Objective C class problem - objective-c

I have a problem with classes. This is my code:
self.shapeClass = [HWRectangle class];
if ([_shapeClass isKindOfClass:[HWRectangle class]]) {
NSLog(#"Class created as: %s", [_shapeClass description]);
}
I thought that the program will do the logging in this case, but it doesn't. Do you have any idea why not?

because: if ([_shapeClass isKindOfClass:[HWRectangle class]])
_shapeClass should be an instance of the class you are testing, unless you are really testing for class comparisons. So, this method is instance to class comparison, not class to class comparison.
For bonus points, your format string should be: NSLog(#"Class created as: %#", [_shapeClass description])
(unless you have overridden the NSObject method (which you should not do))

isKindOfClass checks the class of a variable. You say that shapeCalls = [HWRectangle class]. The result of [HWRectangle class] is of the class "Class". So if you compare this with the class of HWRectangle you will find that the two are not the same.

Related

How to specify the type of a Class type

I am currently trying to define a method, that takes a Class as argument, that is a subclass of a specific type. My current implementation is:
- (void)methodThatNeedsAClassOfSpecialTypeAsInput:(Class)inClass {}
Taking NSString as an example base class, I have tried NSString.Class and [NSString class] to specify the arguments class, but
- (void)methodThatNeedsAClassOfSpecialTypeAsInput:([NSString class])inClass { }
does not compile with Parse issue: Expected a type.
So the question is: is is possible to make an Class arguments type explicit?
Or in other words: I want my methods signatures semantic to say: I can take a NSString class, an only a NSString class as argument.
EDIT:
The answer is: No.
You almost had it:
[NSString class]
EDIT (after question updated):
This is how the method is defined and declared:
- (void)methodThatNeedsAClassOfSpecialTypeAsInput:(Class)inClass { }
But it is called like this:
[someObject methodThatNeedsAClassOfSpecialTypeAsInput:[NSString class]];
You got it wrong. Method declaration was right
- (void)methodThatNeedsAClassOfSpecialTypeAsInput:(Class)inClass;
Than, in place you call it
[obj methodThatNeedsAClassOfSpecialTypeAsInput:[NSString class]];
If, in implementation you need to be guarantee, that your inClass is NSString, you can use
if([inClass isSubclassOfClass:[NSString class]]) {
//Do whatever you need
}

My object's isKindOfClass executed with unexpected answer

I've been trying to get this script print out the one of the two types of object that was inserted. However, it always prints both types while only one thing is inserted. There are two classes, VKJItem and VKJBox. VKJBox is a subclass of VKJItem.
This is the main.m:
VKJBox *box1 = [[VKJBox alloc] init];
VKJBox *box2 = [[VKJBox alloc] init];
[box1 addItem:box2];
and this is the implementation of my VKJBox's addItem method:
if ([item isKindOfClass:[VKJBox class]]) {
NSLog(#"BOX");
}
if ([item isKindOfClass:[VKJItem class]]) {
NSLog(#"ITEM");
}
The problem is that the script prints both BOX and ITEM to the console.
VKJBox is a subclass of of VKJItem and therefore VKJBox is a kind of VKJItem and a kind of VKJBox.
-isKindOfClass: is used to determine whether an object is an instance of a class or an instance of a class which inherits from the class.
For example:
isKindOfClass[UIView class] will be true for UIImageView, UILabel, etc.
Use the -isMemberOfClass: to check if the object is an instance of the specified class exactly.
On of your Classes must be a subclass of Other.
isKindClass:
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the receiver is an instance of given class or an instance of any class that inherits from that class.
isMemberOfClass:
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the receiver is an instance of a given class.
You need to use isMemberOfClass
Source

