, _GoString_ str, CTFontRef font) {
CFStringRef _str = CFStringCreateFromGoString(str);
CGRect r = GetTextLineGeometry(context, _str, font); // no warning if I remove this line
CFRelease(_str); // warning here
return r;
}
From 2.h:
CTFontRef _CreateFontFromFile(_GoString_ path, struct FontSpec spec) {
CFStringRef _path = CFStringCreateFromGoString(path);
CTFontRef r = CreateFontFromFile(_path, spec);
CFRelease(_path); // no warning
return r;
}
Can somebody explain the difference between 1.h and 2.h?
Update 0
Thx matt for comment.
The problem was at GetTextLineGeometry - this function by mistake performed CFRelease(_str). Now I have no warnings.
But I don't understand why warning was in _GetTextLineGeometry instead of GetTextLineGeometry?
The name component "Create" does not perform any magic; it is just a matter of convention. So, for that matter, is the concept of "ownership".
So forget about all that and just think about the retain count.
The static analyzer, unlike mere human beings like you and me, can see all your code, and can count. It is counting the retains and releases on this object. When we get to CFRelease(_str) in your first example, you have previously released this same object, causing its retain count to drop to zero; so at this point you are performing an overrelease. Thus the static analyzer flags you at this point.
Now let's go back and think about it again from the point of view of "ownership". Only the "owner" of something can release it; that is what "ownership" means. But the static analyzer is perfectly willing to let you transfer ownership, if you know what you're doing. So if you want to "take ownership" by releasing in GetTextLineGeometry, that's fine with the static analyzer. But when when we get to CFRelease(_str), that is a second "owner" — and that isn't cricket. Thus, again, the static analyzer flags you here.

Passing and recieving multi-dimensional primitive (int) arrays in objective-c

I have two objective c methods. One needs to return an int[][] and the other which needs to take int[][] as a parameter. I was originally using an NSMutableArray with NSMutableArrays as values however I was told to redo it like this in order to be compatible with some current code. I can't figure out how to make this work. I'm not sure I'm even googling the right thing. Anyway here is what I have now.
+(int [][consantValue]) getCoefficients
{
int coefficiennts [constantValue2][constantValue1] = { {0,1,2}, {3,4,5}, {6,7,8} };
return coefficients;
}
At the return statement I get the Error "Array initilizer must be an initializer list'
I also have to take the int[][] and rebuild it into an NSMutableArray of NSMutableArrays in another method but I'm hoping if someone can give me a hint on the first part I can work the second part out myself although if anyone has any advice on that I would appreciate it as well. Thanks.
The easy way to do this for fixed size array(s) is to use a struct for storage:
typedef struct {
int at[constantValue2][constantValue1];
} t_mon_coefficients;
And then you'd declare the method which returns by value:
+ (t_mon_coefficients)coefficients;
And passes by value as a parameter:
- (void)setCoefficients:(const t_mon_coefficients)pCoefficients;
If the struct is large, you should pass by reference:
// you'd use this like:
// t_mon_coefficients coef;
// [SomeClass getCoefficients:&coef];
+ (void)getCoefficients:(t_mon_coefficients* const)pOutCoefficients;
- (void)setCoefficients:(const t_mon_coefficients*)pCoefficients;
But there are multiple ways one could accomplish this.

Clang static analyzer warning "Null pointer argument in call to CFRelease"

In Xcode 4.6, the clang static analyzer warns me about a "Null pointer argument in call to CFRelease".
Here's a screenshot of the analyzer warning:
And here's the code in case you want to copy & paste it:
- (void)test
{
CFUUIDRef aUUID = CFUUIDCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault);
[self setUUID:aUUID];
CFRelease(aUUID);
}
- (void)setUUID:(CFUUIDRef)uuid
{
_uuid = uuid ? CFRetain(uuid) : CFUUIDCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault);
}
I don't understand why it is warning me. aUUID can never be a null pointer, can it? I've learnt to rather mistrust myself than the tools I'm using, so I'm asking here. I would be very glad if someone explained to me what I'm missing.
Anything returning an allocated value could, in theory, return NULL.
The analyzer follows multiple possible paths of execution. While following the "aUUID is NULL" scenario, it eventually ends up at the CFRelease of the NULL object.
It's not that setUUID is the cause, that's just the path along which the issue was spotted, so that's the path that's illustrated.

