macOS The 'new' Method

[MorphingDragon]

One thing I dont get about Obj-C. All the people that I know that program in Obj-C recommend against [object new], instead of [[object init] alloc].

Why? I thought any methods/peices of code that automate functions in Obj-C optimise the code in some way. (Like @synthesize etc)

 

[robbieduncan]

That should be

[[object alloc] init]

As to why no-one uses new, I'm not 100% sure. Obviously quite a lot of classes have initWithX: methods so new wouldn't do the same thing...

 

[teek]

Isn't [obj new] just syntactic sugar, doing exactly the same as [[obj alloc] init] ? I find it strange that most people don't use the new keyword. But then again why change when you're used to alloc init

 

[kainjow]

I think the point of alloc/init over new is it's more explicit, and often the init method is changed or created to have an argument. Also new is viewed as a legacy method of sorts.

There is some interesting discussion about it here:
http://www.cocoabuilder.com/archive/cocoa/199068-foo-new-vs-foo-alloc-init.html

 

[gnasher729]

One thing I dont get about Obj-C. All the people that I know that program in Obj-C recommend against [object new], instead of [[object init] alloc].

Why? I thought any methods/peices of code that automate functions in Obj-C optimise the code in some way. (Like @synthesize etc)

Because the "new" method is a pointless addition that only works in the rare case when you can use an init method without parameters. And it complicates the rules for object ownership: When you create an object using alloc or a method name with "create" or "copy" then _you_ own the object. And if you use "new" - one more thing to remember.

 

[MorphingDragon]

That should be

[[object alloc] init]

As to why no-one uses new, I'm not 100% sure. Obviously quite a lot of classes have initWithX: methods so new wouldn't do the same thing...

Shhh, I wrote this just before I went to bed.

Because the "new" method is a pointless addition that only works in the rare case when you can use an init method without parameters. And it complicates the rules for object ownership: When you create an object using alloc or a method name with "create" or "copy" then _you_ own the object. And if you use "new" - one more thing to remember.

Ahh, now it makes sense.

 

[xStep]

Because the "new" method is a pointless addition that only works in the rare case when you can use an init method without parameters. And it complicates the rules for object ownership: When you create an object using alloc or a method name with "create" or "copy" then _you_ own the object. And if you use "new" - one more thing to remember.

As I understand it, when you create an object with alloc, copy or new, you get a object that is retained and you own it. So I'm confused at what point you are trying to make.

 

[MorphingDragon]

As I understand it, when you create an object with alloc, copy or new, you get a object that is retained and you own it. So I'm confused at what point you are trying to make.

Object Ownership is a concept used in memory management. http://developer.apple.com/mac/libr...al/MemoryMgmt/Articles/mmObjectOwnership.html

 

[xStep]

Object Ownership is a concept used in memory management. http://developer.apple.com/mac/libr...al/MemoryMgmt/Articles/mmObjectOwnership.html

Yes I know that. I don't know what gnasher729 was trying to get at. New does not complicate anything, at least for me.