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Leopard Reference
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.

A guided introduction for developers new to adopting the Mac OS X user experience.   Essential information for developers implementing application user interfaces.   APIs for implementing the look and feel of Mac OS X application software.
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NSPanel Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a window for performing auxiliary functions in an application.
Cocoa 2009-01-06
NSPopUpButton Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control for displaying pull-down or pop-up lists of items.
Cocoa 2008-10-15
NSPopUpButtonCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a cell used in the display of pull-down or pop-up menus.
Cocoa 2008-10-15
NSPreferencePane Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Defines the interface for subclasses to provide preference panes to System Preferences or other applications.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSProgressIndicator Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control that shows that a lengthy task is under way.
Cocoa 2008-03-11
NSRuleEditor Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a graphical rule editor.
Cocoa 2008-02-08
NSSavePanel Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the panel that a user employs to set a file-system location and save a file.
Cocoa 2009-02-04
NSScroller Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control for scrolling a document view within a scroll view.
Cocoa 2009-04-08
NSScrollView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a view for displaying content larger than its bounds.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSSearchField Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a text field optimized for entering a search query.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSSearchFieldCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a search field cell.
Cocoa 2008-03-11
NSSecureTextField Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a text field that hides its text.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSSecureTextFieldCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the user interface of a secure text field.
Cocoa 2007-10-31
NSSegmentedCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an action cell that provides appearance and behavior for an NSSegmentedControl object.
Cocoa 2009-05-06
NSSegmentedControl Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a horizontal button divided into multiple segments
Cocoa 2009-05-06
NSSlider Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control for selecting a value from a continuous range of values.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSSliderCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an action cell that provides appearance and behavior for an NSSlider object.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSSpeechRecognizer Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Cocoa command-and-control voice recognition system.
Cocoa 2007-04-03
NSSpeechSynthesizer Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Cocoa parser that converts text to speech.
Cocoa 2009-01-06
NSSplitView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a container for subviews with a user-controlled portion of each visible.
Cocoa 2009-04-08
NSStatusBar Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the collection of status items in the menu bar.
Cocoa 2007-03-05
NSStatusItem Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a status item in the menu bar.
Cocoa 2007-03-05
NSStepper Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control that can increment and decrement a value.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSStepperCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an action cell that provides appearance and behavior for an NSStepper object.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSTableColumn Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the display characteristics and attribute identifiers for a column in a table view.
Cocoa 2007-10-31
NSTableDataSource Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for receiving table view data requests.
Cocoa 2007-04-10
NSTableHeaderCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the user interface of a column header of a table view.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSTableHeaderView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a column header of a table view.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSTableView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a view that displays and manages tabular data.
Cocoa
NSTabView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a view that supports switching between subviews.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSTabViewItem Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a single view in a tab view.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSTextField Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control that displays editable text.
Cocoa 2009-01-06
NSTextFieldCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the user interface of a text field.
Cocoa 2009-01-06
NSTokenField Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a text field that provides tokenized editing.
Cocoa 2008-10-15
NSTokenFieldCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a cell used in the conversion of entered text into tokens representing objects.
Cocoa 2007-03-05
NSToolbar Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a toolbar in a window's title bar.
Cocoa 2008-10-15
NSToolbarItem Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a single item in a window's toolbar.
Cocoa 2006-06-28
NSToolbarItemGroup Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a group of items in a window's toolbar.
Cocoa 2007-04-11
NSToolbarItemValidation Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for providing customized enabling and disabling of a toolbar item.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSToolTipOwner Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for receiving requests for tooltip text.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSUserDefaults Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an object for managing preference information.
Cocoa 2009-04-08
NSUserInterfaceValidations Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for participating in automatic enabling and disabling of controls.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSViewAnimation Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an animation in a view or window.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
NSWindow Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a window.
Cocoa 2009-03-04
NSWindowScripting Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the category on NSWindow for scripting basic properties and commands of windows in scriptable applications.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
QLPreviewRequest Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an opaque type for handling requests for Quick Look document previews.
Cocoa 2007-04-20
QLThumbnailRequest Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an opaque type for handling requests for Quick Look thumbnail images.
Cocoa 2007-10-31
Quick Look Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for creating plug-ins that generate Quick Look previews and thumbnails.
Cocoa 2007-04-13
Screen Saver Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Objective-C API for supporting and working with screen effects.
Cocoa 2006-05-23
Search Kit Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for supporting user searches of textual content.
Cocoa 2009-05-06
Installer JavaScript Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the JavaScript object model used in distribution definition files.
Files & Software Installation 2008-12-16
QLPreviewRequest Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an opaque type for handling requests for Quick Look document previews.
Files & Software Installation 2007-04-20
QLThumbnailRequest Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an opaque type for handling requests for Quick Look thumbnail images.
Files & Software Installation 2007-10-31
Quick Look Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for creating plug-ins that generate Quick Look previews and thumbnails.
Files & Software Installation 2007-04-13
Application Services Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the API for a number of services--such as Quartz 2D and ATSUI--that are essential to Carbon applications.
General 2007-10-31
Core Services Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the API for many fundamental operating system services.
General 2007-10-31
Apple Help Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the C API for finding and displaying help content using Apple's HTML-based help system.
Help Technologies 2006-07-12
Carbon Help Manager Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for displaying short onscreen hints in help tags.
Help Technologies 2004-03-01
NSAlert Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a window that displays a message and obtains the user's response to it.
Help Technologies 2007-04-25
NSHelpManager Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an application-level help system.
Help Technologies 2009-02-04
Force Feedback Framework Reference (HTML)
Describes the public interfaces to the Force Feedback implementation in Mac OS X, including support for plug-ins.
Human Interface Device & Force Feedback 2008-04-08
Latent Semantic Mapping Reference (HTML)
Describes the C API for classifying text and other token-based content based on latent semantic information.
Speech Technologies 2008-04-08
Speech Recognition Manager Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the C interface for recognizing and accepting spoken input.
Speech Technologies 2003-02-01
Speech Synthesis Manager Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the C API for converting text into synthesized speech.
Speech Technologies 2009-04-08
Dictionary Services Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Objective-C and C routines that support programmatic access to dictionaries.
Text & Fonts 2007-05-29
IMKCandidates Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class that supports the use of candidate windows for an input method.
Text & Fonts 2007-06-05
IMKInputController Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class that controls input on the input method side.
Text & Fonts 2007-06-06
IMKMouseHandling Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to receive mouse events for an input method client session.
Text & Fonts 2007-06-05
IMKServer Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class that manages connections to input method clients.
Text & Fonts 2007-06-06
IMKServerInput Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the informal protocol used to receive text events.
Text & Fonts 2009-05-06
IMKStateSetting Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to set or access state values for an input method client session.
Text & Fonts 2007-06-05
IMKTextInput Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to send and obtain data from an input method client session.
Text & Fonts 2007-06-05
Input Method Kit Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the API for building input methods for Chinese, Japanese, and other languages.
Text & Fonts 2007-06-06