Here is an equivalent that may make more sense:

self = [super init];
if(self) 
{
  ...
}

if (self== [super init]){

…

}

- (id)init {
if (!(self = [super init])) return nil;
self.isSpecial = NO;
self.index = -1;
self.week = -1;
self.images = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:25];
self.menu = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:25];
self.tip = [[NSString alloc] init];
return self;
}

- (id)initWithAttributesIsSpecial:(BOOL)_isSpecial
index:(int)_index
week:(int)_week
images:(NSArray *)_images
menu:(NSArray *)_menu
tip:(NSString *)_tip {
id _day = [[self init] autorelease];
self.isSpecial = _isSpecial;
self.index = _index;
self.week = _week;
[_day addImages:_images];
[_day addRecipes:_menu];
self.tip = _tip;
r

initWithStr: (NSString*)str;
initWithStr: (NSString*)str andDate: (NSDate*)date

that way when you invoke it it would look like:

initWithStr: @”ABC” andDate: date

-(id)init;
-(id)initWithFD:(int)inFD;
-(id)initWithPath( const char * filepath );

where the initWithPath implementation would call open and (if successful) call initWithFD which could mmap the file and (if successful) call init?

I’d suggest a different method:

set up a designated initializer

- init (parameter p1, parameter p2)

and have your initialisers call this initialiser with default values for the parameters not passed in.

very interesting post! And also interesting web site initiative.
One question (I struggled with):

What if my domain is modeled in a way that there is:

- init (no parameters)
- init (a parameter p1)
- init (a parameter p2)

is it p1 to call p2 or viceversa?

Thanks,