Initial objective-c docs

book/src/SUMMARY.md

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     - [Replacing One Type with Another](./replacing-types.md)
     - [Preventing the Derivation of `Copy` and `Clone`](./nocopy.md)
 - [Generating Bindings to C++](./cpp.md)
+- [Generating Bindings to Objective-c](./objc.md)
 - [Using Unions](./using-unions.md)
 - [Using Bitfields](./using-bitfields.md)
 - [FAQ](./faq.md)

book/src/objc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# Generating Bindings to Objective-C
+
+`bindgen` does not (yet) have full objective-c support but it can generate bindings
+for a lot of the apple frameworks without too much blacklisting.
+
+In order to generate bindings, you will need `-x objective-c` as the clang
+args. If you'd like to use [block](https://crates.io/crates/block) you will need
+`-fblocks` as a clang arg as well.
+
+Depending on your setup, you may need `--generate-block` to generate the block
+function aliases and `--block-extern-crate` to insert a `extern crate block` at
+the beginning of the generated bindings. The same logic applies to the
+`--objc-extern-crate` parameter.
+
+The objective-c classes will be represented as a `struct Foo(id)` and a trait
+`IFoo` where `Foo` is the objective-c class and `id` is an alias for `*mut
+objc::runtime::Object` (the pointer to the objective-c instance). The trait
+`IFoo` is needed to allow for the generated inheritance.
+
+Each class (struct) has an `alloc` and a `dealloc` to match that of some of the alloc
+methods found in `NSObject`.
+
+In order to initialize a class `Foo`, you will have to do something like `let
+foo = Foo(Foo::alloc().initWithStuff())`.
+
+
+## Supported Features
+* Inheritance matched to rust traits with prefixes of `I` which
+stands for interface.
+* Protocols which match to rust traits with prefixes of `P` which
+stands for Protocol.
+* Classes will generate `struct Foo(id)` where `Foo` is the class
+name and `id` is a pointer to the objective-c Object.
+* Blocks
+
+## Useful Notes
+* If you're targeting `aarch64-apple-ios`, you'll need to have the clang arg
+`--target=arm64-apple-ios` as mentioned
+[here](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust-bindgen/issues/1211#issuecomment-569804287).
+* The generated bindings will almost certainly have some conflicts so you will
+have to blacklist a few things. There are a few cases of the parameters being
+poorly named in the objective-c headers. But if you're using anything with
+Core Foundation, you'll find that `time.h` as has a variable called timezone that
+conflicts with some of the things in `NSCalendar.h`.
+* Some small subset of the function headers in the apple frameworks go against
+apple's guidelines for parameter names and duplicate the names in the header
+which won't compile as mentioned
+[here](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust-bindgen/issues/1705).
+* instancetype return methods does not return `Self` for you given class, it
+returns a `mut * objc::runtime::Objc` which is aliased as `id`. This is because
+objective-c's inheritance doesn't perfectly match that of rusts.
+* Depending on what you're trying `bindgen` against, you may end up including
+all of Core Foundation and any other frameworks. This will result in a very
+long compile time.
+
+## Not (yet) Supported
+* Nullablibility attributes which return `Option`s.
+* Probably many other things. Feel free to [open an issue](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust-bindgen/issues).
+
+# Example crate(s)
+* [uikit-sys](https://github.com/simlay/uikit-sys)