What's this?

A tiny library of Objective-C macros to aid concision, @morph, @var and @with. In use, code completion and Xcode indentation work sanely. Examples follow, and you'll find more details in the header file, and more examples in the unit tests.

Examples

@morph

Because there's really no better way, you see this a lot in iOS code

CGRect frame = view.frame;
frame.size.width += 10;
view.frame = frame;

With @morph, you replace it with a one-liner

@morph(view.frame, _.size.width += 10);

For more complex manipulations

@morph(view.frame, {
    _.size.width += 10;
    _.origin.y = 15;
 });

@var

Normally, you declare and initialize a local variable like this:

NSMutableArray *arr = [NSMutableArray array];

But do you need to specify NSMutableArray twice? Usually, the typeof is indentical for both expressions. Instead, we can use what the compiler already knows to do this

@var(arr, [NSMutableArray array]);

Bonus: variable declarations line up a little better:

@var(sillyString, @"Flibberty Slazzozalmockle!!");
@var(set, [NSMutableSet set]);
@var(count, 1);

@with

Sometimes you want to do a bunch of things with one object. Like this request:

MySuperDescriptivelyNamedRequest *request = [[MySuperDescriptivelyNamedRequest alloc] init];
request.accountId = accountId;
request.successBlock = successBlock;
request.failureBlock = failureBlock;
[self executeRequest:request];

Using @with, this would be

@with([[MySuperDescriptivelyNamedRequest alloc] init], {
    _.accountId = accountId;
    _.successBlock = successBlock;
    _.failureBlock = failureBlock;
    [self executeRequest:_];
});

How to use?

Download VARMacros.h, add to your Xcode project, and #import.

A CocoaPod is on the way, or feel free to create one & pull request.

Questions, objections, ...

What's _?
It's a local variable. Yes, it's allowed.

Does this use blocks?
No. Where needed, the macros use C scoping. The curly braces you see in the examples, same (e.g. @macroname(thing, { // my C-scoped stuff });)

MACROS BAD!!
1. Apple uses them.
2. These are pretty simple macros.
3. I disagree, but OK, don't use them.

This hides behavior
You mean like the ones and zeros you are reading right now?

This is {ugly, confusing, unclear}
Tastes vary. So far, aesthetically, I like code using these macros better. It's almost always objectively shorter. To me, once you know what the macros do, the code is also clearer.

This is {inadvisable, dangerous, crazy}
Possibly, to be determined.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE.md.