Get data type of variable

#interface testing
#property NSString *email;
#property NSString *password;
#end
In another class , how to get data type of email, or password without defined the email and password.
NSArray *keys=[[NSArray alloc] init];
[keys addObject:#"email"];
testing *detail=[[testing alloc]init];
if([[detail valueForKey:keys[0]] isKindOfClass:[NSString class]])
{ NSLog("This is string class variable"); }
but it not enter the if condition
All you need to do to obtain the class of a property is
[email class];
[password class];
There are ways to test the object class as well using isKindOfClass: and isMemberOfClass: and even isSubclassOfClass:
You can use these in if statements like
if([email isKindOfClass:[NSString class]])
and/or
if([password isMemberOfClass:[NSString class]])
and/or
if([[email class] isSubclassOfClass:[NSString class]])
For a description of each these please read the Apple Documentation on NSObject class reference. and Apple Documentation on NSObject protocol reference
isSubclassOfClass:
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the receiving class is a subclass of, or identical to, a given class.
+ (BOOL)isSubclassOfClass:(Class)aClass
Parameters
aClass
A class object.
Return Value
YES if the receiving class is a subclass of—or identical to—aClass, otherwise NO.
Availability
Available in iOS 2.0 and later.
Declared In
objc/NSObject.h
isKindOfClass:
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the receiver is an instance of given class or an instance of any class that inherits from that class. (required)
- (BOOL)isKindOfClass:(Class)aClass
Parameters
aClass
A class object representing the Objective-C class to be tested.
Return Value
YES if the receiver is an instance of aClass or an instance of any class that inherits from aClass, otherwise NO.
Discussion
For example, in this code, isKindOfClass: would return YES because, in Foundation, the NSArchiver class inherits from NSCoder:
NSMutableData *myData = [NSMutableData dataWithCapacity:30];
id anArchiver = [[NSArchiver alloc] initForWritingWithMutableData:myData];
if ( [anArchiver isKindOfClass:[NSCoder class]] )
...
Be careful when using this method on objects represented by a class cluster. Because of the nature of class clusters, the object you get back may not always be the type you expected. If you call a method that returns a class cluster, the exact type returned by the method is the best indicator of what you can do with that object. For example, if a method returns a pointer to an NSArray object, you should not use this method to see if the array is mutable, as shown in the following code:
// DO NOT DO THIS!
if ([myArray isKindOfClass:[NSMutableArray class]])
{
// Modify the object
}
If you use such constructs in your code, you might think it is alright to modify an object that in reality should not be modified. Doing so might then create problems for other code that expected the object to remain unchanged.
If the receiver is a class object, this method returns YES if aClass is a Class object of the same type, NO otherwise.
Availability
Available in OS X v10.0 and later.
See Also
– isMemberOfClass:
Related Sample Code
QuickLookSketch
Sketch
Sketch+Accessibility
Declared In
objc/NSObject.h
isMemberOfClass:
Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the receiver is an instance of a given class. (required)
- (BOOL)isMemberOfClass:(Class)aClass
Parameters
aClass
A class object representing the Objective-C class to be tested.
Return Value
YES if the receiver is an instance of aClass, otherwise NO.
Discussion
For example, in this code, isMemberOfClass: would return NO:
NSMutableData *myData = [NSMutableData dataWithCapacity:30];
id anArchiver = [[NSArchiver alloc] initForWritingWithMutableData:myData];
if ([anArchiver isMemberOfClass:[NSCoder class]])
...
Class objects may be compiler-created objects but they still support the concept of membership. Thus, you can use this method to verify that the receiver is a specific Class object.
Availability
Available in OS X v10.0 and later.
See Also
– isKindOfClass:
Declared In
objc/NSObject.h
EDIT
When trying to access these properties in another class (Which isn't what you are asking in your question) do the following.
Testing *testingClassIVar = [[Testing alloc] init];
[testingClassIVar email];
[testingClassIVar password];
// to get the class type of these
[[testingClassIVar email] class];
[[testingClassIVar password] class];
EDIT 2
OMG just NO I don't even know what you are trying to do but it seems very wrong. NSArray doesn't respond to addObject: so this will crash your code. If you want to use addObject: then change the NSArray to NSMutableArray but unless you plan on using that array in a loop (If you are please specify I will not assume) then just access the property by using [detail email]
Change to this
testing *detail= [[testing alloc] init];
if([[detail email] isKindOfClass:[NSString class]]) {
NSLog("This is string class variable");
}

How to get the class that the method is defined, not that of the instance that the method is called?

[self class] returns the Class of the instance of the method being called, but is there a way to get the Class that the method is defined? Suppose Class B extends A, and b is an instance of B, I want a method in A that returns A not B, even when called from b.
edited:
I trying to create a NSObject category that has -(void)releaseProperties method, which fetches all properties defined in that class and set nil for the non-readonly object properties.
- (void)releaseProperties {
unsigned int c = 0;
objc_property_t *properties = class_copyPropertyList([self class], &c);
for(unsigned int i = 0; i < c; i++) {
objc_property_t property = properties[i];
NSString *propertyName = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:property_getName(property)];
NSString *propertyType = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:property_getAttributes(property)];
if([propertyType hasPrefix:#"T#"] // is an object
&& [propertyType rangeOfString:#",R,"].location == NSNotFound // not readonly
) {
[self setValue:nil forKey:propertyName];
NSLog(#"%#.%# = %#", NSStringFromClass(cls), propertyName, [self valueForKey:propertyName]);
}
}
free(properties);
}
I want to use this method in the dealloc method, but class_copyPropertyList([self class], &c) will not return properties defined in it's superclass, so the super-dealloc chain doesn't work well. So, instead of passing [self class], I wanted to pass the class that the specific dealloc method is being called.
I don't think there's a direct way of doing this, but you can call class_getMethodImplementation_stret with the current class to get the function pointer for the method that would be called. Then walk your superclasses, calling the same function with them until it returns something different. The previous superclass will be the one that is providing the implementation for your class.
Edit: Sorry, I may have misread the question. If you are looking for the first superclass in the hierarchy that defines a method with that signature, then you can just walk the superclasses calling respondsToSelector: until one of them doesn't. The method I describe above is to find the superclass providing the implementation that is inherited, not the definition.
For example, class A could define foo:, then class B (which is a subclass of A) could override it, then class C (which is a subclass of B) could ask where foo: comes from. If you want the class that provides the definition, you want A, and should use the second approach I describe. If you want the class that provides the implementation, you want B and should use the first approach I describe.
I have a feeling that [super class] might work for you.
And if you call "[super ..." (fill in the blank with whatever you want to call) within B, you'll be calling into a method that lives in A.
Class A can just provide a method like:
- (Class) classA
{
return [A class];
}
That's not generalizable, but your question insists on a non-generalizable answer.
It's a pretty bizarre thing to want. It suggests a problem with your design. May I ask why you want it? What problem are you trying to solve?

