I'm fairly new to obj-c and cocoa so please bear with me:
I have a NSTableView set up with cocoa bindings which works as expected with the simple -add -remove, etc methods provided by an instance of NSArrayController in my nib. I would like to programmatically add objects to the array that provides content for this controller (and hence for the table view) and then update the view accordingly.
I current have a working method for adding a new object to the array (verified by NSLog) but I can't figure out how to update the table view.
So: How do I update the bound tableview? (ie, after I have programmatically added objects to my array). I'm essentially after some view refreshing code like [view reloadData] in glue code, but I want it to work with the bindings I have in place.
Or is there a KVC/KVO related solution to this problem?
Code Details:
AppController.h
#interface AppController : NSObject
#property NSMutableArray *clientsArray;
-(IBAction)addClientFooFooey:(id)sender;
#end
AppController.m (note, I also have the appropriate init method not shown here)
#implementation AppController
...
-(IBAction)addClientFooFooey:(id)sender{
[self.clientsArray addObject:[[Client alloc] initWithFirstName: #"Foo" andLastName:#"Fooey"]];
//Need some code to update NSTableView here
}
#end
Client.h just simply defines two properties: firstName and lastName. The 2 columns of an NSTableView in my mainmenu.nib file are appropriately bound to these properties via an array controller bound to my AppController instance.
On a side note/as an alternative. How could I add functionality to the existing NSArrayController method -add, ie, something like: -addWithFirstName:andLastName and still have this compatible with bindings?
You have two main options for doing this provided your array controller is bound to clientsArray.
The first way is to just use the array controller's addObject: method instead of adding objects directly to clientsArray.
The other way is to keep your current addClientFooFooey: method but wrap your existing code with these two lines:
[self willChangeValueForKey:#"clientsArray"];
[self didChangeValueForKey#"clientsArray"];
This tells the KVO system that you are making a change to the array so it will go and look at it again.
The first option is the most straightforward, but if for some reason you need to update the array directly just let KVO know you are doing it.
Related
What would be the best design for the following scenario?
I have a class that manages a bunch of NSManagedObjects. Inserting, deleting, fetching, etc. A viewController uses this object as the dataSource for a tableView. Thus every time the managed objects change (added, deleted or altered), the tableview has to reloadData().
To ensure that my class has the correct list of objects, it should fetch() the managedObjects after every delete or insert and notify any observers that its contents have changed.
So far this is all working nicely. However I would to limit the number of fetch() operations. Like NSView only draws once even though you called setNeedsDisplay multiple times. What is the best approach to do something similar to this?
It's kind of similar to a NSArrayController, but my class performs more functions in the backend while NSArrayController is more for binding views to the backend.
You should look for NSManagedObjectContextObjectsDidChangeNotification, posted by NSManagedObjectContext
The notification is posted during processPendingChanges, after the changes have been processed, but before it is safe to call save: again (if you try, you will generate an infinite loop).
The notification object is the managed object context. The userInfo dictionary contains the following keys: NSInsertedObjectsKey, NSUpdatedObjectsKey, and NSDeletedObjectsKey.
core data coalesce the changes for you, so it's already quite optimized.
Anyway, depending on what you want to do, a better option could be to subclass NSArrayController, probably overriding the - (NSArray *)arrangeObjects:(NSArray *)objects method, e.g:
- (NSArray *)arrangeObjects:(NSArray *)objects
{
NSArray *a1 = [self mayBeYouWantToPreprocessFetchedObjects:objects];
NSArray *a2 = [super arrangeObjects:a1]; // this performs filtering, etc
NSArray *a3 = [self mayBeYouWantToPostProcessArrangedObjects:a2];
// [self doWhatYouWantWithArrangedObjects:a3]; // e.g. trigger a reloadData if you're not using bindings
// or probably better : performOnMainThread: a method that will use arrangedObjects :
[self performSelectorOnMainThread:#selector(dataWasReloaded) withObject:nil waitUntilDone:NO];
return a3;
}
Doing so, you would get for free
all core data handling, including optimising the number of fetch (you can expect/hope NSArrayController is well optimised, and won't rearrange object when it's not necessary)
possibility to bind to model source like NSArray or NSSet in addition to core data (could be f.i. the arrangedObjects of another NSArrayController)
possibility to bind a NSTableView to your controller
all NSArrayController features, e.g. predicate filtering
I'm using such technique to provide data source to a NSOutlineView (partly because I have some specific processing on the fetched object, and also because NSTreeController is very limited), being still able to bind a NSTableView and have a flat view of my data
Relative newbie question. My app has a simple NSMutableArray of NSNumbers. (about a dozen integers) I'd like my UI to have a view displaying the numbers so that the user knows what's in the array. I want the contents of the view to be current, so I think I want a binding to the array (or its contents). Is there a simple way to do this?
