NSComboBoxCell

Authors

Gerrit van Dyk (gerritvd@decillion.net)
Quentin Mathe (qmathe@club-internet.fr)

Contents -

Class
Software documentation for the NSObject(NSComboBoxCellDataSource) informal protocol
Software documentation for the NSComboBoxCellDataSource protocol

Class Description

An NSComboBoxCell is what we can call a completion/choices box cell, derived from NSTextFieldCell, it allows you to enter text like in a text field but also to click in the ellipsis button (indicating the fact other user inputs are possible) on the right of it to obtain a list of choices, you can use them as the text field value by selecting a row in this list. You can also obtain direct completion when it is enabled via setCompletes: to get a suggested text field value updated as you type.

Like other NSCell classes, NSComboBoxCell has a matching NSControl named NSComboBox which is relying on it to implement the combo box behavior in a standalone control.

NSComboBoxCell : NSTextFieldCell

Declared in:

AppKit/NSComboBoxCell.h

Availability: OpenStep

No special instructions to use NSComboBoxCell or text to detail the implementation.

Instance Variables

Method summary

addItemWithObjectValue:

- (void) addItemWithObjectValue: (id)object;

Availability: OpenStep

Adds an item to the combo box cell default items list which is used when usesDataSource returns NO. In the case usesDataSource returns YES , this method logs a warning.

addItemsWithObjectValues:

- (void) addItemsWithObjectValues: (NSArray*)objects;

Availability: OpenStep

Adds several items in an array to the combo box cell default items list which is used when usesDataSource returns NO. In the case usesDataSource returns YES, this method logs a warning.

completedString:

- (NSString*) completedString: (NSString*)substring;

Availability: MacOS-X 10.0.0

Returns a string by looking in the combo box cell list for an item wich starts with substring , or nil when there is no such string. substring is equal to what the user entered in the text field part. You rarely needs to call this method explicitly in your code. By default, the implementation of this method first checks whether the combo box cell uses a data source and whether the data source responds to comboBox:completedString: or comboBoxCell:completedString:. When it is the case, it uses this method to return str, else this method goes through the combo box cell items one by one and returns the first item found starting with substring. In the case, you want another behavior, you can override this method without need to call the superclass method.

completes

- (BOOL) completes;

Availability: MacOS-X 10.0.0

Returns YES when the combo box cell automatic completion is active, returns NO otherwise. Take a look at the setCompletes: method documentation to know how the automatic completion works.

dataSource

- (id) dataSource;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the combo box cell data source object which is reponsible to provide the data to be displayed. To know how to implement a data source object, take a look at the NSComboBoxDataSource informal protocol description. In the case usesDataSource returns NO, this method logs a warning.

deselectItemAtIndex:

- (void) deselectItemAtIndex: (NSInteger)index;

Availability: OpenStep

Deselects the combo box cell list row at index in the case this row is selected. Posts an NSComboBoxSelectionDidChangeNotification to the default notification center, when there is a new selection.

hasVerticalScroller

- (BOOL) hasVerticalScroller;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns YES when the combo box cell displays a vertical scroller for its list, returns NO otherwise. Take note that the scroller will be displayed even when the sum of the items height in the list is inferior to the minimal height of the list displayed area.

indexOfItemWithObjectValue:

- (NSInteger) indexOfItemWithObjectValue: (id)object;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the lowest index associated with a value in the combo box cell default items list, which is equal to object, and returns NSNotFound when there is no such value. In the case usesDataSource returns YES , this method logs a warning.

indexOfSelectedItem

- (NSInteger) indexOfSelectedItem;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the index of the selected item in the combo box cell list or -1 when there is no selection, the selected item can be related to the data source object in the case usesDataSource returns YES else to the default items list.

insertItemWithObjectValue: atIndex:

- (void) insertItemWithObjectValue: (id)object atIndex: (NSInteger)index;

Availability: OpenStep

Inserts an item in the combo box cell default items list which is used when usesDataSource returns NO. In the case usesDataSource returns YES , this method logs a warning.

intercellSpacing

- (NSSize) intercellSpacing;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the width and the height (as the values of an NSSize variable) between each item of the combo box cell list.

isButtonBordered

- (BOOL) isButtonBordered;

Availability: MacOS-X 10.3.0

Description forthcoming.

itemHeight

- (CGFloat) itemHeight;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the height of the items in the combo box cell list.

itemObjectValueAtIndex:

- (id) itemObjectValueAtIndex: (NSInteger)index;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the object value at index within combo box cell default items list. When the index is beyond the end of the list, an NSRangeException is raised. In the case usesDataSource returns YES , this method logs a warning.

noteNumberOfItemsChanged

- (void) noteNumberOfItemsChanged;

Availability: OpenStep

Informs the combo box cell that the number of items in its data source has changed, in order to permit to the scrollers in its displayed list being updated without needing the reload of the data. It is recommended to use this method with a data source that continually receives data in the background, to keep the the combo box cell responsive to the user while the data is received. Take a look at the NSComboBoxDataSource informal protocol specification to know more on the messages NSComboBox sends to its data source.

numberOfItems

- (NSInteger) numberOfItems;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the number of items in the the combo box cell list, the numbers of items can be be related to the data source object in the case usesDataSource returns YES else to the default items list.

numberOfVisibleItems

- (NSInteger) numberOfVisibleItems;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the maximum number of allowed items to be displayed in the combo box cell list.

objectValueOfSelectedItem

- (id) objectValueOfSelectedItem;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the object value of the selected item in the combo box cell default items list or nil when there is no selection. In the case usesDataSource returns YES, this method logs a warning.

objectValues

- (NSArray*) objectValues;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns the combo box cell default items list in an array.

