NSRange.md

NSRange

Structure for representing a range with location and length in mulle-objc.

Structure Definition

typedef struct _NSRange {
   NSUInteger location;  // Starting index
   NSUInteger length;    // Number of items
} NSRange;

Functions

Range Creation

• NSMakeRange - Create range struct
• NSEmptyRange - Create empty range

Range Operations

• NSEqualRanges - Compare ranges
• NSLocationInRange - Check if location in range
• NSMaxRange - Get maximum location

Range Manipulation

• NSUnionRange - Combine ranges
• NSIntersectionRange - Intersect ranges

Usage Example

// Create range
NSRange range = NSMakeRange(0, 10);

// Check if location is in range
BOOL contains = NSLocationInRange(5, range);  // YES

// Get maximum location
NSUInteger max = NSMaxRange(range);  // 10

// Combine ranges
NSRange range1 = NSMakeRange(0, 5);
NSRange range2 = NSMakeRange(3, 5);
NSRange union = NSUnionRange(range1, range2);  // {0, 8}

// Intersect ranges
NSRange intersection = NSIntersectionRange(range1, range2);  // {3, 2}

Important Notes

1. Range Validation

   • Check for empty ranges
   • Validate indices
   • Handle overflow
   • Consider bounds

2. Performance

   • Pass by value
   • Avoid copying
   • Cache results
   • Use stack allocation

3. Best Practices

   • Check for overflow
   • Validate input
   • Document assumptions
   • Test edge cases
   • Consider zero length