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Leopard Guides: Cocoa
User experience encompasses the visual appearance, interactive behavior, and assistive capabilities of software. From an application's graphical user interface to its use of additional technologies such as speech recognition and speech synthesis, a cohesive and professional user experience is what Mac users have come to expect. Cocoa provides a complete suite of Interface Builder palettes and programmatic interfaces that developers can use to deliver this experience in their applications.

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Accessibility Programming Guidelines for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Cocoa applications make their user interface available to external assistive applications.
2007-02-08
Apple Help Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to author, package, and display user help content in Mac OS X.
2007-10-31
Apple Human Interface Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Introduces the Mac OS X user experience and explains how to design an application for Aqua.
2008-06-09
Application Menu and Pop-up List Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Cocoa menus and lists work and how to manipulate items within them.
2007-06-26
Boxes (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa boxes.
2003-02-15
Browsers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa browsers.
2004-08-31
Button Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa buttons.
2008-10-15
Cocoa Bindings Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to rapidly develop sophisticated user interfaces using Cocoa binding technology.
2009-03-08
Combo Box Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa combo boxes.
2002-11-12
Control and Cell Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains the relationship between Cocoa control and cell objects.
2008-10-15
Cursor Management (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to set the cursor and handle cursor-update events in Cocoa applications.
2008-03-11
Dialogs and Special Panels (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to create alert panels. Includes links to documents about other types of panels.
2009-02-04
Dock Tile Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to provide an icon and contextual menu in Carbon applications.
2009-03-04
Drag and Drop Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to implement drag and drop in Cocoa.
2006-06-28
Drawers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa drawers.
2003-02-04
Font Panel (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the Cocoa Font panel.
2004-08-31
Forms (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa forms.
2002-11-12
Image Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa image views.
2002-11-12
Matrix Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa matrices.
2006-11-07
Online Help (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to add help to a Cocoa application.
2006-06-28
Outline View Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa outline views.
2006-06-28
Pasteboard Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to transfer data using pasteboard operations in Cocoa.
2007-07-13
Preference Panes (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to create dynamically loaded plug-ins that provide a graphical interface to user preferences.
2006-10-03
Progress Indicators (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa progress indicators.
2002-11-12
Quick Look Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the purporse and architecture of Quick Look generators and explains how to create them.
2008-02-08
Resolution Independence Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Describes resolution independence and how to start updating applications to support high-resolution monitors.
2007-05-04
Scroll View Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to use scroll views in Cocoa applications.
2006-06-28
Search Fields (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa search fields.
2008-02-08
Search Kit Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes Search Kit architecture and workflow, and how to add search capabilities to Carbon and Cocoa applications.
2005-12-06
Segmented Controls Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa segmented controls.
2006-02-07
Sheet Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa sheets.
2006-09-05
Slider Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa sliders.
2006-10-03
Software Delivery Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to distribute and install Mac OS X software using PackageMaker and Installer.
2006-07-24
Speech (HTML) (PDF)
Explains Cocoa's interfaces to the speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies.
2003-08-08
Speech Synthesis Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes speech synthesis in Mac OS X and explains how your application can produce customized spoken output.
2006-09-05
Spell Checking (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the spell-checking facilities in the Cocoa text system.
2004-02-09
Status Bars (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa status bars.
2002-11-12
Steppers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa steppers.
2002-11-12
System Services (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Cocoa applications can extend their capabilities seamlessly to other applications.
2002-11-12
Tab Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa tab views.
2003-11-06
Table View Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa table views.
2006-04-04
Text Fields (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa text fields.
2004-02-09
Text System User Interface Layer Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to implement the main, high-level interface to the Cocoa text system.
2006-06-28
Text Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa text views.
2004-02-09
Token Field Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to set up and programatically manage a token field.
2007-12-11
Toolbar Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa toolbars.
2009-02-04
Undo Architecture (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to record information in Cocoa so a user can reverse an operation's effect.
2002-11-12
User Defaults Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the Cocoa defaults system to create and save user preferences.
2007-10-31
User Interface Validation (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the standard mechanism to validate user interface items in Cocoa.
2007-07-10
WebKit Objective-C Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the WebKit to embed web content in both Cocoa and Carbon applications.
2008-10-15
Window Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa windows and panels.
2009-02-04