Question

I am learning iPhone development. In the book examples, there is @synthesize keyword is mentioned for properties.

For a control, I define property in .h file but NOT @synthesize in .m file. I am accessing to property of text box with .text attribute.
Also I have linked outlets of a text box, and text box’s name is different than the property name.

And code runs fine; so is @synthesize keyword not needed? and When?

Answer 1

From Apple’s docs > Mac Dev Center > Cocoa Core Competencies > Declared Property:

In addition to declaring the accessor
methods, you can instruct the compiler
to synthesize implementations of them
(or inform the compiler that your
class will synthesize them at
runtime).

You use the @synthesize statement in a
class’s implementation block to tell
the compiler to create implementations
that match the specification you gave
in the property declaration.

for reference:

You use the @dynamic statement to tell
the compiler to suppress a warning if
it can’t find an implementation of
accessor methods specified by an
@property declaration.