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Ocky Wiemeijer
5,451 PointsWhy is '@class FactBook' used instead of importing the class header for FactBook?
Why only import FactBook.h in the implementation file of ViewController (ViewController.m) and not in ViewController.h?
2 Answers
Thorsten Herbst
11,935 PointsThere is a programming rule in OOP called forward declaration. This is what Michael meant. FD is used if you want to reference a property, but use it later in the program. Its a good paradigm to promise to the compiler "Hey Compiler, i know you want always a definition of a property, but here is a property and I promise that this property will be DECLARED when you need it"
hope that helps for better understanding Thorsten
Michael Vilabrera
Courses Plus Student 11,252 Pointsconsider the @class as an IOU for the compiler. since the .h file does not create any objects, the @class will reserve space for a pointer. inside the .m we will need to use the #import directive to create the pointer for the object, so we must use #import.
answer is in greater detail here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/322597/class-vs-import