CODEWITHSUNDEEP
objective-c
Duck
Duck

Reputation: 35933

Objective-C - is it okay to not have a return for a method?

I have a method that returns an object, like

- (myObject *) doStuff: (NSString *)x

This method creates an entry on an array and also returns the object created, so I can do other things with it after running the method, but at some point in my code I don't need the reference it returns, so, instead of using

myObj1 = [doStuff: myValue];

I just want to make it like

[doStuff: myValue];

Is it ok to do that? Will I have any problem like crash or the app becoming crazy? Is there other alternatives to make this?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 91

Answers (4)

user557219
user557219

Reputation:

Objective-C is similar to C in this regard: you can always ignore values returned by functions/methods.

However, as in C, it is important to follow the semantics defined by the function or method. For instance, if a function/method returns a pointer and the caller is supposed to free the corresponding memory, the caller needs to store that pointer in a variable and then call free(variable). Similarly, if a function/method returns an Objective-C object that's owned by the caller, then the caller must either send -release or -autorelease to the returned object.

Upvotes: 4

Matthew Frederick
Matthew Frederick

Reputation: 22305

Of course. Methods don't have to return anything, it's completely optional. It's what the void return type is for:

- (void)doStuff:(int)myValue;

Edited to add

If you want to only return something sometimes and the method normally returns an object, simply return nil. You don't have to provide a receiver.

Upvotes: 1

Ishu
Ishu

Reputation: 12787

- (myObject *) doStuff: x

here you need to declare x type also.like

-(myObject *)doStuff:(NSString *)myValue;

then if you declare a return type for function then you must return a value otherwise make it void.

If you declare a return type then this is not neccessary to recieve that value in a variable but function must return the value.

And also you can set the arrays values in this method but declare array globally. One thing more if you make -(myObject *)doStuff:(NSString *)myValue;

then it needs a object to call, for same class use self. you cant call like this

[doStuff: myValue];

Upvotes: 1

Di Wu
Di Wu

Reputation: 6448

It should be ok if you guarantee that memory management within this doStuff method is self-sustained. (i.e. you use things like autorelease when allocating any new stuff with that method so memory won't leak)

Upvotes: 1

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