iOS Memory Leak

[RagingGoat]

I am showing a memory leak with my excludedActivityTypes array in my iPad app and I can't figure out how to fix it. Can anyone help me out?

- (void)showMenu
{
    NSURL *urlToShare = hackyURL;
    NSArray *activityItems = @[urlToShare];
    TUSafariActivity *activity = [[TUSafariActivity alloc] init];
    
    UIActivityViewController *activityVC = [[UIActivityViewController alloc]initWithActivityItems:activityItems applicationActivities:@[activity]];
    activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = @[UIActivityTypeAssignToContact, UIActivityTypePostToWeibo, UIActivityTypeSaveToCameraRoll];
    
    if ([self.popover isPopoverVisible])
    {
        [self.popover dismissPopoverAnimated:YES];
        self.popover = nil;
    }
    else
    {
        self.popover = [[UIPopoverController alloc]initWithContentViewController:activityVC];
        [self.popover presentPopoverFromBarButtonItem:systemAction permittedArrowDirections:UIPopoverArrowDirectionAny animated:YES];
    }
    
}

 

[Punicasoft]

You need the "autorelease" after "alloc] init]" to balance the reference count.
Depending on how your .popover property is declared, you may or may not need the autorelease.
(you need the autorelease if it's a strong reference)

- (void)showMenu
{
    NSURL *urlToShare = hackyURL;
    NSArray *activityItems = @[urlToShare];
    TUSafariActivity *activity = [[[TUSafariActivity alloc] init] autorelease];
    
    UIActivityViewController *activityVC = [[[UIActivityViewController alloc]initWithActivityItems:activityItems applicationActivities:@[activity]] autorelease];
    activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = @[UIActivityTypeAssignToContact, UIActivityTypePostToWeibo, UIActivityTypeSaveToCameraRoll];
    
    if ([self.popover isPopoverVisible])
    {
        [self.popover dismissPopoverAnimated:YES];
        self.popover = nil;
    }
    else
    {
        self.popover = [[[UIPopoverController alloc]initWithContentViewController:activityVC] autorelease];
        [self.popover presentPopoverFromBarButtonItem:systemAction permittedArrowDirections:UIPopoverArrowDirectionAny animated:YES];
    }
    
}

 

[RagingGoat]

You need the "autorelease" after "alloc] init]" to balance the reference count.
Depending on how your .popover property is declared, you may or may not need the autorelease.
(you need the autorelease if it's a strong reference)

I am using ARC.

 

[dejo]

I am using ARC.

Then why are you autoreleasing here?:

TUSafariActivity *activity = [[[TUSafariActivity alloc] init] autorelease];

 

[RagingGoat]

Then why are you autoreleasing here?:

TUSafariActivity *activity = [[[TUSafariActivity alloc] init] autorelease];

I'm not. He added that to the code snippet when he suggested it.

 

[dejo]

I'm not. He added that to the code snippet when he suggested it.

Oops. My apologies.

 

[RagingGoat]

No problem.

 

[Punicasoft]

I am using ARC.

My Bad, you see I am not that into ARC (yet).

Another guess, since the excludedActivityTypes is a copy, I boldly assume it's their leak, not yours.

@property(nonatomic,copy) NSArray *excludedActivityTypes;

Maybe trying this can help forcing it to release?

    if ([self.popover isPopoverVisible])
    {
        [self.popover dismissPopoverAnimated:YES];
        UIActivityViewController *ac = (id)popover.contentViewController;
        ac.excludedActivityTypes = nil;
        self.popover = nil;
    }

 

[RagingGoat]

Maybe trying this can help forcing it to release?

    if ([self.popover isPopoverVisible])
    {
        [self.popover dismissPopoverAnimated:YES];
        UIActivityViewController *ac = (id)popover.contentViewController;
        ac.excludedActivityTypes = nil;
        self.popover = nil;
    }

Nope. Leak is still there.

 

[Punicasoft]

Um... try #3, what about replacing

    if ([self.popover isPopoverVisible])
    {
        // I am thinking maybe this path never get called?
        [self.popover dismissPopoverAnimated:YES];
        self.popover = nil;
    }
    else
    {
        self.popover = [[UIPopoverController alloc]initWithContentViewController:activityVC];
        [self.popover presentPopoverFromBarButtonItem:systemAction permittedArrowDirections:UIPopoverArrowDirectionAny animated:YES];
    }

with such

        UIPopoverController *po = [[UIPopoverController alloc]initWithContentViewController:activityVC];
        po.delegate = self;
        [po presentPopoverFromBarButtonItem:systemAction permittedArrowDirections:UIPopoverArrowDirectionAny animated:YES];

and add

- (void)popoverControllerDidDismissPopover:(UIPopoverController *)popoverController {
    
    UIActivityViewController *ac = (id)popoverController.contentViewController;
    ac.excludedActivityTypes = nil;

}

 

[RagingGoat]

It is coded the way it is because I want the user to be able to dismiss the popover by tapping the button again or by tapping an area outside of the popover. If I use the code you have, the app will crash if the user tries to dismiss the popover by tapping the button.

