Disposing of Apple Event Data Structures

Whenever you use Apple Event Manager functions to create a

descriptor record, descriptor list, or Apple event record, the

Apple Event Manager allocates memory for these data structures.

Likewise, when you extract a descriptor record by using

copy of the descriptor record for you to use.

Whenever you are done using a descriptor record or descriptor list that you

have created or extracted from an Apple event, you must dispose of the

descriptor record-and thereby deallocate the memory it uses-by calling the

Also, when you are done using the Apple event specified in the AESend

function and finished with the reply Apple event, you should dispose of their

descriptor records using the AEDisposeDesc function. You should dispose of

them even if AESend returns a nonzero result code.

Once you are done using them, you should dispose of any Apple event data

structures created or returned by these functions:

Even if you add a descriptor record to an Apple event (for example, when you

create a descriptor record by calling AECreateDesc and then put a copy of it

into a parameter of an Apple event by calling AEPutParamDesc), you're

still responsible for disposing

of the original descriptor record.

In one case, the Apple Event Manager does take care of disposing of the

Apple event data structures for you: when your handler returns to

event and the reply Apple event. Note that your handler is still responsible for

disposing of any Apple event data structures created when extracting data from

the Apple event. The Apple event and reply Apple event that your handler

receives are only copies of the originals. The client application is responsible

for disposing of the original data structures.

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