I think I can figure this out if I change my model so that the NSMutableArray contains a custom class having a setter and getter to a declared property (following Lucas' YouTubtorial on NSTableView bindings), but I would think that there might be a simpler way, one that allows me to use my array of NSNumbers. I'd have to do a fair amount of editing if I have to redo my NSMutableArray. Thanks ...
You can use plain old NSNumbers (or anything else) in your model, no need to use a custom model class. However, you could create an NSValueTransformer subclass if your model data needs any special formatting for your view.
In your NIB you will have an NSTableView and an NSArrayController.
Bind the Value property of a TableView column to the NSArrayController, controller key = arrangedObjects, Model Key Path is empty (because you're viewing the NSNumber instance itself, and not a property of NSNumber).
Bind the Content Array property of NSArrayController to your model (the NSMutableArray of NSNumbers). This is probably a property on your view controller or app delegate.
That's about it. You can also hook up buttons to the add: and remove: actions on the NSArrayController, and you'll be able to add and remove items from your array.
Also, you need to send a KVO notification whenever your NSMutableArray changes. For example, say your NSMutableArray is exposed through a property called "numbers":
[self willChangeValueForKey:#"numbers"];
[_numbers addObject:[NSNumber numberWithInt:123]];
[self didChangeValueForKey:#"numbers"];
You get these notifications for free if you set the "numbers" property to a new value:
self.numbers = [NSMutableArray arrayWithObject:foo];
My document based application has a window with a tableview. The tableview has a datasource which points to a class of type NSObject (called HopBill) which includes a NSMutableArray (aHopBill) and the needed tableview methods. So far so good.
For adding rows to the tableview I've added a sheet which is controlled from a NSWindowController (called HopBillSheetController). When pressing the OK button in the sheet. I actually need to do two IBActions (which is not possible): Add the row to the array of the tableview and close the sheet. I can connect the OK button in the sheet to the NSWindowController (to close the sheet) or connect it to the NSObject (to add the row to the array). But I want both :-)
Is it possible to call the IBAction in the NSWindowController from the NSObject? Or is there another way to do this?
I'm quite a beginner to Cocao and Objective-C, so please be gentle :-)
If your sheet is a nib/xib with an NSPanel, the call to close it is simply [panel close]; Assuming your window controller has a property for the panel, you can put the close code at the end of its row-adding IBAction. Or you could have the IBAction itself call another method if you prefer.
If your panel is running modal, you might need to stopModal too. (That's what's needed if everything stays frozen after the panel closes; otherwise never mind.)
Assuming hopBill, your data source, is a property of the window controller, any IBAction you write in the window controller also has access to hopBill; it can do everything you need.
So add a single IBAction to the window controller and connect the panel's OK button to it. That ought to work.
As for calling an IBAction from somewhere other than a control in a nib, yes, you can do that. Use a reference to the control as the sender arg, or nil if the IBAction doesn't use the sender arg.
You could also create your panel programmatically, or use NSAlert. But it sounds like your current setup is simpler -- and therefore better.
