Calling Objective-C method from C++ member function?

Question

You can mix C++ with Objective-C if you do it carefully. There are a few caveats but generally speaking they can be mixed. If you want to keep them separate, you can set up a standard C wrapper function that gives the Objective-C object a usable C-style interface from non-Objective-C code (pick better names for your files, I have picked these names for verbosity):

MyObject-C-Interface.h

#ifndef __MYOBJECT_C_INTERFACE_H__
#define __MYOBJECT_C_INTERFACE_H__

// This is the C "trampoline" function that will be used
// to invoke a specific Objective-C method FROM C++
int MyObjectDoSomethingWith (void *myObjectInstance, void *parameter);
#endif

MyObject.h

#import "MyObject-C-Interface.h"

// An Objective-C class that needs to be accessed from C++
@interface MyObject : NSObject
{
    int someVar;
}

// The Objective-C member function you want to call from C++
- (int) doSomethingWith:(void *) aParameter;
@end

MyObject.mm

#import "MyObject.h"

@implementation MyObject

// C "trampoline" function to invoke Objective-C method
int MyObjectDoSomethingWith (void *self, void *aParameter)
{
    // Call the Objective-C method using Objective-C syntax
    return [(id) self doSomethingWith:aParameter];
}

- (int) doSomethingWith:(void *) aParameter
{
    // The Objective-C function you wanted to call from C++.
    // do work here..
    return 21 ; // half of 42
}
@end

MyCPPClass.cpp

#include "MyCPPClass.h"
#include "MyObject-C-Interface.h"

int MyCPPClass::someMethod (void *objectiveCObject, void *aParameter)
{
    // To invoke an Objective-C method from C++, use
    // the C trampoline function
    return MyObjectDoSomethingWith (objectiveCObject, aParameter);
}

The wrapper function does not need to be in the same .m file as the Objective-C class, but the file that it does exist in needs to be compiled as Objective-C code. The header that declares the wrapper function needs to be included in both CPP and Objective-C code.

(NOTE: if the Objective-C implementation file is given the extension ".m" it will not link under Xcode. The ".mm" extension tells Xcode to expect a combination of Objective-C and C++, i.e., Objective-C++.)

---

You can implement the above in an Object-Orientented manner by using the PIMPL idiom. The implementation is only slightly different. In short, you place the wrapper functions (declared in "MyObject-C-Interface.h") inside a class with a (private) void pointer to an instance of MyClass.

MyObject-C-Interface.h (PIMPL)

#ifndef __MYOBJECT_C_INTERFACE_H__
#define __MYOBJECT_C_INTERFACE_H__

class MyClassImpl
{
public:
    MyClassImpl ( void );
    ~MyClassImpl( void );

    void init( void );
    int  doSomethingWith( void * aParameter );
    void logMyMessage( char * aCStr );

private:
    void * self;
};

#endif

Notice the wrapper methods no longer require the void pointer to an instance of MyClass; it is now a private member of MyClassImpl. The init method is used to instantiate a MyClass instance;

MyObject.h (PIMPL)

#import "MyObject-C-Interface.h"

@interface MyObject : NSObject
{
    int someVar;
}

- (int)  doSomethingWith:(void *) aParameter;
- (void) logMyMessage:(char *) aCStr;

@end

MyObject.mm (PIMPL)

#import "MyObject.h"

@implementation MyObject

MyClassImpl::MyClassImpl( void )
    : self( NULL )
{   }

MyClassImpl::~MyClassImpl( void )
{
    [(id)self dealloc];
}

void MyClassImpl::init( void )
{    
    self = [[MyObject alloc] init];
}

int MyClassImpl::doSomethingWith( void *aParameter )
{
    return [(id)self doSomethingWith:aParameter];
}

void MyClassImpl::logMyMessage( char *aCStr )
{
    [(id)self doLogMessage:aCStr];
}

- (int) doSomethingWith:(void *) aParameter
{
    int result;

    // ... some code to calculate the result

    return result;
}

- (void) logMyMessage:(char *) aCStr
{
    NSLog( aCStr );
}

@end

Notice that MyClass is instantiated with a call to MyClassImpl::init. You could instantiate MyClass in MyClassImpl's constructor, but that generally isn't a good idea. The MyClass instance is destructed from MyClassImpl's destructor. As with the C-style implementation, the wrapper methods simply defer to the respective methods of MyClass.

