You create an NSAttributedString object by using one of initWithString:, initWithString:attributes:, or initWithAttributedString:. These methods initialize an attributed string with data you provide. The Application Kit also provides methods for creating attributed strings from RTF data.

An attributed string provides basic access to its contents with the string and attributesAtIndex:effectiveRange: methods, which yield characters and attributes, respectively. These two primitive methods are used by the other access methods to retrieve attributes individually by name, by functional group (font or ruler attributes, for example), and so on.

The attribute values assigned to an attributed string become the property of that string, and shouldn't be modified in any way by other objects. Doing so can render inconsistent the attributed string's internal state. Always use NSMutableAttributedString's setAttributes:range: and related methods to change attribute values.

For more information on using attributed strings, see the Application Kit's specification for this class cluster.

NSAttributedString

Inherits From:
NSObject

Conforms To:
NSCoding
NSCopying
NSMutableCopying
NSObject (NSObject)

Declared In:
Foundation/NSAttributedString.h

Class Description

Adopted Protocols

NSCoding

- encodeWithCoder:

- initWithCoder:

NSCopying

- copyWithZone:

NSMutableCopying

- mutableCopyWithZone:

Creating an NSAttributedString

- initWithString:

- initWithAttributedString:

- initWithString:attributes:

Retrieving character information

- string

- length

Retrieving attribute information

- attributesAtIndex:effectiveRange:

- attributesAtIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:

- attribute:atIndex:effectiveRange:

- attribute:atIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:

Comparing attributed strings

- isEqualToAttributedString:

Extracting a substring

- attributedSubstringFromRange:

Instance Methods

attribute:atIndex:effectiveRange:

Returns the value for the attribute named attributeName of the character at index, or nil if there is no such attribute. If the named attribute exists at index and aRange is non-NULL, it's filled with a range over which the named attribute's value applies. If the named attribute doesn't exist at index and aRange is non-NULL, aRange is filled instead with the range over which the attribute doesn't exist. This range isn't necessarily the maximum range covered by attributeName, and its extent is implementation-dependent. If you need the maximum range, use attribute:atIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:.

Raises an NSRangeException if index lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - attributesAtIndex:effectiveRange:

attribute:atIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:

Returns the value for the attribute named attributeName of the character at index, or nil if there is no such attribute. If the named attribute exists at index and aRange is non-NULL, it's filled with the full range over which the value of the named attribute is the same as that at index, clipped to rangeLimit. If the named attribute doesn't exist at index and aRange is non-NULL, aRange is filled instead with the full range over which the attribute doesn't exist, clipped to rangeLimit.

Raises an NSRangeException if index or any part of rangeLimit lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

If you don't need the longest effective range, it's far more efficient to use the attribute:atIndex:effectiveRange: method to retrieve the attribute value.

See also: - attributesAtIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:

attributedSubstringFromRange:

Returns an NSAttributedString object consisting of the characters and attributes within aRange in the receiver. Raises an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

attributesAtIndex:effectiveRange:

Returns the attributes for the character at index. If aRange is non-NULL it's filled with the range over which the attributes and values apply. This range isn't necessarily the maximum range covered, and its extent is implementation-dependent. If you need the maximum range, use attributesAtIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:.

Raises an NSRangeException if index lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - attribute:atIndex:effectiveRange:

attributesAtIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:

Returns the attributes for the character at index. If aRange is non-NULL, it's filled with the maximum range over which the attributes and values are the same as those at index, clipped to rangeLimit.

Raises an NSRangeException if index or any part of rangeLimit lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

If you don't need the range information, it's far more efficient to use the attributesAtIndex:effectiveRange: method to retrieve the attribute value.

See also: - attribute:atIndex:longestEffectiveRange:inRange:

initWithAttributedString:

Initializes a newly allocated NSAttributedString object with the characters and attributes of attributedString. Returns self.

See also: - initWithRTF:documentAttributes: (NSAttributedString Additions in the Application Kit)

initWithString:

Initializes a newly allocated NSAttributedString object with the characters of aString and with no attribute information. Returns self.

See also: - initWithRTF:documentAttributes: (NSAttributedString Additions in the Application Kit)

initWithString:attributes:

Initializes a newly allocated NSAttributedString object with the characters of aString and the attributes of attributes. Returns self.

See also: - initWithRTF:documentAttributes: (NSAttributedString Additions in the Application Kit)

isEqualToAttributedString:

Returns YES if the receiver is equal to otherString. Attributed strings must match in both characters and attributes to be equal.

length

Returns the length of the receiver's string object.

