Re: Using a custom NSCell for NSButton created in IB
Re: Using a custom NSCell for NSButton created in IB
- Subject: Re: Using a custom NSCell for NSButton created in IB
- From: Greg Herlihy <email@hidden>
- Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2006 15:50:40 -0800
- Thread-topic: Using a custom NSCell for NSButton created in IB
There is one fairly crucial detail that I probably should have mentioned
earlier. In addition to creating the subclass for the NSButton in Interface
builder, it is also necessary to "instantiate" the subclass in IB as well.
Once this is done and the button shows up in IB's nib window, then the
subclassed button control can be created in the window and will work as
expected.
Greg
On 3/5/06 1:30 PM, "email@hidden" <email@hidden> wrote:
> I actually tried this before, and it does not work. My NSButton subclass
> for some reason still uses NSButtonCell instead of my custom cell class.
> (When I print out the type of [self cell], it is NSButtonCell.) I see
> that +cellClass is being called, but my custom cell class' getNextValue is
> never called.
>
> This was exactly the root of my frustration; it seems that overriding
> +cellClass should do the trick and it doesn't. Even the docs allude to
> this. As I mentioned, I have a feeling it is because the button object is
> being instantiated using initWithCoder, which sets up the object using the
> archived NSButtonCell instance instead of creating a new one of the
> specified type.
>
> Stephen
>
>> If you go the Custom View route than IB won't know that the custom view is
>> actually a button, as you have found out.
>>
>> A better idea is to replace the custom view with the standard button that
>> the custom button inherits from. Then with this button selected, go to the
>> "Custom Class" pane in the Inspector and set the button's class to your
>> custom class. In this way, IB will treat your custom button as a button
>> control. And the easiest way to add your custom class to the list that IB
>> shows when selecting a custom class, is to open the header file of the
>> custom button class and then drag the document icon in its window's title
>> bar onto Interface Builder's main window.
>>
>> And the only routine that the custom button needs to implement is
>> +cellClass
>> (note it's a class - not an instance method). +cellClass just needs to
>> return the class of your custom cell type.
>>
>> Greg
>>
>>
>> On 3/5/06 8:01 AM, "Stephen F. Booth" <email@hidden> wrote:
>>
>>> I recently ran across an annoying problem that I was able to get
>>> around but it seems there should be a better way, so I wanted to ask
>>> here.
>>>
>>> I needed to create a subclass of NSButton/NSButtonCell that would act
>>> as a 'pseudo' mixed-mode checkbox- a button where the user can only
>>> select on or off states, but by selecting multiple items elsewhere
>>> the user might cause the checkbox to indicate a mixed state. This is
>>> easily realized by overriding the -(int)getNextState method in
>>> NSButtonCell and telling NSButton to use the new subclass.
>>>
>>> My aggravation came in trying to get NSButton to use the custom
>>> NSButtonCell- I could find no way to create a button in IB and have
>>> it use my custom cell class. I ran across a note in the
>>> documentation about calling setCellClass in awakeFromNib; I created a
>>> custom subclass of NSButton and did just that. However, the NSButton
>>> continued to use NSButtonCell instead of my custom subclass,
>>> presumably because the NSButton instantiated in IB was using
>>> NSButtonCell instead of the custom class.
>>>
>>> All the custom control examples use custom IB palettes, which
>>> obviously use custom NSCell subclasses; I toyed with the idea of
>>> writing an IB palette but it seemed like a waste of time for such a
>>> simple requirement.
>>>
>>> I finally got around the problem by creating a custom view in IB
>>> assigned to a custom NSButton subclass that is configured
>>> programmatically the way I want in awakeFromNib. This approach is
>>> far from ideal because there is no way to modify/preview/alter any of
>>> the numerous NSButton attributes using IB.
>>>
>>> Is there an easier way I just missed?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Stephen
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>>
>>
>
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