objective c - Running arbitrary code at runtime

Question

I know this is an odd question, but I'm wondering if this is possible. Is there any method by which code (which would be typed by a user) could be run during runtime? For example, suppose I would allow the user to type in some Core Graphics drawing code. I would want this code to be run in a drawRect method of my preview pane.

So what I would have to do would be to convert this group of strings into actual runtime code.

Is this even possible, or am I just wasting my time?

Answer 1

I see a few solutions:

1. Create a language of your own, and parse it in-application
   
2. If on mac, you could theoretically, create a function stub from what they enter in, and use GCC shipped with the application to compile the code at runtime into a dylib, and then use dylib functions to run the function you created.