Question about GHI #508 - Do I understand this task correctly?

[reactive-firewall]

Originally miss-placed question from GH issue comment

sorry I saw the code-of-conduct a bit late, this is a re-post of a question I asked about GitHub Issue #508

---

TL;DR - is this just about the transparency part of the call?

We should not have to include a call to __NSInitializeProcess(argc, argv); in an app's main function when there isn't a nib file.

In regards to headless apps like an Objective-C CLI tool:

My reasoning (a sort-of Rationale)

While I'm confused by (the part around lines 205-207):

ravynos/Frameworks/Foundation/NSProcessInfo.m

Lines 202 to 225 in d9cd8da

	FOUNDATION_EXPORT void __NSInitializeProcess(int argc,const char *argv[]) {
	NSProcessInfoArgc=argc;
	NSProcessInfoArgv=argv;
	#if !defined(APPLE_RUNTIME_4) && !defined(__RAVYNOS__)
	OBJCInitializeProcess();
	#endif
	#if defined(__APPLE__) || defined(__RAVYNOS__)
	Class cls = objc_getClass("__builtin_NSString");
	memcpy(&__NSConstantStringClassReference, cls, sizeof(__NSConstantStringClassReference));
	#if __LP64__
	extern int __CFConstantStringClassReference[24];
	#else
	extern int __CFConstantStringClassReference[12];
	#endif
	cls = objc_getClass("NSDarwinString");
	memcpy(&__CFConstantStringClassReference, cls, sizeof(__CFConstantStringClassReference));
	// Override the compiler version of the class
	//objc_addClass(&_NSConstantStringClassReference);
	#endif
	}

which avoids calling initializing code for new process except for __apple__ and __ravynos__ beforehand, but if all this is doing is the bootstrap for the Darwinstrings we are basicly following CocoTron's example (or did they follow RavynOS 🤷) of separating out the darwin string stuff:

https://github.com/cjwl/cocotron/blob/9cda7d719428a8ff940b134e391e511104ee0b5d/Foundation/NSString/NSDarwinString.h#L1-L19

this is assuming the rest is just setting up the constant immutable/builtin/darwin strings for the app process? Or did I miss something big?

---

my assumptions

my understanding from CLI tools on Apple's implementation (e.g., where the most of my own Objective-C experience comes from) is that the main function of an app need only setup a release-pool (typically @autorelease these days) and then launch the program's process (often via appKit for nibs/GUI) and the Objective-C libraries (typically linked via Foundation or <objc/*.h>) e.g.,

https://github.com/kendrick-walls-work/XCMBuild/blob/3d767d2e5f0ffe031ff136970a493b162daba797/XCMBuild/XCMake/main.m#L46-L56

Which from the look of __ravynOS__ code in my neophyte 👀 (eyes) means the string stuff for constant strings of processes in memory (I guess for debuggers and inter-process stuff?) for nib-less apps should just be handled by importing the __ravynOS__ Foundation to leverage the libmain:

ravynos/Frameworks/Foundation/platform_bsd/libmain.m

Line 66 in d9cd8da

__NSInitializeProcess(argc,argv);

(which calls __NSInitializeProcess already)

Conclusion

Thus ensuring Foundation transparently calls its own libmain when the linking code (e.g., where it #import <NSFoundation/NSFoundation.h>) has no nib-file is enough; and this GHI's goal is about how that responsibility should be ensured by AppKit?

In summation: do I understand this issue correctly, or have I gone astray?

Important

I'm still unfamiliar with much of the RavynOS project and appreciate your efforts and patience. 🙇

---

[reactive-firewall]

cc @mszoek