singleton class memory leakage - iphone

I set up a singleton following the instructions at this tutorial, but when I analyze it I see the following memory leaks:
How do I rectify this memory leakage in my singleton class?

I think that whoever that wrote that tutorial didn't write this right:
[[self alloc] init];
Instead, it sould be:
_sharedMySingleton = [[MySingleton alloc]init];
I hope it helps

You do not assign the allocation to a variable. Change it to this:
+(MySingleton*)sharedMySingleton
{
#synchronized(self)
{
if (!_sharedMySingleton)
_sharedMySingleton = [[self alloc] init];
}
return _sharedMySingleton;
}
EDIT my typing was too slow, others have already replied :)

It looks like when you return _sharedMySingleton, it will still be nil. And hence allocated the next time, too. You should try setting it when the alloc is done.

[[self alloc] init]; - is not assigned to the object

Related

Object leaked: allocated object is not referenced later in this execution path and has a retain count of +1

I'm getting a memory leak when I`m trying to reset a table view, I thought I could just put release before, but this doesn't help.
What do I need to do here ?
-(void) resetTable{
recordOffset = 10;
rOFactor = 0;
booShowMoreCell = false;
self.transactionsArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init]; // leak here
}
Assuming that transactionsArray is a retained property, the problem you are having is that the NSMutableArray is being retained twice.
When you set a retained property it releases the old value, and retains the new (incoming) value. The alloc method also retains the object.
So
// \/--- retain count = 2 \/-- retain count = 1
self.transactionsArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
The shortest way to resolve this is autorelease the NSMutableArray:
self.transactionsArray = [[[NSMutableArray alloc] init] autorelease];
There's a convenience method way for the above line:
self.transactionsArray = [NSMutableArray array];
As I can't see a [tableView release]-call in this code, that's what's missing - you aren't releasing the tableView before allocating a new one on top of it. That means you're adding a retain count, without removing one first. Adding the release will fix the leak.
On the first sight I would say that you just overwrite the pointer with a reference to a new object and forgetting the old reference which points to an object that was not released yet. As long as you do not use ARC you should use
[self.transactionsArray release]; // Be sure it was alloced before
self.transactionsArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];

Objective-C Memory Management: crash on release

I'm new to Objective-C and can't seem to get the memory management code right. I have the following code:
Media* myMedia = [self.myMediaManager getNextMedia];
self.navigationItem.title = [self.myMediaManager getCategory];
[self.btnImage setImage:myMedia.imageFile forState: UIControlStateNormal];
[self.lblImage setText:myMedia.imageLabel];
//[myMedia release];
My app crashes if I uncomment the above line. Do I need to do something special when I instantiate myMedia?
EDIT:
If myMediaManager is supposed to release it, when would it do that. Here is my code for getNextMedia:
- (Media*) getNextMedia {
DLog(#"Start");
Media* nextMedia = [[Media alloc] init];
[self setNextMediaIndex];
if (self.mediaIndex > -1)
{
nextMedia = [mediaArray objectAtIndex: self.mediaIndex];
}
return nextMedia;
}
EDIT2: I fixed the crashing issue (I was releasing an object I didn't own). I still see leaks and can't seem to find what the issue is.
Only objects that you own can be released.
You can release objects if you new, alloc, copy, mutableCopy or retain them first.
Since there is no alloc/copy/retain in [self.myMediaManager getNextMedia]; you can't release it.
Since myMedia is not retained here, you don't need to release it. When the origin (self.myMediaManager) releases it, it gets destroyed immediately.
NSString *string = [[NSString alloc] init];
[string release]; // now we have to release the string, since we allocated it.
NSString *string = self.navigationItem.title;
// now we don't, since it's a property of `navigationItem` and we didn't retain it.
At this point, since you are just learning, you should probably just start off using ARC with the iOS5 beta versions of XCode. It's good to have an understanding but using ARC will save you many potential pitfalls - by the time you learn enough to produce something iOS5 will be out. You can still build applications targeting iOS4, so you'll still be able to reach a lot of people.
The general rule for memory management is as follows:
For every retain, alloc, copy, or new, you need to call release or autorelease.
Since you did not call any these, you do not need to release myMedia.
For more information, take a look at this other answer I posted that deals with the subject. Also, since you are new to iOS development, I suggest looking at this answer as well.
This updated code is suspicious:
Media* nextMedia = [[Media alloc] init];
[self setNextMediaIndex];
if (self.mediaIndex > -1)
{
nextMedia = [mediaArray objectAtIndex: self.mediaIndex];
}
Depending on the condition in the if() clause, you assign a new value to nextMedia, which makes the value you just allocated unreachable, i.e. it can't be released.
Also, you don't retain the value you get from the array, so you should not release it either. But if the if() clause does not run, you still have the instance you alloc-ed, and that should be released.
That is not good. Try:
Media* nextMedia = [[Media alloc] init];
[self setNextMediaIndex];
if (self.mediaIndex > -1)
{
[nextMedia release];
nextMedia = [[mediaArray objectAtIndex: self.mediaIndex] retain];
}
You could also do (and I would prefer that):
Media *nextMedia;
[self setNextMediaIndex];
if (self.mediaIndex > -1)
{
nextMedia = [[mediaArray objectAtIndex: self.mediaIndex] retain];
}
else
{
nextMedia = [[Media alloc] init];
}
Now you can release nextMedia when that is not needed anymore, without any ambiguity about the retain count.

