When do I define objective-c methods?

Question

I\'m learning Objective-C, and have a C/C++ background.

• In object-oriented C++, you always need to declare your method before you define (implement) it, e

Answer 1

Objective-C treats functions as "messages" and as such, you can send a "message" to any object - even one that doesn't explicitly state in its interface that it can accept. As a result, there are no such things as private members in Obj-C.

This can be very powerful, but is a source of confusion for new Obj-C programmers - especially those coming from C++, Java or C#. Here are the basic rules of thumb:

• You should define all public methods in your @interface so that consumers know what messages you expect to handle.
• You should define @private methods in your @interface to avoid compiler messages and avoid having to order the methods in your @implementation.
• You should use protocols when implementing a particular convention of methods for your class.

Much of this is personal preference, however it helps to avoid annoying compiler warnings and keeps your code organized. and easy to understand.