MyCPPClass.h (PIMPL)

#ifndef __MYCPP_CLASS_H__
#define __MYCPP_CLASS_H__

class MyClassImpl;

class MyCPPClass
{
    enum { cANSWER_TO_LIFE_THE_UNIVERSE_AND_EVERYTHING = 42 };
public:
    MyCPPClass ( void );
    ~MyCPPClass( void );

    void init( void );
    void doSomethingWithMyClass( void );

private:
    MyClassImpl * _impl;
    int           _myValue;
};

#endif

MyCPPClass.cpp (PIMPL)

#include "MyCPPClass.h"
#include "MyObject-C-Interface.h"

MyCPPClass::MyCPPClass( void )
    : _impl ( NULL )
{   }

void MyCPPClass::init( void )
{
    _impl = new MyClassImpl();
}

MyCPPClass::~MyCPPClass( void )
{
    if ( _impl ) { delete _impl; _impl = NULL; }
}

void MyCPPClass::doSomethingWithMyClass( void )
{
    int result = _impl->doSomethingWith( _myValue );
    if ( result == cANSWER_TO_LIFE_THE_UNIVERSE_AND_EVERYTHING )
    {
        _impl->logMyMessage( "Hello, Arthur!" );
    }
    else
    {
        _impl->logMyMessage( "Don't worry." );
    }
}

You now access calls to MyClass through a private implementation of MyClassImpl. This approach can be advantageous if you were developing a portable application; you could simply swap out the implementation of MyClass with one specific to the other platform ... but honestly, whether this is a better implementation is more a matter of taste and needs.

You can compile your code as Objective-C++ - the simplest way is to rename your .cpp as .mm. It will then compile properly if you include EAGLView.h (you were getting so many errors because the C++ compiler didn't understand any of the Objective-C specific keywords), and you can (for the most part) mix Objective-C and C++ however you like.

The easiest solution is to simply tell Xcode to compile everything as Objective C++.

Set your project or target settings for Compile Sources As to Objective C++ and recompile.

Then you can use C++ or Objective C everywhere, for example:

void CPPObject::Function( ObjectiveCObject* context, NSView* view )
{
   [context renderbufferStorage:GL_RENDERBUFFER fromDrawable:(CAEAGLLayer*)view.layer]
}

This has the same affect as renaming all your source files from .cpp or .m to .mm.

There are two minor downsides to this: clang cannot analyse C++ source code; some relatively weird C code does not compile under C++.

Step 1

Create a objective c file(.m file) and it's corresponding header file.

// Header file (We call it "ObjCFunc.h")

#ifndef test2_ObjCFunc_h
#define test2_ObjCFunc_h
@interface myClass :NSObject
-(void)hello:(int)num1;
@end
#endif

// Corresponding Objective C file(We call it "ObjCFunc.m")

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#include "ObjCFunc.h"
@implementation myClass
//Your objective c code here....
-(void)hello:(int)num1
{
NSLog(@"Hello!!!!!!");
}
@end

Step 2

Now we will implement a c++ function to call the objective c function that we just created! So for that we will define a .mm file and its corresponding header file(".mm" file is to be used here because we will be able to use both Objective C and C++ coding in the file)

//Header file(We call it "ObjCCall.h")

#ifndef __test2__ObjCCall__
#define __test2__ObjCCall__
#include <stdio.h>
class ObjCCall
{
public:
static void objectiveC_Call(); //We define a static method to call the function directly using the class_name
};
#endif /* defined(__test2__ObjCCall__) */

//Corresponding Objective C++ file(We call it "ObjCCall.mm")

