iOS 7 Programming Cookbook

7.16. Invoking Background Methods

Problem

You want to know an easy way to create threads without having to deal with threads directly.

Solution

Use the performSelectorInBackground:withObject: instance method of NSObject:

- (BOOL)            application:(UIApplication *)application
  didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions{
    
    [self performSelectorInBackground:@selector(firstCounter)
                           withObject:nil];
    
    [self performSelectorInBackground:@selector(secondCounter)
                           withObject:nil];
    
    [self performSelectorInBackground:@selector(thirdCounter)
                           withObject:nil];
    
    self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:
                   [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds]];
    self.window.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
    [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
    return YES;
}

The counter methods are implemented in this way:

- (void) firstCounter{
    
    @autoreleasepool {
        NSUInteger counter = 0;
        for (counter = 0;
             counter < 1000;
             counter++){
            NSLog(@"First Counter = %lu", (unsigned long)counter);
        }
    }
    
}

- (void) secondCounter{
    
    @autoreleasepool {
        NSUInteger counter = 0;
        for (counter = 0;
             counter < 1000;
             counter++){
            NSLog(@"Second Counter = %lu", (unsigned long)counter);
        }
    }
    
}

- (void) thirdCounter{
    
    @autoreleasepool {
        NSUInteger counter = 0;
        for (counter = 0;
             counter < 1000;
             counter++){
            NSLog(@"Third Counter = %lu", (unsigned long)counter);
        }
    }
    
}

Discussion

The performSelectorInBackground:withObject: method creates a new thread in the background for us. This is equivalent to creating a new thread for the selectors. The most important thing we have ...