Take a look at this h file for an app controller: Apple's ClockControl example
The NSMutableArray *appointments property is the actual data source that will be used by the NSTableViewDataSource protocol methods. The IBAction "addAppointment" can access "appointments" directly: [self.appointments addObject:whatever atIndex:whatever];
The ClockControl example could be modified to use HopBill. You would import its declarations up top: #import "HopBill.h" And then instead of the "appointments" property, it would declare HopBill *hopBill; And "addApointment" would access HopBill's mutable array (aHopBill) like this: [self.hopBill.aHopBill addObject:whatever atIndex:whatever];
Why you can’t send messages to hopBill:
First, because although you declare it, you never initialize it. You have:
HopBill *hopBill;
[self.hopBill.aHopBill addObject: bHopAdditionAtInit];
It should be:
HopBill *hopBill = [[HopBill alloc] init];
[hopBill.aHopBill addObject: bHopAdditionAtInit]; // “self” won’t work here
Second, you’re declaring it inside an IBAction method, (doneHopBillSheet:), so it’s a local variable, accessible only within that method. If HopBill is holding your table’s data source cache, it should be a property of the controller which implements the NSTableViewDataSourceProtocol methods.
In your HopBill interface, you declare the aHopBill array to be a property, and you initialize it in HopBill’s init method (you should also release it in HopBill’s dealloc method). You need to do the same thing for the controller — it should have an instance of HopBill as a property, and that instance should be initialized in the controller’s init method.
If you want HopBillController to manage the tableview, its interface declaration should look like this:
#interface HopBillSheetController : NSWindowController <NSTableViewDelegate, NSTableViewDataSource> {
…
}
And, then, of course, you have to implement the relevant NSTableViewDelegate and NSTableViewDataSource methods.
Also, the controller must have an IBOutlet property for the tableview itself, and in the controller’s awakeFromNib method, it has to assign itself as delegate and datasource:
[self.tableview setDelegate:self];
[self.tableview setDataSource:self];
(The self-dot syntax assumes you’ve set up #property and #synthesize code for tableview.)
The IBAction method that adds items to your table must be in that controller class, or in a class that has a property which is an instance of the controller class. Then the IBAction method will have access to the aHopBill array and can add the new object to the array, after which it will call [tableView reloadData], which will in turn trigger the tableview protocol methods and update the table.
Now, that means that the xib containing the tableview has to have the controller as its file’s owner. Since you’re using NSDocument, I suspect that, instead, you would put the tableview outlet in the NSDocument subclass. And you would give that doc subclass a property which is an instance of the controller. The IBAction methods would also be in the doc subclass, and so they would have access to the controller and its HopBill property. Or maybe you would simply make the doc subclass the controller, rather than using the separate HopBillSheetController class. I’m not sure about the NSDocument stuff. But, remember, the IBAction method can itself call other methods, as long as it has access to instances of the classes in which those methods are declared.
Apple has an example using both the tableview delegate and datasource protocol methods. Go to this link and download the sample code: tableview example
It looks like a nice app. Good luck.
I have an ImageView which shows a lock, informing if an opened file is locked or not. I have 2 images for locked and unlocked cases. I want synchronize the displayed image with boolean value of my object representing an opened file.
To do this I want my ViewController to change the image in my ImageView depending on lock state of object. So both object and ViewController have a property "isLocked".
How can I synchronize them? It is easy in IB but I don't know how to do it programmatically. I tried in initialize method of my ViewController to use:
[ViewController bind:#"value" toObject:[ArrayController selection] withKeyPath:#"isLocked" options:nil];
But it doesn't work. In documentation it is said that I have to expose my binding before using it.
I try to put the following code in initializer method of my object:
[self exposeBinding:#"isLocked"];
But Xcode doesn't recognize this method.
Does somebody have experience with this kind of bindings establishing?
As #nick says, you want Key-Value-Observing.
[arrayController addObserver:self
forKeyPath:#"selection.isLocked"
options:NSKeyValueObservingOptionNew
context:#"this_context"]
Then when isLocked changes the -observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context: method that you have added to your viewController will be called (as long as you only manipulate isLocked in a KVC compliant way).
The options parameter lets you optionally tweak exactly what conditions will trigger the notification and what data is sent along with the notification. The context parameter is there to help you distinguish between notifications that you registered to receive and notifications your superclass registered to receive. It is optional.
Bindings seem like they might be useful to keep two values in sync. However, this is not what they do at all.
