Does the result of CGImageGetColorSpace(image) have to be released?

Question

I'm scaling a CGImageRef. I found various code examples on the web that begin like so:

CGColorSpaceRef colorspace = CGImageGetColorSpace(image); // "Get" color space

CGContextRef context = CGBitmapContextCreate(NULL, width, height,
    CGImageGetBitsPerComponent(image),
    CGImageGetBytesPerRow(image),
    colorspace,
    CGImageGetAlphaInfo(image));

CGColorSpaceRelease(colorspace); // Really?

As you can see above, the colorspace is released. However, when I do that my code works most of the time, but crashes once in a while, because sometimes that colorspace instance is already gone. The API docs say:

You are responsible for retaining and releasing the color space as necessary.

Does that mean I must release it? I assumed the convention was that only results of calls with "Create" in the name return objects that have to be released explicitly. Does this mean the examples on the web are simply wrong when releasing that CGColorSpaceRef?

Answer 1

As the API docs say, you are responsible for retaining and releasing the color space as necessary. I.e. if you need, retain it. If you do not retain, don't release. Read more about it here