-Alloc [[]Init] vs. New

Create as many instances of a class that you need at the time you need them.

Depends entirely on your requirements.

Assign a unique identifying value to some property.

I've never used +(id)new.

I use "Class *instanceName = [[Class alloc]init];

Doesn't seem odd to me.

I simply write a class method that returns the instance of the class I'm interested in at the time.

There shouldn't be any difference. "[MyClass new]" and "[[MyClass alloc] new]" should be interchangeable. The last time I really tried, I got complaints from either the static analysis and/or leak checker tools when I used "new". I haven't done this test for a long time. I have noticed that in Apple's recent sample code, they are starting to use "new". I hadn't noticed that before. I need to check on this because I think "new" is cleaner and I would prefer to use it if the tools don't complain.

For the record, only autoreleased values get cleaned up. When you do either "alloc, init" or "new", you must release. One alternative is to use a default autorelased initializer. Instead of doing "[[NSMutableArray alloc] init]" and then releasing, you can just do "[NSMutableArray array]". There are similar autoreleased initializers for other classes.

" When you do either "alloc, init" or "new", you must release."

Unless you are using ARC.

Michael Superczynski wrote:

" When you do either "alloc, init" or "new", you must release."

Unless you are using ARC.

I'm skeptical about ARC. What does it give me? I'm an old timer so I don't have memory allocation issues.

It just rubs me the wrong way to write bad code and let the runtime pick up the pieces for me. That's a bad habit to get into.

Just because one is using ARC doesn't mean the code is bad.

I used to be a big assembly language geek (back in the good old days before there were such things as personal computers).

If I find something that makes my life easier, I'm all over it.

I'm just not used to it. I am getting back into app development after being "busy" for a few years. I'm sticking with the technologies I know for the time being. I will re-evaluate things later - perhaps after "July".

They look like they are the same - new is probably just a convenience method for classes that don't have other init methods.