源码就在那，你看或不看，理解真的不一样。
你以为的+initialize方法是什么样的呢？
是不是觉得跟+load方法一样都是调用指针？或者是还是objc_msgSend方法调用？
还有下面这几个问题能否得到很好的解答？

student继承person,两个类都有自己的+eat。
1.当两个中都写了initialize函数,先执行哪个后执行哪个？
2.当student中没写initialize函数，那么person中的initialize函数会执行几次。
3.如果student person 和他们的分类中都写了initialize函数，那么会执行哪个？

如果上面的问题，你有了自己的答案，那么多问自己几个为什么？为什么会这样。

我们下面直接从源码入手，进入正题.

+initialize方法会在类第一次接收到消息时调用

image.png

通过上图可以找到我们应该找的地方在哪里。
objc_msgSend_uncached
lookUpImpOrForward

objc_msgSend_uncached我们可以关联到，既然是发送消息肯定要去找方法。

/***********************************************************************
* class_getInstanceMethod.  Return the instance method for the
* specified class and selector.
**********************************************************************/
Method class_getInstanceMethod(Class cls, SEL sel)
{
    if (!cls  ||  !sel) return nil;

    // This deliberately avoids +initialize because it historically did so.

    // This implementation is a bit weird because it's the only place that 
    // wants a Method instead of an IMP.

#warning fixme build and search caches
        
    // Search method lists, try method resolver, etc.
    lookUpImpOrNil(cls, sel, nil, 
                   NO/*initialize*/, NO/*cache*/, YES/*resolver*/);

#warning fixme build and search caches

    return _class_getMethod(cls, sel);
}

通过lookUpImpOrNil请注意往下看

lookUpImpOrNil函数

/***********************************************************************
* lookUpImpOrNil.
* Like lookUpImpOrForward, but returns nil instead of _objc_msgForward_impcache
**********************************************************************/
IMP lookUpImpOrNil(Class cls, SEL sel, id inst, 
                   bool initialize, bool cache, bool resolver)
{
    IMP imp = lookUpImpOrForward(cls, sel, inst, initialize, cache, resolver);
    if (imp == _objc_msgForward_impcache) return nil;
    else return imp;
}

这里我们就可以观察到lookUpImpOrForward这个函数

lookUpImpOrForward函数，

IMP lookUpImpOrForward(Class cls, SEL sel, id inst, 
                       bool initialize, bool cache, bool resolver)
{
    IMP imp = nil;
    bool triedResolver = NO;

    runtimeLock.assertUnlocked();

    // Optimistic cache lookup
    if (cache) {
        imp = cache_getImp(cls, sel);
        if (imp) return imp;
    }

    // runtimeLock is held during isRealized and isInitialized checking
    // to prevent races against concurrent realization.

    // runtimeLock is held during method search to make
    // method-lookup + cache-fill atomic with respect to method addition.
    // Otherwise, a category could be added but ignored indefinitely because
    // the cache was re-filled with the old value after the cache flush on
    // behalf of the category.

    runtimeLock.read();

    if (!cls->isRealized()) {
        // Drop the read-lock and acquire the write-lock.
        // realizeClass() checks isRealized() again to prevent
        // a race while the lock is down.
        runtimeLock.unlockRead();
        runtimeLock.write();

        realizeClass(cls);

        runtimeLock.unlockWrite();
        runtimeLock.read();
    }

    if (initialize  &&  !cls->isInitialized()) { //从这里可以看到，isInitialized函数的调用，如果需要initialize并且这个类没有initialize，就走下面的方法
        runtimeLock.unlockRead();
        _class_initialize (_class_getNonMetaClass(cls, inst)); //_class_initialize
        runtimeLock.read();
        // If sel == initialize, _class_initialize will send +initialize and 
        // then the messenger will send +initialize again after this 
        // procedure finishes. Of course, if this is not being called 
        // from the messenger then it won't happen. 2778172
    }

    
 retry:    
    runtimeLock.assertReading();

    // Try this class's cache.

    imp = cache_getImp(cls, sel);
    if (imp) goto done;

    // Try this class's method lists.
    {
        Method meth = getMethodNoSuper_nolock(cls, sel);
        if (meth) {
            log_and_fill_cache(cls, meth->imp, sel, inst, cls);
            imp = meth->imp;
            goto done;
        }
    }

    // Try superclass caches and method lists.
    {
        unsigned attempts = unreasonableClassCount();
        for (Class curClass = cls->superclass;
             curClass != nil;
             curClass = curClass->superclass)
        {
            // Halt if there is a cycle in the superclass chain.
            if (--attempts == 0) {
                _objc_fatal("Memory corruption in class list.");
            }
            
            // Superclass cache.
            imp = cache_getImp(curClass, sel);
            if (imp) {
                if (imp != (IMP)_objc_msgForward_impcache) {
                    // Found the method in a superclass. Cache it in this class.
                    log_and_fill_cache(cls, imp, sel, inst, curClass);
                    goto done;
                }
                else {
                    // Found a forward:: entry in a superclass.
                    // Stop searching, but don't cache yet; call method 
                    // resolver for this class first.
                    break;
                }
            }
            
            // Superclass method list.
            Method meth = getMethodNoSuper_nolock(curClass, sel);
            if (meth) {
                log_and_fill_cache(cls, meth->imp, sel, inst, curClass);
                imp = meth->imp;
                goto done;
            }
        }
    }

    // No implementation found. Try method resolver once.

    if (resolver  &&  !triedResolver) {
        runtimeLock.unlockRead();
        _class_resolveMethod(cls, sel, inst);
        runtimeLock.read();
        // Don't cache the result; we don't hold the lock so it may have 
        // changed already. Re-do the search from scratch instead.
        triedResolver = YES;
        goto retry;
    }

