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Leopard Reference Library: 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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Binding your Preferences in Cocoa (HTML)
Learn to use bindings by creating a simple app.
Articles 2004-04-26
Using the Web Kit for Application Registration (HTML)
Learn how to use the Web Kit to handle your application's online registration.
Articles 2004-03-09
Cocoa Bindings Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to rapidly develop sophisticated user interfaces using Cocoa binding technology.
Guides 2009-03-08
Dock Tile Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to provide an icon and contextual menu in Carbon applications.
Guides 2009-03-04
Dialogs and Special Panels (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to create alert panels. Includes links to documents about other types of panels.
Guides 2009-02-04
Toolbar Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa toolbars.
Guides 2009-02-04
Window Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa windows and panels.
Guides 2009-02-04
Button Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa buttons.
Guides 2008-10-15
Control and Cell Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains the relationship between Cocoa control and cell objects.
Guides 2008-10-15
WebKit Objective-C Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the WebKit to embed web content in both Cocoa and Carbon applications.
Guides 2008-10-15
Apple Human Interface Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Introduces the Mac OS X user experience and explains how to design an application for Aqua.
Guides 2008-06-09
Cursor Management (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to set the cursor and handle cursor-update events in Cocoa applications.
Guides 2008-03-11
Quick Look Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the purporse and architecture of Quick Look generators and explains how to create them.
Guides 2008-02-08
Search Fields (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa search fields.
Guides 2008-02-08
Token Field Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to set up and programatically manage a token field.
Guides 2007-12-11
Apple Help Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to author, package, and display user help content in Mac OS X.
Guides 2007-10-31
User Defaults Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the Cocoa defaults system to create and save user preferences.
Guides 2007-10-31
Pasteboard Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to transfer data using pasteboard operations in Cocoa.
Guides 2007-07-13
User Interface Validation (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the standard mechanism to validate user interface items in Cocoa.
Guides 2007-07-10
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.
Guides 2007-06-26
Resolution Independence Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Describes resolution independence and how to start updating applications to support high-resolution monitors.
Guides 2007-05-04
Accessibility Programming Guidelines for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Cocoa applications make their user interface available to external assistive applications.
Guides 2007-02-08
Matrix Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa matrices.
Guides 2006-11-07
Preference Panes (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to create dynamically loaded plug-ins that provide a graphical interface to user preferences.
Guides 2006-10-03
Slider Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa sliders.
Guides 2006-10-03
Sheet Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa sheets.
Guides 2006-09-05
Speech Synthesis Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes speech synthesis in Mac OS X and explains how your application can produce customized spoken output.
Guides 2006-09-05
Software Delivery Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to distribute and install Mac OS X software using PackageMaker and Installer.
Guides 2006-07-24
Drag and Drop Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to implement drag and drop in Cocoa.
Guides 2006-06-28
Online Help (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to add help to a Cocoa application.
Guides 2006-06-28
Outline View Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa outline views.
Guides 2006-06-28
Scroll View Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to use scroll views in Cocoa applications.
Guides 2006-06-28
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.
Guides 2006-06-28
Table View Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa table views.
Guides 2006-04-04
Segmented Controls Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa segmented controls.
Guides 2006-02-07
Search Kit Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes Search Kit architecture and workflow, and how to add search capabilities to Carbon and Cocoa applications.
Guides 2005-12-06
Browsers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa browsers.
Guides 2004-08-31
Font Panel (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the Cocoa Font panel.
Guides 2004-08-31
Spell Checking (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the spell-checking facilities in the Cocoa text system.
Guides 2004-02-09
Text Fields (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa text fields.
Guides 2004-02-09
Text Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa text views.
Guides 2004-02-09
Tab Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa tab views.
Guides 2003-11-06
Speech (HTML) (PDF)
Explains Cocoa's interfaces to the speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies.
Guides 2003-08-08
Boxes (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa boxes.
Guides 2003-02-15
Drawers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa drawers.
Guides 2003-02-04
Combo Box Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa combo boxes.
Guides 2002-11-12
Forms (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa forms.
Guides 2002-11-12
Image Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa image views.
Guides 2002-11-12
Progress Indicators (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa progress indicators.
Guides 2002-11-12
Status Bars (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa status bars.
Guides 2002-11-12
Steppers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa steppers.
Guides 2002-11-12
System Services (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Cocoa applications can extend their capabilities seamlessly to other applications.
Guides 2002-11-12
Undo Architecture (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to record information in Cocoa so a user can reverse an operation's effect.
Guides 2002-11-12
NSSegmentedCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an action cell that provides appearance and behavior for an NSSegmentedControl object.
Reference 2009-05-06
NSSegmentedControl Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a horizontal button divided into multiple segments
Reference 2009-05-06
Search Kit Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for supporting user searches of textual content.
Reference 2009-05-06
NSButtonCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a cell that responds to mouse clicks.
Reference 2009-04-08
NSScroller Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control for scrolling a document view within a scroll view.
Reference 2009-04-08
NSSplitView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a container for subviews with a user-controlled portion of each visible.
Reference 2009-04-08
NSUserDefaults Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an object for managing preference information.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebArchive Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for archiving a web page and all of its related resources.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebEditingDelegate Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by WebView objects to change the view's default editing behavior.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebFrame Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for encapsulating the data displayed within a WebFrameView object.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebFrameLoadDelegate Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by WebView frame load delegates to be notified while frame loads are in progress.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebJavaPlugIn Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol for running Java applets from within a WebView.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebOpenPanelResultListener