Question

I wonder why the retaincount of an object equal one inside its dealloc function .

-(void) dealloc 
{
   NSlog(@"retain count = %i ", [self retaincount]);
   [super dealloc];
}

retain count = 1 so how the object called its dealloc function although its retain count equal 1 . As I know the object calls this function when its retain count is equal zero only .

Answer 1

Because the retain count of an object can never be zero.

Decrementing it to zero is a waste of cycles because the object will b deallocated anyway. retainCount can never return 0.

And:

retainCount is useless. Do not call it.

Thank you .But how I can debug the existence of an object ??

Several ways;

• NSLog() in the -dealloc
• breakpoint on dealloc, print something, continue
• use Zombies
• use Allocations instrument
• use Heapshot analysis