[johnMG]

In other (C++) API's I've dealt with, there's been a distinction between
member functions (err.. methods) that *you* (the client programmer)
call when you need to use them, and methods that the *system* calls
for you that you may override in your classes for specific stuff you
want done (ex. NSView::-awakeFromNib: and NSView::-drawRect:, init:).

I've always referred to these as "hook functions" because they provide
hooks into the API onto which you can attach your code.

Is there a special name for them in Objective-C/Cocoa?

[00101001]

Hooks and callbacks are C-esque, In objC, I just refer to it as overriding methods (/subclassing)... eh, people will understand you pretty much no matter what.

[Angus_D]

There are also other things you should be aware of which have specific terms, such as delegate methods.

[johnMG]

Thanks. I guess the docs are pretty clear about which methods are ... erm, which messages get sent to your GUI objects by the NSApplication (I think that's who divvies out the messages to the different NSView).

There are also other things you should be aware of which have specific terms, such as delegate methods.

At first I thought "delegate method" was the term I was looking for, but I see now that it's a different animal. :)