See also: - length (NSString)

string

Returns the character contents of the receiver as an NSString object. This method doesn't strip out attachment characters; use NSText's string method to extract just the linguistically significant characters.

This primitive method must guarantee efficient access to an attributed string's characters; subclasses should implement it to execute in O(1) time.

NSMutableAttributedString

Inherits From:
NSAttributedString : NSObject

Conforms To:
NSCoding (NSAttributedString)
NSCopying (NSAttributedString)
NSMutableCopying (NSAttributedString)
NSObject (NSObject)

Declared In:
Foundation/NSAttributedString.h

Class Description

NSMutableAttributedString adds two primitive methods to those of NSAttributedString. These primitive methods provide the basis for all the other methods in its class. The primitive replaceCharactersInRange:withString: method replaces a range of characters with those from a string, leaving all attribute information outside that range intact. The primitive setAttributes:range: method sets attributes and values for a given range of characters, replacing any previous attributes and values for that range.

Retrieving character information

- mutableString

Changing characters

- replaceCharactersInRange:withString:

- deleteCharactersInRange:

Changing attributes

- setAttributes:range:

- addAttribute:value:range:

- addAttributes:range:

- removeAttribute:range:

Changing characters and attributes

- appendAttributedString:

- insertAttributedString:atIndex:

- replaceCharactersInRange:withAttributedString:

- setAttributedString:

Grouping changes

- beginEditing

- endEditing

Instance Methods

addAttribute:value:range:

Adds an attribute with the given name and value to the characters in aRange. Raises an NSInvalidArgumentException if name or value is nil, and an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - addAttributes:range:, - removeAttribute:range:

addAttributes:range:

Adds the collection of attributes in attributes to the characters in aRange. Raises an NSInvalidArgumentException if attributes is nil and an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - addAttribute:value:range:, - removeAttribute:range:

appendAttributedString:

Adds the characters and attributes of attributedString to the end of the receiver.

See also: - insertAttributedString:atIndex:, + attributedStringWithAttachment: (NSAttributedString Additions in the Application Kit)

beginEditing

Overridden by subclasses to buffer or optimize a series of changes to the receiver's characters or attributes, until it receives a matching endEditing message, upon which it can consolidate changes and notify any observers that it has changed. You can nest pairs of beginEditing and endEditing messages.

deleteCharactersInRange:

Deletes the characters in aRange along with their associated attributes. Raises an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - replaceCharactersInRange:withAttributedString:, - replaceCharactersInRange:withString:">withString:

endEditing

Overridden by subclasses to consolidate changes made since a previous beginEditing message and to notify any observers of the changes. NSMutableAttributedString's implementation does nothing. NSTextStorage, for example, overrides this method to invoke fixAttributesInRange: and to inform its NSLayoutManagers that they need to re-lay the text.

See also: - processEditing (NSTextStorage class in the Application Kit)<

insertAttributedString:atIndex:

Inserts the characters and attributes of attributedString into the receiver, so that the new characters and attributes begin at index and the existing characters and attributes from index to the end are shifted by the length of attributedString. Raises an NSRangeException if index lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - appendAttributedString:, + attributedStringWithAttachment: (NSAttributedString Additions in the Application Kit)

mutableString

Returns the character contents of the receiver as an NSMutableString object. The receiver tracks changes to this string and keeps its attribute mappings up to date.

See also: - replaceCharactersInRange:withString:

removeAttribute:range:

Removes the attribute named name from the characters in aRange. Raises an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - addAttribute:value:range:, - addAttributes:range:

replaceCharactersInRange:withAttributedString:

Replaces the characters and attributes in aRange with the characters and attributes of attributedString. Raises an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - insertAttributedString:atIndex:

replaceCharactersInRange:withString:

Replaces the characters in aRange with the characters of aString. The new characters inherit the attributes of the first replaced character from aRange. Where the length of aRange is zero, the new characters inherit the attributes of the character preceding aRange if it has any, otherwise of the character following aRange.

Raises an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - deleteCharactersInRange:

setAttributedString:

Replaces the receiver's entire contents with the characters and attributes of attributedString.

See also: - appendAttributedString:

setAttributes:range:

Sets the attributes for the characters in aRange to attributes. These new attributes replace any attributes previously associated with the characters in aRange. Raises an NSRangeException if any part of aRange lies beyond the end of the receiver's characters.

See also: - addAttributes:range:, - removeAttribute:range:

Copyright © 1997, Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.