reloadData

- (void) reloadData;

Availability: OpenStep

Marks the combo box cell in order to have its items list reloaded in the case it uses a data source, and to have it redisplayed.

removeAllItems

- (void) removeAllItems;

Availability: OpenStep

Removes all the items in the combo box cell default items list which is used when usesDataSource returns NO. In the case usesDataSource returns YES, this method logs a warning.

removeItemAtIndex:

- (void) removeItemAtIndex: (NSInteger)index;

Availability: OpenStep

Removes the item with the specified index in the combo box cell default items list which is used when usesDataSource returns NO. In the case usesDataSource returns YES , this method logs a warning.

removeItemWithObjectValue:

- (void) removeItemWithObjectValue: (id)object;

Availability: OpenStep

Removes an item in the combo box cell default items list which is used when usesDataSource returns NO. In the case usesDataSource returns YES , this method logs a warning.

scrollItemAtIndexToTop:

- (void) scrollItemAtIndexToTop: (NSInteger)index;

Availability: OpenStep

Scrolls the combo box cell list vertically in order to have the item at index in the closest position relative to the top. There is no need to have the list displayed when this method is invoked.

scrollItemAtIndexToVisible:

- (void) scrollItemAtIndexToVisible: (NSInteger)index;

Availability: OpenStep

Scrolls the combo box cell list vertically in order to have the item at index visible. There is no need to have the list displayed when this method is invoked.

selectItemAtIndex:

- (void) selectItemAtIndex: (NSInteger)index;

Availability: OpenStep

Selects the combo box cell list row at index. Take note no changes occurs in the combo box cell list when this method is called. Posts an NSComboBoxSelectionDidChangeNotification to the default notification center when there is a new selection different from the previous one.

selectItemWithObjectValue:

- (void) selectItemWithObjectValue: (id)object;

Availability: OpenStep

Selects the first item in the default combo box cell list which is equal to object. In the case usesDataSource returns YES, this method logs a warning. Take note that this method doesn't update the text field part value. Posts an NSComboBoxSelectionDidChange notification to the default notification center when the new selection is different than the previous one.

setButtonBordered:

- (void) setButtonBordered: (BOOL)flag;

Availability: MacOS-X 10.3.0

Description forthcoming.

setCompletes:

- (void) setCompletes: (BOOL)completes;

Availability: MacOS-X 10.0.0

Sets whether the combo box cell automatic completion is active or not. The automatic completion tries to complete what the user types in the text field part, it tries to complete only when the the user adds characters at the end of the string, not when it deletes characters or when the insertion point precedes the end of the string. To do the automatic completion, the completedString: method is called, and when the returned string is longer than the current one in the text field, the completion occurs and the completed part gets selected.

setDataSource:

- (void) setDataSource: (id)aSource;

Availability: OpenStep

Sets the combo box cell data source to aSource. Just calling this method doesn't set usesDataSource to return YES, you must call setUsesDataSource: with YES before or a warning will be logged. To know how to implement a data source objects, take a look at the NSComboBoxDataSource informal protocol description. When aSource doesn't respond to the methods numberOfItemsInComboBox: comboBox:objectValueForItemAtIndex:, this method logs a warning.

setHasVerticalScroller:

- (void) setHasVerticalScroller: (BOOL)flag;

Availability: OpenStep

Sets whether the combo box cell list displays a vertical scroller, by default it is the case. When flag is NO and the combo cell list has more items (either in its default list or from its data source) than the number returned by numberOfVisibleItems, only a subset of them will be displayed. Uses scroll related methods to position this subset in the combo box cell list. Take note that the scroller will be displayed even when the sum of the items height in the list is inferior to the minimal height of the list displayed area.

setIntercellSpacing:

- (void) setIntercellSpacing: (NSSize)aSize;

Availability: OpenStep

Sets the width and the height between each item of the combo box cell list to the values in aSize .

setItemHeight:

- (void) setItemHeight: (CGFloat)itemHeight;

Availability: OpenStep

Sets the height of the items in the combo box cell list to itemHeight.

setNumberOfVisibleItems:

- (void) setNumberOfVisibleItems: (NSInteger)visibleItems;

Availability: OpenStep

Sets the maximum number of allowed items to be displayed in the combo box cell list.

setUsesDataSource:

- (void) setUsesDataSource: (BOOL)flag;

Availability: OpenStep

Sets according to flag whether the combo box cell uses a data source (which is external) to populate its items list.

trackMouse: inRect: ofView: untilMouseUp:

- (BOOL) trackMouse: (NSEvent*)theEvent inRect: (NSRect)cellFrame ofView: (NSView*)controlView untilMouseUp: (BOOL)flag;

Availability: OpenStep

Overrides NSCell trackMouse:inRect:ofView:untilMouseUp: method to establish a new method behavior. In the case flag is NO, returns NO when the mouse down occurs in the text cell part or when the mouse down occurs in the button cell part followed by a mouse up outside, otherwise returns YES (when both the mouse down and the mouse up occurs in the button cell part). In the case flag is YES, returns NO when the mouse occurs in the text cell part, otherwise returns YES (when the mouse down occurs in the button cell part).

usesDataSource

- (BOOL) usesDataSource;

Availability: OpenStep

Returns YES when the combo box cell uses a data source (which is external) to populate its items list, otherwise returns NO in the case it uses its default list.

Instance Variables for NSComboBoxCell Class

_buttonCell

@protected NSButtonCell* _buttonCell;

Availability: OpenStep

Warning the underscore at the start of the name of this instance variable indicates that, even though it is not technically private, it is intended for internal use within the package, and you should not use the variable in other code.