Can you initialize an array with an array that may have been autoreleased?

Question

I am trying to figure out an out of bound index issue i am getting in my newArray object. I pass in oldArray to the method and then use the following:

newArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray:oldArray];

If oldArray has been released, would i get an error at this line, or would I get an out of bounds exception when I try to access newArray?

Answer 1

No, the above code makes a copy of oldArray into newArray. Changing oldArray in any way (including releasing it) will have no impact on newArray, and in any case would certainly not cause a bounds exception.

The most likely cause is that oldArray is nil at this point, so newArray is an empty array when you don't expect it to be. Alternately, oldArray may not have as many elements in it as you think it does. Bounds exception means you're reading past the end of the array. It does not have anything to do with memory management.