How to release an object in a forin loop?

I'm new to cocoa / objective-c and i'm struggeling with the releases of my objects. I have the following code:
gastroCategoryList = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
for (NSDictionary *gastrocategory in gastrocategories) {
NSString *oid = [gastrocategory objectForKey:#"id"];
GastroCategory *gc = [[GastroCategory alloc] initWithId:[oid intValue] name:[gastrocategory objectForKey:#"name"]];
[gastroCategoryList addObject:gc];
}
The analyzer shows me that the "gastrocategory" defined in the for is a potential memory leak. But i'm not sure if i can release this at the end of the for loop?
Also at the following code:
- (NSArray *)eventsForStage:(int)stageId {
NSMutableArray *result = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
for (Event *e in eventList) {
if ([e stageId] == stageId) {
[result addObject:e];
}
}
return result;
}
The Analyzer tells me that my "result" is a potential leak. But where should I release this?
Is there also a simple rule to memorize when i should use assign, copy, retain etc. at the #property ?
Another problem:
- (IBAction)showHungryView:(id)sender {
GastroCategoriesView *gastroCategoriesView = [[GastroCategoriesView alloc] initWithNibName:#"GastroCategoriesView" bundle:nil];
[gastroCategoriesView setDataManager:dataManager];
UIView *currentView = [self view];
UIView *window = [currentView superview];
UIView *gastroView = [gastroCategoriesView view];
[window addSubview:gastroView];
CGRect pageFrame = currentView.frame;
CGFloat pageWidth = pageFrame.size.width;
gastroView.frame = CGRectOffset(pageFrame,pageWidth,0);
[UIView beginAnimations:nil context:NULL];
currentView.frame = CGRectOffset(pageFrame,-pageWidth,0);
gastroView.frame = pageFrame;
[UIView commitAnimations];
//[gastroCategoriesView release];
}
I don't get it, the "gastroCategoriesView" is a potential leak. I tried to release it at the end or with autorelease but neither works fine. Everytime I call the method my app is terminating. Thank you very much again!
In your loop, release each gc after adding it to the list since you won't need it in your loop scope anymore:
gastroCategoryList = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
for (NSDictionary *gastrocategory in gastrocategories) {
NSString *oid = [gastrocategory objectForKey:#"id"];
GastroCategory *gc = [[GastroCategory alloc] initWithId:[oid intValue] name:[gastrocategory objectForKey:#"name"]];
[gastroCategoryList addObject:gc];
[gc release];
}
In your method, declare result to be autoreleased to absolve ownership of it from your method:
NSMutableArray *result = [[[NSMutableArray alloc] init] autorelease];
// An alternative to the above, produces an empty autoreleased array
NSMutableArray *result = [NSMutableArray array];
EDIT: in your third issue, you can't release your view controller because its view is being used by the window. Setting it to autorelease also causes the same fate, only delayed.
You'll have to retain your GastroCategoriesView controller somewhere, e.g. in an instance variable of your app delegate.
BoltClock's answer is spot-on as to the first part of your question. I'll try to tackle the rest.
Assign is for simple, non-object types such as int, double, or struct. It generates a setter that does a plain old assignment, as in "foo = newFoo". Copy & retain will, as their names imply, either make a copy of the new value ("foo = [newFoo copy]") or retain it ("foo = [newFoo retain]"). In both cases, the setter will release the old value as appropriate.
So the question is, when to copy and when to retain. The answer is... it depends. How does your class use the new value? Will your class break if some other code modifies the incoming object? Say, for example, you have an NSString* property imaginatively named "theString." Other code can assign an NSMutableString instance to theString - that's legal, because it's an NSString subclass. But that other code might also keep its own reference to the mutable string object, and change its value - is your code prepared to deal with that possibility? If not, it should make its own copy, which the other code can't change.
On the other hand, if your own code makes no assumptions about whether theString might have been changed, and works just as well whether or not it was, then you'd save memory by retaining the incoming object instead of unnecessarily making a copy of it.
Basically, the rule, which is unfortunately not so simple sometimes, is to think carefully about whether your own code needs its own private copy, or can correctly deal with a shared object whose value might be changed by other code.
The reason you can release gc after it is added to the gastroCategoryList is that when an object is added to an array, the array retains that object. So, even though you release your gc, it will still be around; retained by the gastroCategoryList.
When you are returning a newly created object from a method, you need to call autorelease. This will cause the object to be released only after the runtime leaves the scope of the calling method, thereby giving the calling method a chance to do something with the returned value.
Note that if your method starts with the word copy or new, then you should not autorelease your object; you should leave it for the calling method to release.
As for copy vs retain vs assign... as a general rule, copy objects that have a mutable version, such as NSArray, NSSet, NSDictionary, and NSString. This will ensure that the object you have a pointer to is not mutable when you don't want it to be.
Otherwise, use retain whenever you want your class to be ensured that an object is still in memory. This will apply to almost every object except for objects that are considered parents of your object, in which case you would use assign. (See the section on retain cycles here).
Also note that you have to use assign for non-object types such as int.
Read through the Memory Management Programming Guide a bit; it's quite helpful.

