How do you trigger a block after a delay, like -performSelector:withObject:afterDelay:?

📝👀📢 Are you curious about how to trigger a block after a delay, just like the mighty performSelector: withObject: afterDelay: method? 🤔💭 Well, buckle up, my fellow tech enthusiasts, because today we're diving into the world of delayed block execution with primitive parameters! 🚀🔧

So, picture this scenario: you want to call a block that takes a primitive parameter, like int, double, or float, but you also want it to execute after a certain delay. 🕒⏰ You might think this is a job exclusively for performSelector: withObject: afterDelay:, which sadly doesn't support primitive parameters. 😢

But fret not! I have two super cool solutions in my tech toolbox that will make your programming life easier than ever! 💪🛠️

1️⃣ Solution number one: good ol' dispatch_after to the rescue! 🚁🪓 This nifty asynchronous Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) function can execute a block after a specified delay. And the best part? It can handle those pesky primitive parameters like a champ! 💥🌪️

Here's a neat code snippet to get you started:

int myPrimitiveParameter = 42;
double delayInSeconds = 2.5;

dispatch_after(dispatch_time(DISPATCH_TIME_NOW, (int64_t)(delayInSeconds * NSEC_PER_SEC)), dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
    // Your awesome block code goes here, with access to `myPrimitiveParameter`
});

And just like that, your block will be executed after the specified delay, with your primitive parameter ready for action! 🎉🏋️‍♀️

2️⃣ Not a fan of GCD? No worries, there's another approach for you! 😎🤘 You can create a category on NSObject to add a method that takes a block with primitive parameters and executes it after a delay. 🌟🛠️

Here's a quick example to help you get started:

// NSObject+DelayBlock.h
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>

@interface NSObject (DelayBlock)
- (void)performBlock:(void (^)(void))block withObject:(id)parameter afterDelay:(NSTimeInterval)delay;
@end

// NSObject+DelayBlock.m
#import "NSObject+DelayBlock.h"

@implementation NSObject (DelayBlock)
- (void)performBlock:(void (^)(void))block withObject:(id)parameter afterDelay:(NSTimeInterval)delay {
    dispatch_after(dispatch_time(DISPATCH_TIME_NOW, (int64_t)(delay * NSEC_PER_SEC)), dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
        if (block) {
            block(parameter);
        }
    });
}
@end

And now, you can use this method just like you would use performSelector: withObject: afterDelay:, but with the added support for primitive parameters! 🙌🔧

int myPrimitiveParameter = 42;
double delayInSeconds = 2.5;

[self performBlock:^(void){
    // Your amazing block code goes here, with access to `myPrimitiveParameter`
} withObject:@(myPrimitiveParameter) afterDelay:delayInSeconds];

Your block will be executed after the specified delay, with your primitive parameter intact and ready to rock! 🎸🎤

Now that you have two awesome solutions in your tech arsenal, go forth and conquer the world of delayed block execution with primitive parameters! 🌍🚀 But don't stop there! Share your wisdom in the comments below and let's dive into even more ways to tackle this problem. Together, we can level up our coding skills! 💪💻✨