How to learn more about methods in Object.h (was Re: Class

[Paul Johnson]

address@hidden wrote:
  In particular, the isKindOf method works in just
> the manner described (except the method name is "class" and not
> "Class").  Here's how I use it in one of my models:
> 
> - (void) updatePopulationCount
> {
>   int x,y;
>   int maxX = [data_source getSizeX];
>   int maxY = [data_source getSizeY];
> 
>   [self resetPopulationCount];
> 
>   for (x=0; x < maxX; x++) {
>     for (y=0; y < maxY; y++) {
>       // Count the number of each kind of agent we have
>       id agent = [data_source getObjectAtX: x Y: y];
>       if ( [agent isKindOf: [MimicBestNeighborAgent class]] )
>         class_count[MIMIC_BEST_NEIGHBOR]++;
>     }
>   }
> 
>   // Irrelevant stuff deleted
> 
> }
> --
> Jason Alexander
> Logic & Philosophy of Science      email:       address@hidden

This is an extremely useful post. Thanks much.

I'm looking at the header file Object.h and I see a bunch of methods
like isKindOf: and I wonder where to find more documentation about
them.  I'd like to know what they return, how to use what they return,
etc.  Here are some for which I would like to have explanations and
usage examples:

       /* Creating, freeing, and copying instances */
+ new;
+ alloc;
- free;
- copy;
- shallowCopy;
- deepen;
- deepCopy;
        /* Identifying classes */
- (Class)class;
- (Class)superClass;
- (MetaClass)metaClass;
- (const char *)name;
        /* Identifying and comparing objects */
- self;
- (unsigned int)hash;
- (BOOL)isEqual:anObject;
- (int)compare:anotherObject;
        /* Testing object type */
- (BOOL)isMetaClass;
- (BOOL)isClass;
- (BOOL)isInstance;
        /* Testing inheritance relationships */
- (BOOL)isKindOf:(Class)aClassObject;
- (BOOL)isMemberOf:(Class)aClassObject;
- (BOOL)isKindOfClassNamed:(const char *)aClassName;
- (BOOL)isMemberOfClassNamed:(const char *)aClassName;
        /* Testing class functionality */
+ (BOOL)instancesRespondTo:(SEL)aSel;
- (BOOL)respondsTo:(SEL)aSel;
        /* Testing protocol conformance */
- (BOOL)conformsTo:(Protocol*)aProtocol;
        /* Introspection */
+ (IMP)instanceMethodFor:(SEL)aSel;
- (IMP)methodFor:(SEL)aSel;
+ (struct objc_method_description
*)descriptionForInstanceMethod:(SEL)aSel;
- (struct objc_method_description *)descriptionForMethod:(SEL)aSel;
        /* Sending messages determined at run time */
- perform:(SEL)aSel;
- perform:(SEL)aSel with:anObject;


-- 
Paul E. Johnson                       email: address@hidden
Dept. of Political Science            http://lark.cc.ukans.edu/~pauljohn
University of Kansas                  Office: (785) 864-9086
Lawrence, Kansas 66045                FAX: (785) 864-5700

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