NSOperationQueue: Trouble understanding the order [duplicate] - ios

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NSOperationQueue serial FIFO queue
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I'm having trouble understanding the way NSOperationQueue works.
Say I have:
NSOperationQueue *queue = [[NSOperationQueue alloc] init];
queue.maxConcurrentOperationCount=1;
[queue addOperationWithBlock:^{
[someObject someSelector];
}];
[queue addOperationWithBlock:^{
[someObject anotherSelector];
}];
The second block is being called even before the first block finishes - the opposite of what I want. I tried using – performSelectorOnMainThread:withObject:waitUntilDone: instead, but the second block is still being executed first - presumably because the block thread is not being completed on the main thread, and so it is not blocked with waitUntilDone. I added a break point inside my someSelector block, and it is reached after a break point inside the second block.
I don't quite get it. Help me!!

Answer 1

If there are explicit dependencies between the operations, then use addDependency:
NSOperationQueue *queue = [[NSOperationQueue alloc] init];
queue.maxConcurrentOperationCount=1;
NSOperation *operation1 = [NSBlockOperation blockOperationWithBlock:^{
[someObject someSelector];
}];
NSOperation *operation2 = [NSBlockOperation blockOperationWithBlock:^{
[someObject anotherSelector];
}];
[operation2 addDependency:operation1];
[queue addOperation:operation1];
[queue addOperation:operation2];
If your operations are doing asynchronous activity, then you should define a custom operation, and only call completeOperation (which will post the isFinished message) when the asynchronous task is done).
// SomeOperation.h
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
#interface SomeOperation : NSOperation
#end
and
// SomeOperation.m
#import "SomeOperation.h"
#interface SomeOperation ()
#property (nonatomic, readwrite, getter = isFinished) BOOL finished;
#property (nonatomic, readwrite, getter = isExecuting) BOOL executing;
#end
#implementation SomeOperation
#synthesize finished = _finished;
#synthesize executing = _executing;
#pragma Configure basic operation
- (id)init
{
self = [super init];
if (self) {
_finished = NO;
_executing = NO;
}
return self;
}
- (void)start
{
if ([self isCancelled]) {
self.finished = YES;
return;
}
self.executing = YES;
[self main];
}
- (void)completeOperation
{
self.executing = NO;
self.finished = YES;
}
- (void)main
{
// start some asynchronous operation
// when it's done, call `completeOperation`
}
#pragma mark - Standard NSOperation methods
- (BOOL)isConcurrent
{
return YES;
}
- (void)setExecuting:(BOOL)executing
{
[self willChangeValueForKey:#"isExecuting"];
_executing = executing;
[self didChangeValueForKey:#"isExecuting"];
}
- (void)setFinished:(BOOL)finished
{
[self willChangeValueForKey:#"isFinished"];
_finished = finished;
[self didChangeValueForKey:#"isFinished"];
}
#end
Thus, with the following code, it won't start operation2 until the asynchronous task initiated in main in SomeOperation object, operation1, calls its completeOperation method.
NSOperationQueue *queue = [[NSOperationQueue alloc] init];
queue.maxConcurrentOperationCount=1;
NSOperation *operation1 = [[SomeOperation alloc] init];
NSOperation *operation2 = [NSBlockOperation blockOperationWithBlock:^{
[someObject anotherSelector];
}];
[operation2 addDependency:operation1];
[queue addOperation:operation1];
[queue addOperation:operation2];