What is the difference between class and instance methods?

Question

What\'s the difference between a class method and an instance method?

Are instance methods the accessors (getters and setters) while class methods are pretty much ev

Answer 1

I think the best way to understand this is to look at alloc and init. It was this explanation that allowed me to understand the differences.

Class Method

A class method is applied to the class as a whole. If you check the alloc method, that's a class method denoted by the + before the method declaration. It's a class method because it is applied to the class to make a specific instance of that class.

Instance Method

You use an instance method to modify a specific instance of a class that is unique to that instance, rather than to the class as a whole. init for example (denoted with a - before the method declaration), is an instance method because you are normally modifying the properties of that class after it has been created with alloc.

Example

NSString *myString = [NSString alloc];

You are calling the class method alloc in order to generate an instance of that class. Notice how the receiver of the message is a class.

[myString initWithFormat:@"Hope this answer helps someone"];

You are modifying the instance of NSString called myString by setting some properties on that instance. Notice how the receiver of the message is an instance (object of class NSString).