Re: What is Interface Builder doing behind the scenes?

FROM : I. Savant
DATE : Tue Aug 01 21:23:55 2006

There is not direct analogy here. In code, you're already creating 
a pointer like:

NSPopupButton * myPopupButton ....

  and

NSTextField * myTextField ....

  You can keep or dispose of these references at will and use them 
to speak to the objects you created.

  With Interface Builder, the button / field / control / whatever is 
being created for you and is "freeze-dried" in the nib file, ready to 
"re-hydrate" when your app launches and the nib is loaded. Your 
IBOutlets (that you designate in your header file) are special 
"stubs" for Interface Builder to latch on to, ready-made references 
into which it plugs the objects you told it to when you built the nib.

  When the nib is loaded, the freeze-dried objects (and their 
interconnections) are restored and your IBOutlet references are 
'hooked up' to the designated objects, so you then have a live 
reference to all your buttons, windows, controllers, etc.

  Hope this helps.

--
I.S.


On Aug 1, 2006, at 3:10 PM, Phil wrote:

> Given a nib file with a window with an NSPopUpButton and 
> NSTextField, a connection is made from the PopUp to the TextField 
> with the action takeObjectValueFrom:... from a code standpoint, how 
> is this connection being set up?
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