NSInvocation getReturnValue: called inside forwardInvocation: makes the returned object call dealloc:

Question

Here's a standalone test.m file that I'm using to test the behavior.

To compile: clang test.m -o test.app -fobjc-arc -ObjC -framework Foundation. Make sure the Xcode command-line tools are installed.

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>

@protocol Protocol

@optional
- (id)objProxyMethod;

@end

@interface ReturnObject: NSObject

@end

@interface Test : NSObject <Protocol>

@end

@interface Proxy : NSObject <Protocol>

- (id)objProxyMethod;

@end

@implementation ReturnObject

- (void)dealloc {
    NSLog(@"ERROR:");
    NSLog(@"I'm getting deallocated!");
    NSLog(@"This shouldn't happen!");
}

- (NSString *)description {
    return @"Blank object!";
}

@end

@implementation Proxy

- (id)objProxyMethod {
    NSLog(@"in [Proxy objProxyMethod]!");
    return [[ReturnObject alloc] init];
}

@end

@implementation Test

- (void)forwardInvocation:(NSInvocation *)invocation {
    NSLog(@"Forwarded invocation!");
    Proxy *proxy = [[Proxy alloc] init];
    [invocation invokeWithTarget: proxy];
    NSUInteger length = [[invocation methodSignature] methodReturnLength];
    if (length == 8) {
        id result;
        [invocation getReturnValue:&result];
    }
}

@end

int main () {
    Test *test = [[Test alloc] init];
    id objResult = [test objProxyMethod];
    NSLog(@"objResult = \"%@\"", objResult);

    return 0;
}

If I comment out [invocation getReturnValue:&result];, the returned object isn't deallocated. I don't know if this is a bug, or just me misunderstanding how NSInvocation works.

Answer 1

The problem is that result is __strong by default, so when it goes out of scope, the compiler generates a release for it. But getReturnValue: didn't give you ownership of the returned object, so your method shouldn't be releasing it.

You can fix this by changing the declaration of result:

__unsafe_unretained id result;

This prevents the compiler from generating a release for result when result goes out of scope. If you need to retain it, you can copy it to another, __strong variable.

You could also add a category to NSInvocation to handle this for you:

@interface NSInvocation (ObjectReturnValue)

- (id)objectReturnValue;

@end

@implementation NSInvocation (ObjectReturnValue)

- (id)objectReturnValue {
    __unsafe_unretained id result;
    [self getReturnValue:&result];
    return result;
}

@end

...
    if (length == 8) {
        id result = [invocation objectReturnValue];
    }
...

You could also report this as a bug. I would expect the compiler, or at least the static analyzer, to warn you that you're converting a pointer to a strong id to a void pointer. http://bugreport.apple.com

Answer 2

It was because ARC cannot manage objects which was written as pointers. Only directly assignment.

Wrong:

id result;
[invocation getReturnValue:&result];

Right:

void *pointer;
[invocation getReturnValue:&pointer];

id result = (__bridge id)pointer; //Correct, ARC will retain pointer after assignment