macOS The advantages of NSNumber etc?

[MorphingDragon]

What are the advantages of using NSNumber etc? (Apart from treating them like objects) Like memory management or performance benefits? Because its a lot of code when I simply would require a local variable; int, float, char etc.

 

[GorillaPaws]

What are the advantages of using NSNumber etc? (Apart from treating them like objects) Like memory management or performance benefits? Because its a lot of code when I simply would require a local variable; int, float, char etc.

The main purpose is that they're objects so they can be used in places where primitive types can't be used such as in NSArrays, etc.

 

[kainjow]

Store them as primitives in your app when you can since NSNumber is immutable, and only use NSNumber when necessary (storing in an NSDictionary, NSUserDefaults, or any other API that requires an object, etc).

 

[GorillaPaws]

Store them as primitives in your app

Technically we're supposed to be using NSInteger, NSFloat etc. though (Which are primitives, just defined for the appropriate architecture), right?

 

[jared_kipe]

Obviously storing them in NSArrays and NSDictionaries, but also a much easier way to write them into a file since NSArray and NSDictionary can be serialized into a plist file as can NSNumber and NSString etcetera.

 

[kainjow]

Technically we're supposed to be using NSInteger, NSFloat etc. though (Which are primitives, just defined for the appropriate architecture), right?

Yes, use NSInteger/CGFloat when appropriate:
http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/releasenotes/Cocoa/AppKitOlderNotes.html#64Bit

 

[Cromulent]

Yes, use NSInteger/CGFloat when appropriate:
http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/releasenotes/Cocoa/AppKitOlderNotes.html#64Bit

You can avoid most of that by using the C99 integer types (int8_t uint8_t int16_t uint16_t etc etc).