NSMutableAttributedString, NSFontAttributeName, and reference counting

• Michael A. Crawford NSMutableAttributedString, NSFontAttributeName, and reference counting Jan 12 2009, 03:59
  If I allocate a font object for use with NSMutableAttributedString and
  assign said font to the string using the addAttribute method, will the
  reference count on the font be incremented?  (I assume that if the
  answer is yes, then removeAttribute will decrement the reference count.)
  
  As a bonus question, can I observe this in the debugger (seems like a
  useful skill in order to avoid similar questions along these lines in
  the future)?  If so, how is that accomplished.
  
  -Michael
  ----------------------
  The difference between genius and stupidity...
  ...is that genius has its limits."
  
  -- Albert Einstein
• Nick Zitzmann Re: NSMutableAttributedString, NSFontAttributeName, and reference counting Jan 12 2009, 05:34
  On Jan 11, 2009, at 7:59 PM, Michael A. Crawford wrote:
  
  

  > If I allocate a font object for use with NSMutableAttributedString
  > and assign said font to the string using the addAttribute method,
  > will the reference count on the font be incremented?  (I assume that
  > if the answer is yes, then removeAttribute will decrement the
  > reference count.)
  

  
  Yes, on Leopard & presumably later. On Tiger & earlier, technically
  no, because NSFont objects followed different rules back then; they
  were always around. The Leopard AppKit release notes state this.
  
  

  > As a bonus question, can I observe this in the debugger (seems like
  > a useful skill in order to avoid similar questions along these lines
  > in the future)?  If so, how is that accomplished.
  

  
  Use Instruments instead of GDB. Its object alloc tracker can
  optionally log retains and releases.
  
  Nick Zitzmann
  <http://www.chronosnet.com/>