Recursive method with block and stop arguments - ios

Question

I've written a category on UIView that allows me to walk the view hierarchy:
UIView+Capture.h
typedef void(^MSViewInspectionBlock)(UIView *view, BOOL *stop);
#interface UIView (Capture)
- (void)inspectViewHeirarchy:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block;
#end
UIView+Capture.m
#implementation UIView (Capture)
- (void)inspectViewHeirarchy:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block
{
BOOL stop = NO;
[self inspectViewHeirarchy:block stop:stop];
}
#pragma - Private
- (void)inspectViewHeirarchy:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block stop:(BOOL)stop
{
if (!block || stop) {
return;
}
block(self, &stop);
for (UIView *view in self.subviews) {
[view inspectViewHeirarchy:block stop:stop];
if (stop) {
break;
}
}
}
#end
Which you can use like so:
[[[UIApplication sharedApplication] keyWindow] inspectViewHeirarchy:^(UIView *view, BOOL *stop) {
if ([view isMemberOfClass:[UIScrollView class]]) {
NSLog(#"Found scroll view!");
*stop = YES;
}
}];
Everything works fine, except setting stop to YES. This appears to have absolutely no effect whatsoever. Ideally, I'd like this to halt the recursion, so when I've found the view I want to take some action on I don't have to continue to traverse the rest of the view hierarchy.
I'm pretty dense when it comes to using blocks, so it may be something completely obvious. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

The way you're using a block is exactly the same as using a C function. So there's nothing special you really need to know about blocks. Your code should work but note the difference between passing stop as a BOOL * to your block and to create a new local when you recurse.
It looks like you're expecting calls down to inspectViewHierarchy:stop: to affect the outer stop variable. That won't happen unless you pass it as a reference. So I think what you want is:
- (void)inspectViewHeirarchy:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block stop:(BOOL *)stop
...and appropriate other changes.

Answer 2

I assume you want to return all the way out from the top-level inspectViewHierarchy when the user sets stop to YES.
(Incidentally, you spelled “hierarchy” wrong and you should use a prefix on methods you add to standard classes.)
#implementation UIView (Capture)
- (void)micpringle_visitSubviewsRecursivelyWithBlock:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block
{
BOOL stop = NO;
[self inspectViewHierarchy:block stop:&stop];
}
#pragma - Private
- (void)micpringle_visitSubviewsRecursivelyWithBlock:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block stop:(BOOL *)stop
{
block(self, stop);
if (*stop)
return;
for (UIView *view in self.subviews) {
[view micpringle_visitSubviewsRecursivelyWithBlock:block stop:stop];
if (*stop)
break;
}
}
#end

Answer 3

- (BOOL) inspectViewHeirarchy:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block
{
BOOL stop = NO;
block(self, &stop);
if (stop)
return YES;
for (UIView *view in self.subviews) {
if ([view inspectViewHeirarchy:block])
return YES;
}
return NO;
}

Answer 4

Try this:
- (void)inspectViewHeirarchy:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block
{
__block BOOL stop = NO;
[self inspectViewHeirarchy:block stop:stop];
}

Answer 5

Blocks, by nature, copy the variables and context in which they are declared.
Even though you are passing the boolean as a reference, it's possible that it's using a copy of the context and not the true stop.
This is just a wild guess but, inside inspectViewHierarchy:stop: do something like:
- (void)inspectViewHeirarchy:(MSViewInspectionBlock)block stop:(BOOL)stop
{
if (!block || stop) {
return;
}
// Add these changes
__block BOOL blockStop = stop;
block(self, &blockStop);
for (UIView *view in self.subviews) {
[view inspectViewHeirarchy:block stop:stop];
if (stop) {
break;
}
}
}
This may be a long shot and I'm not 100% sure it will work without having your project, but it's worth a shot.
Also, refactor your method so "heirarchy" is actually spelled "hierarchy" :] It's good for reusability and for keeping a good code base ;)

Answer 6

wouldn't you want to check the status of 'stop' directly after you invoke the block? It doesn't help to invoke it after you call inspectViewHierarchy:stop: because you are passing a copy of 'stop' to that method instead of the reference.