NSInvocation getReturnValue: called inside forwardInvocation: makes the returned object call dealloc:

Here's a standalone test.m file that I'm using to test the behavior.

To compile: clang test.m -o test.app -fobjc-arc -ObjC -framework Foundation. Make sure the Xcode command-line tools are installed.

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>

@protocol Protocol

@optional
- (id)objProxyMethod;

@end

@interface ReturnObject: NSObject

@end

@interface Test : NSObject <Protocol>

@end

@interface Proxy : NSObject <Protocol>

- (id)objProxyMethod;

@end

@implementation ReturnObject

- (void)dealloc {
    NSLog(@"ERROR:");
    NSLog(@"I'm getting deallocated!");
    NSLog(@"This shouldn't happen!");
}

- (NSString *)description {
    return @"Blank object!";
}

@end

@implementation Proxy

- (id)objProxyMethod {
    NSLog(@"in [Proxy objProxyMethod]!");
    return [[ReturnObject alloc] init];
}

@end

@implementation Test

- (void)forwardInvocation:(NSInvocation *)invocation {
    NSLog(@"Forwarded invocation!");
    Proxy *proxy = [[Proxy alloc] init];
    [invocation invokeWithTarget: proxy];
    NSUInteger length = [[invocation methodSignature] methodReturnLength];
    if (length == 8) {
        id result;
        [invocation getReturnValue:&result];
    }
}

@end

int main () {
    Test *test = [[Test alloc] init];
    id objResult = [test objProxyMethod];
    NSLog(@"objResult = \"%@\"", objResult);

    return 0;
}

If I comment out [invocation getReturnValue:&result];, the returned object isn't deallocated. I don't know if this is a bug, or just me misunderstanding how NSInvocation works.