+(void) initialize in objective-c class static variables constructor
This +initialize
method is described in The Objective-C Programming Language.
The runtime system sends an
initialize
message to every class object before the class receives any other messages and after its superclass has received theinitialize
message. This gives the class a chance to set up its runtime environment before it’s used. If no initialization is required, you don’t need to write aninitialize
method to respond to the message.
For example, when [DecimalPointButton alloc]
is called, the runtime will check if [DecimalPointButton initialize]
has been called. If not, it will +initialize
the class. This ensure the backgroundImageDepressed
image is ready before any instances of DecimalPointButton are constructed.