#include "ObjCCall.h"
#include "ObjCFunc.h"
void ObjCCall::objectiveC_Call()
{
//Objective C code calling.....
myClass *obj=[[myClass alloc]init]; //Allocating the new object for the objective C   class we created
[obj hello:(100)];   //Calling the function we defined
}

Step 3

Calling the c++ function(which actually calls the objective c method)

#ifndef __HELLOWORLD_SCENE_H__
#define __HELLOWORLD_SCENE_H__
#include "cocos2d.h"
#include "ObjCCall.h"
class HelloWorld : public cocos2d::Layer
{
public:
// there's no 'id' in cpp, so we recommend returning the class instance pointer
static cocos2d::Scene* createScene();
// Here's a difference. Method 'init' in cocos2d-x returns bool, instead of returning  'id' in cocos2d-iphone
virtual bool init();
// a selector callback
void menuCloseCallback(cocos2d::Ref* pSender);
void ObCCall();  //definition
// implement the "static create()" method manually
CREATE_FUNC(HelloWorld);
};
#endif // __HELLOWORLD_SCENE_H__

//Final call

#include "HelloWorldScene.h"
#include "ObjCCall.h"
USING_NS_CC;
Scene* HelloWorld::createScene()
{
// 'scene' is an autorelease object
auto scene = Scene::create();
// 'layer' is an autorelease object
auto layer = HelloWorld::create();
// add layer as a child to scene
scene->addChild(layer);
// return the scene
return scene;
}
// on "init" you need to initialize your instance
bool HelloWorld::init()
{
//////////////////////////////
// 1. super init first
if ( !Layer::init() )
{
    return false;
}
Size visibleSize = Director::getInstance()->getVisibleSize();
Vec2 origin = Director::getInstance()->getVisibleOrigin();

/////////////////////////////
// 2. add a menu item with "X" image, which is clicked to quit the program
//    you may modify it.

// add a "close" icon to exit the progress. it's an autorelease object
auto closeItem = MenuItemImage::create(
                                       "CloseNormal.png",
                                       "CloseSelected.png",
                                       CC_CALLBACK_1(HelloWorld::menuCloseCallback,  this));

closeItem->setPosition(Vec2(origin.x + visibleSize.width - closeItem->getContentSize().width/2 ,
                            origin.y + closeItem->getContentSize().height/2));

// create menu, it's an autorelease object
auto menu = Menu::create(closeItem, NULL);
menu->setPosition(Vec2::ZERO);
this->addChild(menu, 1);

/////////////////////////////
// 3. add your codes below...

// add a label shows "Hello World"
// create and initialize a label

auto label = Label::createWithTTF("Hello World", "fonts/Marker Felt.ttf", 24);

// position the label on the center of the screen
label->setPosition(Vec2(origin.x + visibleSize.width/2,
                        origin.y + visibleSize.height - label- >getContentSize().height));
// add the label as a child to this layer
this->addChild(label, 1);
// add "HelloWorld" splash screen"
auto sprite = Sprite::create("HelloWorld.png");
// position the sprite on the center of the screen
sprite->setPosition(Vec2(visibleSize.width/2 + origin.x, visibleSize.height/2 +     origin.y));
// add the sprite as a child to this layer
this->addChild(sprite, 0);
this->ObCCall();   //first call
return true;
}
void HelloWorld::ObCCall()  //Definition
{
ObjCCall::objectiveC_Call();  //Final Call  
}
void HelloWorld::menuCloseCallback(Ref* pSender)
{
#if (CC_TARGET_PLATFORM == CC_PLATFORM_WP8) || (CC_TARGET_PLATFORM ==   CC_PLATFORM_WINRT)
MessageBox("You pressed the close button. Windows Store Apps do not implement a close    button.","Alert");
return;
#endif
Director::getInstance()->end();
#if (CC_TARGET_PLATFORM == CC_PLATFORM_IOS)
exit(0);
#endif
}

Hope this works!