ARC between Foundation and Core Foundation

A bridged cast is a C-style cast annotated with one of three keywords:

(__bridge T) op casts the operand to the destination type T. If T is a retainable object pointer type, then op must have a non-retainable pointer type. If T is a non-retainable pointer type, then op must have a retainable object pointer type. Otherwise the cast is ill-formed. There is no transfer of ownership, and ARC inserts no retain operations.

(__bridge_retained T) op casts the operand, which must have retainable object pointer type, to the destination type, which must be a non-retainable pointer type. ARC retains the value, subject to the usual optimizations on local values, and the recipient is responsible for balancing that +1.

(__bridge_transfer T) op casts the operand, which must have non-retainable pointer type, to the destination type, which must be a retainable object pointer type. ARC will release the value at the end of the enclosing full-expression, subject to the usual optimizations on local values.

These casts are required in order to transfer objects in and out of ARC control; see the rationale in the section on conversion of retainable object pointers.

Using a __bridge_retained or __bridge_transfer cast purely to convince ARC to emit an unbalanced retain or release, respectively, is poor form.

Explain1:

• (__bridge_transfer <NSType>) op or alternatively CFBridgingRelease(op) is used to consume a retain-count of a CFTypeRef while transferring it over to ARC. This could also be represented by id someObj = (__bridge <NSType>) op; CFRelease(op);

• (__bridge_retained <CFType>) op or alternatively CFBridgingRetain(op) is used to hand an NSObject over to CF-land while giving it a +1 retain count. You should handle a CFTypeRefyou create this way the same as you would handle a result of CFStringCreateCopy(). This could also be represented by CFRetain((__bridge CFType)op); CFTypeRef someTypeRef = (__bridge CFType)op;

• __bridge just casts between pointer-land and Objective-C object-land. If you have no inclination to use the conversions above, use this one.

Explain2:

• __bridge transfers a pointer between Objective-C and Core Foundation with no transfer of ownership.

• __bridge_retained casts an Objective-C pointer to a Core Foundation pointer and also transfers ownership to you.

  You are responsible for calling CFRelease or a related function to relinquish ownership of the object.

• __bridge_transfer moves a non-Objective-C pointer to Objective-C and also transfers ownership to ARC.

  ARC is responsible for relinquishing ownership of the object.