    // No implementation found, and method resolver didn't help. 
    // Use forwarding.

    imp = (IMP)_objc_msgForward_impcache;
    cache_fill(cls, sel, imp, inst);

 done:
    runtimeLock.unlockRead();

    return imp;
}

_class_initialize函数,仔细看通过这里可以解释为什么父类的方法要先于子类的方法进行调用

/***********************************************************************
* class_initialize.  Send the '+initialize' message on demand to any
* uninitialized class. Force initialization of superclasses first.
**********************************************************************/
void _class_initialize(Class cls)
{
    assert(!cls->isMetaClass());

    Class supercls;
    bool reallyInitialize = NO;

    // Make sure super is done initializing BEFORE beginning to initialize cls.
    // See note about deadlock above.
    supercls = cls->superclass; //判断是否有父类存在，有的话就递归调用父类
    if (supercls  &&  !supercls->isInitialized()) {
        _class_initialize(supercls);
    }
    
    // Try to atomically set CLS_INITIALIZING.
    {
        monitor_locker_t lock(classInitLock);
        if (!cls->isInitialized() && !cls->isInitializing()) {
            cls->setInitializing();
            reallyInitialize = YES;
        }
    }
    
    if (reallyInitialize) {
        // We successfully set the CLS_INITIALIZING bit. Initialize the class.
        
        // Record that we're initializing this class so we can message it.
        _setThisThreadIsInitializingClass(cls);

        if (MultithreadedForkChild) {
            // LOL JK we don't really call +initialize methods after fork().
            performForkChildInitialize(cls, supercls);
            return;
        }
        
        // Send the +initialize message.
        // Note that +initialize is sent to the superclass (again) if 
        // this class doesn't implement +initialize. 2157218
        if (PrintInitializing) {
            _objc_inform("INITIALIZE: thread %p: calling +[%s initialize]",
                         pthread_self(), cls->nameForLogging());
        }

        // Exceptions: A +initialize call that throws an exception 
        // is deemed to be a complete and successful +initialize.
        //
        // Only __OBJC2__ adds these handlers. !__OBJC2__ has a
        // bootstrapping problem of this versus CF's call to
        // objc_exception_set_functions().
#if __OBJC2__
        @try
#endif
        {
            callInitialize(cls);//调用Initialize方法

            if (PrintInitializing) {
                _objc_inform("INITIALIZE: thread %p: finished +[%s initialize]",
                             pthread_self(), cls->nameForLogging());
            }
        }
#if __OBJC2__
        @catch (...) {
            if (PrintInitializing) {
                _objc_inform("INITIALIZE: thread %p: +[%s initialize] "
                             "threw an exception",
                             pthread_self(), cls->nameForLogging());
            }
            @throw;
        }
        @finally
#endif
        {
            // Done initializing.
            lockAndFinishInitializing(cls, supercls);
        }
        return;
    }
    
    else if (cls->isInitializing()) {
        // We couldn't set INITIALIZING because INITIALIZING was already set.
        // If this thread set it earlier, continue normally.
        // If some other thread set it, block until initialize is done.
        // It's ok if INITIALIZING changes to INITIALIZED while we're here, 
        //   because we safely check for INITIALIZED inside the lock 
        //   before blocking.
        if (_thisThreadIsInitializingClass(cls)) {
            return;
        } else if (!MultithreadedForkChild) {
            waitForInitializeToComplete(cls);
            return;
        } else {
            // We're on the child side of fork(), facing a class that
            // was initializing by some other thread when fork() was called.
            _setThisThreadIsInitializingClass(cls);
            performForkChildInitialize(cls, supercls);
        }
    }
    
    else if (cls->isInitialized()) {
        // Set CLS_INITIALIZING failed because someone else already 
        //   initialized the class. Continue normally.
        // NOTE this check must come AFTER the ISINITIALIZING case.
        // Otherwise: Another thread is initializing this class. ISINITIALIZED 
        //   is false. Skip this clause. Then the other thread finishes 
        //   initialization and sets INITIALIZING=no and INITIALIZED=yes. 
        //   Skip the ISINITIALIZING clause. Die horribly.
        return;
    }
    
    else {
        // We shouldn't be here. 
        _objc_fatal("thread-safe class init in objc runtime is buggy!");
    }
}

callInitialize函数 解释了+initialize在底层是通过objc_msgSend来进行调用的

void callInitialize(Class cls)
{
    ((void(*)(Class, SEL))objc_msgSend)(cls, SEL_initialize);
    asm("");
}

下面我来解释总结一下上面开篇说的几个问题
student继承person,两个类都有自己的+eat。
1.当两个中都写了initialize函数,先执行哪个后执行哪个？
先执行父类的方法后执行子类的方法

2.当student中没写initialize函数，那么person中的initialize函数会执行几次。
person中的initialize函数会执行两遍，这就涉及到关于isa superclass的问题了。
子类中调用initialize方法，这是个类方法，会去元类中去找这个方法是否存在，如果子类的元类不存在，那么就去父类的元类也就是person的元类中去找这个方法，那么person的元类中有这个方法，那么就回去执行。那为什么会执行两遍呢？因为要先执行person的initialize函数，然后才执行，student的。

3.如果student person 和他们的分类中都写了initialize函数，那么会执行哪个？
这个地方就涉及到前面说的category底层的知识了。
首先说答案，会student和person分类中的initialize函数。
首先在运行时阶段，会运用memmove函数把本类的方法往后移，然后再运用memcpy函数把分类的initialize函数拷贝到之前本类方法的前面。当objc_msgSend发送消息寻找方法的时候，肯定会先找到分类的initialize方法，调用顺序呢？肯定是先找到父类的分类的initialize函数方法，再调用子类的。