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Asked: 2026-05-26T15:45:51+00:00

– (id)initWithBytesNoCopy:(void *)bytes length:(NSUInteger)length encoding:(NSStringEncoding)encoding freeWhenDone:(BOOL)flag bytes is not a const pointer. Does it

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- (id)initWithBytesNoCopy:(void *)bytes length:(NSUInteger)length encoding:(NSStringEncoding)encoding freeWhenDone:(BOOL)flag

“bytes” is not a const pointer. Does it mean this method may modify “bytes”?

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    You should assume that it may mutate since that is the signature and there is not documentation that otherwise negates that.

    So my answer is: It is because the SEL‘s signature does not/cannot change for NSMutableStrings that it is declared non-const.

    Here are some NSString creation alternatives which suggest a little more safety without copy:

    • CFStringCreateWithBytesNoCopy

    • CFStringCreateWithCStringNoCopy

    • CFStringCreateWithCharactersNoCopy

    Chances are good that the NSString APIs in question also use these.

    CF-APIs provide more appropriate functions for mutable variants, e.g. CFStringCreateMutableWithExternalCharactersNoCopy, and these are likely what NSMutableString would use.

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