What is the best way output the name of the class who's method is being called?

I am aware of NSStringFromClass.
My question relates to the situation where the same method is implemented in multiple classes in an inheritance tree, and you want to debugging information as to which class it is executing from.
Example:
Let us have three classes: A-->B-->C , inheriting as displayed by the arrows.
If each of them has a method foo(), defined:
-(void) foo
{
// Do some work particular to the class it is in.
.....
//Each method ends with the debugging statement:
NSLog("In foo of class:%$",NSClassFromString([self class]));
}
The problem occurs when foo of Class B, calls [super foo]. When [super foo] (i.e. Class A) reaches the NSLog statement, [self class] returns class B, and not A.
Likewise if C called [super foo], the log statement in super would log class C.
What I want to do, is output the class whose method implementation is being executed - so if class B calls [super foo], then the log statement in [A foo] outputs Class A.
The simple way is to replace NSClassFromString with a hardcoded string representing the class name, but I was wondering if there is a better way to do this ?
You can use __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ to include both the class and the method name:
NSLog(#"Greetings from %s", __PRETTY_FUNCTION__);
I don't believe that there is a compiler-time macro for just the class name.
There might not be a macro for class, but there is __FILE__ and __LINE__ macros in the C language. They expand to the current file and line number. You can use them in NSLog. I use __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ when I remember it, but I remember __FILE__ and __LINE__ more.
Example:
NSLog( #"%s %d", __FILE__, __LINE__ );
Remember that __FILE__ isn’t an Objective-C string.
The problem occurs when foo of Class B, calls [super foo]. When [super
foo] (i.e. Class A) reaches the NSLog statement, [self class] returns
class B, and not A.
Sure. That's because self points to an object, and that object's class doesn't change just because you call a method of the superclass.
The simple way is to replace NSClassFromString with a hardcoded string
representing the class name, but I was wondering if there is a better
way to do this?
As others have pointed out, you can use a macro like __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, but I think the simple and obvious approach is the best. You know the name of the class when you're writing the code, so you can write:
NSLog("In foo of class: %#", #"ClassA");
Each of your classes has its own implementation of your method, so each one can print its own class name in the message. Something like __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ is useful when you're writing a debug macro that you're going to use in multiple functions. That's not the case here. Using the obvious approach makes it that much easier to see what's going on, and that's important during debugging (which I assume is what you're trying to do here).
i think you would have to walk up the class hierarchy using class_getSuperclass and class_getInstanceMethod, comparing differences in the methods. do that to determine the objc class, then use class_getName or NSStringFromClass to get its name.
This would look something like:
NSString* MONClassNameWhichImplementsMethod(id Self, SEL cmd);
and
- (void)method
{
NSLog(#"%# - %#",
MONGetClassWhichImplementsMethod(self, _cmd),
NSStringFromSelector(_cmd)
);
}
and
// NOT COMPILED -- FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY
Class MONClassWhichImplementsMethod(Class cls, SEL cmd) {
assert(cls && cmd && "srsly?");
Class super = class_getSuperclass(cls);
Method m1 = class_getInstanceMethod(cls, cmd);
assert(m1 && "srsly?");
Method m2 = class_getInstanceMethod(super, cmd);
if (0 == m2) {
return cls;
}
else if (m1 != m2) {
return cls;
}
else {
return MONClassWhichImplementsMethod(super, cmd);
}
}
NSString* MONClassNameWhichImplementsMethod(id Self, SEL cmd) {
return NSStringFromClass(MONClassNameWhichImplementsMethod(Self.class, cmd));
}
if it blows up from deep recursion, you've another problem.