Yes, lots of things seem to give the impression that this is what they do, and there isn't much saying that this isn't what they do, also lots of people believe that this is what they do - but no, you cannot use them for this.
Only a handful of classes support bindings (they are listed here) and then, and this is the important bit, those classes only support binding their named bindings, and these bindings are not instance variables. eg NSTextField has a 'fontFamilyName' binding yet NSTextField does not have a 'fontFamilyName' property or instance variable, even a derived one. NSTextField does have a 'isBordered' property but not a binding - so you cannot bind 'isBordered'.
It does not mean anything to 'bind' an arbitrary property of an arbitrary Class.
Yes, you can bind two arbitrary values, the following code works just fine:
#import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
#interface SomeObject : NSObject
#property (retain,nonatomic) id someValue;
#end
#implementation SomeObject
#end
int main()
{
SomeObject *source=[SomeObject new];
SomeObject *target=[SomeObject new];
[target bind:#"someValue" toObject:source withKeyPath:#"someValue" options:0];
[source bind:#"someValue" toObject:target withKeyPath:#"someValue" options:0];
[source setSomeValue:#(42)];
NSLog(#"target: %#",[target someValue]);
[target setSomeValue:#(22)];
NSLog(#"source: %#",[source someValue]);
return 0;
}
As far as I can tell, the problem is the bit [ArrayController selection]. The first problem is that ArrayController is (or should be) a class, and getting the class's selection is probably pointless. The other problem is that even if this were an instance, you would be binding to the selection at the time of the call, which is almost certainly not what you want. You want to track the current selection as it changes.
So what you want is probably something like the following:
[myViewController bind:#"value" toObject:myArrayController withKeyPath:#"selection.isLocked" options:nil];
in my application I made a very simple binding. I have a NSMutableArray bound to a NSArrayController. The controller itself is bound to a ComboBox and it shows all the content of the NSMutableArray. Works fine.
The problem is : The content of the Array will change. If the user makes some adjustments to the app I delete all the items in the NSMuteableArray and fill it with new and different items.
But the binding of NSMutableArray <-> NSArrayController <-> NSComboBox does not refresh.
No matter if I remove all objects from the Array the ComboBox still shows the same items.
What is wrong here? Is my approach wrong or do I only need to tell the binding to refresh itself? I did not find out how to do that.
You're likely "editing the array behind the controller's back", which subverts the KVO mechanism.
You said:
I have a NSMutableArray bound to a NSArrayController.
How? Where does the array live? In a document, accessible via a KVC/KVO compliant -myArray / -setMyArray: set of accessors?
I'll bet you're directly telling the "myArray" ivar to -removeAllObjects, right? How will these KVC/KVO accessors "know" the array has changed?
The answer is, they don't. If you're really replacing the whole array, you'll want to tell your document (or whoever owns the array) to -setMyArray: to a whole new array. This will trigger the proper KVO calls.
... but then, you don't really need a mutable array, do you? If you only want to replace individual items in the array, you'll want to use indexed accessors:
(Documentation - see the Collection Accessor Patterns for To-Many Properties section)
http://tinyurl.com/yb2zkr5
Try this (using ARC/OS X 10.7):
in header file, define the arrayInstance and the arrayController
#property (weak) IBOutlet NSArrayController *arrayController;
#property (strong) NSArray *arrayInstance; // for the array instance
then in implementation
#synthesize arrayController = _arrayController;
#synthesize arrayInstance = _arrayInstance;
_arrayInstance = ....... // What ever the new array will be
[_arrayController setContent:_arrayInstance];
This will force the arrayController to update the content and display correctly.
Another but 2 line of code solution would be:
[self willChangeValueForKey:#"arrayInstance"];
_arrayInstance = ....... // What ever the new array will be
[self didChangeValueForKey:#"arrayInstance"];
Think the first looks more obvious, the second more KVO-like.
KVC/KVO compliance seems to be the problem. You should create the new array and update the reference with the new object by using the generated accessor methods. You may otherwise fire KVO messages about the array being updated to inform the bindings, that the contents of the array have changed.
Christian