How do I create Cocoa interfaces without Interface Builder?

Question

I would prefer to create my interfaces programatically. Seems as if all the docs on Apple Developer assume you're using Interface Builder. Is it possible to create these interfaces programatically, and if so where do I start learning about how to do this

I thought the relevant document for this, if possible would be in this section: http://developer.apple.com/referencelibrary/Cocoa/idxUserExperience-date.html

Answer 1

I like the question, and I'd also like to know of resources for going IB-less. Usefulness (the "why") is limited only by imagination. Off the top of my head, here are some possible reasons to program UIs explicitly:

• Implementing a better Interface Builder.
• Programming dynamic UIs, ie, ones whose structure is not knowable statically (at compile/xcode time).
• Implementing the Cocoa back-end of a cross-platform library or language for UIs.

There is a series of blog posts on working without a nib and a recent description by Michael Mucha on cocoa-dev .

Answer 2

I would prefer to create my interfaces programatically.

Why? Interface Builder is easier and faster. You can't write a typo by drag and drop, and you don't get those oh-so-handy Aqua guides when you're typing rectangles by hand.

Don't fight it. Interface Builder is your friend. Let it help you.

If you insist on wasting your own time and energy by writing your UI in code:

Not document-based (generally library-based, like Mail, iTunes, iPhoto): Create a subclass of NSObject, instantiate it, and make it the application's delegate, and in the delegate's applicationDidFinishLaunching: method, create a window, populate it with views, and order it front.

Document-based (like TextEdit, Preview, QuickTime Player): In the makeWindowControllers method in your subclass of NSDocument, create your windows (and populate them with views) and create window controllers for them, making sure to send yourself addWindowController: for each window controller.

Answer 3

As a completely blind developer I can say that IB is not compatible with VoiceOver (the built-in screen-reader on OS X).

This means that without access to robust documentation on using Cocoa without IB I cannot develop apps for OS X / iPhone in Cocoa, which means I (ironically) cannot easily develop apps that are accessible to the blind (and all others) on OS X / iOS.

My current solution, which I would prefer not to use, is Java + SWT, of course this works for OS X, not so much for iOS.

Answer 4

In fact IB becomes totally unusefull when you start to write your own UI classes. Let say that you create your own button that use an skin system based on a plist. Or you create an dinamic toolbar that load and unload items based on user selection.

IB doesn't accept custom UI elements, so more complex UI can't use him. And YES you will want to do more complex things that the UIKit gives you.

Answer 5

Though this is quiet a bit old... I tried many times to do everything only with programmatically. This is hard, but possible.

Update : I posted another question for this specific issue: View-based NSOutlineView without NIB? , and now I believe everything can be done in programmatical way, but it's incredibly hard without consulting from Apple engineers due to lack of information or examples.

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Below argument might be off-topic, but I like to note why I strongly prefer programmatically way.

I also prefer programmatic way. Because

• Static layout tool cannot handle anything dynamic.
• Reproducing same UI state across multiple NIBs is hard. Everything is implicit or hidden. You need to visit all the panels to find parameters. This kind of job is very easy to make mistake - mistake friendly.
• Managing consistent state is hard. Because reproducing same look is hard.
• Automation impossible. You cannot make auto-generated input form.
• Parameter indirection - such as variable element size chosen by user - is not possible.
• Aiming small point is a lot harder than hitting finger sized keys at fixed location - funny that this is serious usability issue for developers!
• IB sometimes screws. Which means it's compilable, and still working, but when I open the source, it looks broken and extra editing becomes impossible. (you may not experienced this yet, but if XIB file goes complex, this must happen)
• It's image based serialization. The concept is good. But the problem is image-base only . IB doesn't keep the source code for clean boot by replaying the source code. Clean boot is very important to guarantee specific running state. Also, we cannot fix the bugs in source-code. Bug s just will be stacked infinitely. This is core reason why we cannot reproduce the equal (not similar looking) UI state in IB.

Of course these stuffs can be solved by post-processing NIB UI, but if we have to configure everything again , there's no reason to use IB at first.

With text code, it's easy to reproducing the same state - just copy the code. Also easy to inspecting and fixing wrong part - because we have full control. But in IB, we have no control on hard-core details.

IB can't be ultimate solution. It's like a Photoshop, but even Photoshop offers text-based scripting facility. GUI is a moving program, and not a static image or graphic. An IB approach is completely wrong even for visual editing of GUI. If you're one of the Apple folks reading this, I beg you to remove whole dependency to IB completely ASAP.