How should I handle a failure in an init: method in Objective-C?

Let's say I'm building a new class for the iPhone in Objective-C. In one of my init methods I want to manually allocate some memory. So, I might have something like this:
- (id)initWithSomeObject:(SomeObject *)someObject {
self = [super init];
if (self != nil) {
myObject = someObject;
[myObject retain];
if ( (memory = calloc(1, sizeof(SomeStruct)) == NULL) {
// What should I do here to clean up
[self release];
self = nil;
}
}
return self;
}
Now, assuming that the calloc() could fail, and that failing to allocate memory is catastrophic for my object, what should I do inside the if-body to clean up properly? Is there an Objective-C idiom or pattern that I should be using?
Edit: I included the code posted by Rob Napier. But, I still have to release myObject, right? Or does the added code somehow trigger dealloc()?
Yes, you should release yourself and then return nil.
[self release];
self = nil;
See Issues with Initializers in the Concepts in Objective-C Programming guide.
You need to clean up anything you need to and then set the self reference to nil. Apple Dev Portal has an article:
Link
I just tried. -dealloc gets called due to [self release], so myObject would not need to get released in initWithSomeObject. To be sure, you might move myObject = [someObject retain]; (I prefer that style in case -retain might fail for some reason) below the call that might fail (if that's possible).

NSMutableArray gets corrupted

I'm doing an iPhone application which uses a navigation control to browse through some data. This data is stored in a sqlite database and I have a class which gets it and returns it in a NSMutableArray of NSStrings.
The problem is that in the first screen of the navigation everything works prefectly, but in the second screen (another view which is pushed) the same code fails because the NSMutableArray gets corrupted. In the debugger I can see that it is returned correctly, but when it's time to use it the pointers have become corrupted and the application crashes.
I have put breakpoints in all my functions, and I can't see anywhere where it can get corrupted. And as the first view, which uses the same exact code, even accesing the same eact tables, works correctly I don't really know where to look.
If anyone want to have a look at the code I have uploaded it to my site: http://sachafuentes.com/iBacus.zip
Thanks in advance.
UPDATE:
The problem lies in the function where I get the data, which looks like (this is a simplified version with some pseudo-code).
-(NSMutableArray *) getPaises {
NSMutableArray * paises;
paises = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
while( get new row ) {
NSString *aPais = get the value;
[paises addObject:aPais];
[aPais release];
}
return paises;
}
If I comment out [aPais release] everything works, but to me this looks like a memory leak, as the NSString won't be released.
Okay, here's the problem:
NSString *aPais = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:(char*)sqlite3_column_text(compiledStatement, 0)];
By convention, any time that you see an alloc and an init, you need a release somewhere down the road.
By convention, any time that you use an xWithX: style method, the resulting object will be released for you.
Therefore, this statement:
[aPais release];
will cause your method to crash, as the object is released before it should be. Just remove this line, set your NSMutableArray instance to be autorelease-d and you should get better results.
Look for wrong memory management, that's the likeliest cause for crashes. I think you release your objects somewhere where you shouldn't and therefore you have dangling pointers in the array.
Update1
[aPais release] is wrong, as you don't retain it anywhere in this method. Returned values should always be autoreleased. You should have the same amount of retain as release in your code.
(Some people argue that a retain can also be an alloc init, but I always try to use alloc init autorelease, but this is a matter of style.)
BTW
You should autorelease your array, you're only retaining it here with [[alloc] init].
Any object that you alloc and init must be release-d when you're finished with it, or you will have a memory leak.
Since you are passing the reference outside the scope of the getPaises method, you must autorelease the NSMutableArray, or you will have a memory leak:
paises = [[[NSMutableArray alloc] init] autorelease];
Can you please clarify the step here:
NSString *aPais = get the value;
It's not clear what happens in "get the value" and I suspect this is one cause of instability.
I see that the code is (verbatim)
while(sqlite3_step(compiledStatement) == SQLITE_ROW) {
NSString *aPais = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:
(char*)sqlite3_column_text(compiledStatement, 0)];
[paises addObject:aPais];
[aPais release];
}
...and it's exactly as #gs puts it. aPais is autoreleased and should not be released.
You can also use a convenience constructor to initialize the NSMutableArray:
NSMutableArray *paises = [NSMutableArray array];
This is equivalent to doing:
NSMutableArray *paises = [[[NSMutableArray alloc] init] autorelease];