 

[Punicasoft]

It is coded the way it is because I want the user to be able to dismiss the popover by tapping the button again or by tapping an area outside of the popover. If I use the code you have, the app will crash if the user tries to dismiss the popover by tapping the button.

I hate memleaks as much as you do. And the following code should work unless my simulator is lying.
The code is in non-ARC and tested in non-ARC.

- (void)poShowHideButton:(UIBarButtonItem *)item {

    if (self.popover) {
        if ([self.popover isPopoverVisible]) {
            [self.popover dismissPopoverAnimated:YES];
        }
        return;
    }

    NSArray *activityItems = @[[NSURL URLWithString:@"http://www.test.com"]];
    
    UIActivityViewController *activityVC = [[[UIActivityViewController alloc]initWithActivityItems:activityItems applicationActivities:nil] autorelease];

    activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = @[UIActivityTypeAssignToContact, UIActivityTypePostToWeibo, UIActivityTypeSaveToCameraRoll];;
    
    activityVC.completionHandler = ^(NSString *service, BOOL completed) {
        activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;
        self.popover = nil;
    };
    self.popover = [[[UIPopoverController alloc]initWithContentViewController:activityVC] autorelease];
    [self.popover presentPopoverFromBarButtonItem:self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem permittedArrowDirections:UIPopoverArrowDirectionAny animated:YES];
}

 

[RagingGoat]

Thanks! That seems to have gotten rid of the leak. I do get a warning on this line:

activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;

The warning is:
Capturing 'activityVC' strongly in this block is likely to lead to a retain cycle

 

[ElectricSheep]

Thanks! That seems to have gotten rid of the leak. I do get a warning on this line:

activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;

The warning is:
Capturing 'activityVC' strongly in this block is likely to lead to a retain cycle

This is because by using 'activityVC' in the block, it now has a strong reference to it. If all other references are removed, activityVC will not be released until this block executes; the block will never execute because there are no longer any other references to activityVC.

The way around this is to create a weak reference to activityVC, and capture that in the block:

    UIActivityViewController * __weak weakActivityVC = activityVC;

    activityVC.completionHandler = ^(NSString *service, BOOL completed) {
        weakActivityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;
        self.popover = nil;
    };

This should remove the retain cycle warning.

 

[Duncan C]

This is because by using 'activityVC' in the block, it now has a strong reference to it. If all other references are removed, activityVC will not be released until this block executes; the block will never execute because there are no longer any other references to activityVC.

The way around this is to create a weak reference to activityVC, and capture that in the block:

    UIActivityViewController * __weak weakActivityVC = activityVC;

    activityVC.completionHandler = ^(NSString *service, BOOL completed) {
        weakActivityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;
        self.popover = nil;
    };

This should remove the retain cycle warning.

Although the reference to self is also likely to cause a retain cycle, so the OP probably also needs to fix that:

    UIActivityViewController * __weak weakActivityVC = activityVC;
    MyVCClass *  __weak myself = self;

    activityVC.completionHandler = ^(NSString *service, BOOL completed) {
        weakActivityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;
       myself.popover = nil;
    };

(where you would replace "MyVCClass" with the class name of the VC that is running this code.)

 

[MattInOz]

As I understand what your saying you want the user to be able tap the same button that the popover presents from again to dismiss the popover. But that button is already outside the popover frame and any tap outside the frame dismisses the popover and cancels the touch event.

So how will your button ever receive touch event to fire the problem code?

 

[Punicasoft]

Thanks! That seems to have gotten rid of the leak. I do get a warning on this line:

activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;

The warning is:
Capturing 'activityVC' strongly in this block is likely to lead to a retain cycle

I am not sure why this warning didn't pop in non-ARC code.
Despite the warning, there is no resource leaks,
since the completionHandler is say to be "set to nil after call" in the UIActivityViewController.h file,
thus breaking the retain loop.

@property(nonatomic,copy) UIActivityViewControllerCompletionHandler completionHandler;  // set to nil after call

Although the reference to self is also likely to cause a retain cycle, so the OP probably also needs to fix that:

    UIActivityViewController * __weak weakActivityVC = activityVC;
    MyVCClass *  __weak myself = self;

    activityVC.completionHandler = ^(NSString *service, BOOL completed) {
        weakActivityVC.excludedActivityTypes = nil;
       myself.popover = nil;
    };

(where you would replace "MyVCClass" with the class name of the VC that is running this code.)

activityVC is NOT strongly attached to any property in self, so there is no retain cycle

As I understand what your saying you want the user to be able tap the same button that the popover presents from again to dismiss the popover. But that button is already outside the popover frame and any tap outside the frame dismisses the popover and cancels the touch event.

So how will your button ever receive touch event to fire the problem code?

Tapping on the bar button did trigger the event.