Find out how many arguments a block needs

Let's say I have an array containing Blocks, and I need to assert that all of them expect a given number of arguments.
Is there a way to find this out programmatically?
This is indeed possible, for any recent version of Clang.
The Apple ABI for Blocks is private but also published. Since that document tells us the layout the compiler will use for a Block object, we can duplicate that information in a header file and use it to access the components of a Block.
Mike Ash's MABlockForwarding project does just that (see also the article) -- much of the stuff at the top of this file is a copy-paste from the ABI doc. The thing that he created which we are interested in is the BlockSig() function:
static const char *BlockSig(id blockObj)
{
struct Block *block = (__bridge void *)blockObj;
struct BlockDescriptor *descriptor = block->descriptor;
assert(block->flags & BLOCK_HAS_SIGNATURE);
int index = 0;
if(block->flags & BLOCK_HAS_COPY_DISPOSE)
index += 2;
return descriptor->rest[index];
}
which will return (for Blocks that have it (which they all do with recent Clang)), a type encoding string describing the Block's return and argument types. From there, you can create an NSMethodSignature object, and ask it for its numberOfArguments:
NSString * (^block)(int, NSArray *) = ^NSString * (int i, NSArray * a){
return #"Oh, yeah!";
};
const char * types = BlockSig(block);
NSMethodSignature * sig = [NSMethodSignature signatureWithObjCTypes:types];
[sig numberOfArguments];
The result there is 3, because it includes a hidden argument for the Block itself (and Blocks don't use the hidden _cmd argument or it would be 4).
The answer is you cannot. See the comment on Mike Ash's page regarding this:
Search for Intropection which sends you here
So, what is your real problem? If you structure the arguments properly, you can insure that your system functions properly. For instance, you can do what C++ does with default values for arguments, and cast each block to a type that takes the max number of args, and always push that many items on the stack. Or you could always have the first argument be the number of arguments you are pushing on the stack. If you push objects and not numbers/pointers, then you r blocks can look at the class of each argument and dynamically adapt.

How to use System::Threading::Interlocked::Increment on a static variable from C++/CLI?

I would like to keep a static counter in a garbage collected class and increment it using Interlocked::Increment. What's the C++/CLI syntax to do this?
I've been trying variations on the following, but no luck so far:
ref class Foo
{
static __int64 _counter;
__int64 Next()
{
return System::Threading::Interlocked::Increment( &_counter );
}
};
You need to use a tracking reference to your _int64 value, using the % tracking reference notation:
ref class Bar
{
static __int64 _counter;
__int64 Next()
{
__int64 %trackRefCounter = _counter;
return System::Threading::Interlocked::Increment(trackRefCounter);
}
};
Just remove the address-of operator:
return System::Threading::Interlocked::Increment( _counter );
In C++/CLI, like C++, there is no special notation for passing by reference.
or you could use the native function, InterlockedIncrement64 (#include <windows.h>)
return ::InterlockedIncrement64(&_counter);
The suggestion to use the native functions/macros (i.e. InterlockedExchangePointer, etc... plus a lot of cool ones I didn't know about such as InterlockedXor64) is severely hampered by the fact that doing so can cause an intrinsic (at least with the default compiler settings) to be dropped into your managed C++/CLI function. When this happens, your whole function will be compiled as native.
And the managed versions of Interlocked::* are also nice because you don't have to pin_ptr if the target is in a GC object. However, as noted on this page, it can be a real pain to find the right incantations for getting it to work, especially when you want to swap, (i.e) native pointers themselves. Here's how:
int i1 = 1, i2 = 2;
int *pi1 = &i1, *pi2 = &i2, *pi3;
pi3 = (int*)Interlocked::Exchange((IntPtr%)pi1, IntPtr(pi2)).ToPointer();
I verified that this does work properly, despite the suspiciously unnerving lack of address-taking (&) on the pi1 pointer. But it makes sense, when you think about it because if the target is moving about in a GC host, you wouldn't want to do the usual ** thing by grabbing the & (native) address of the pointer itself.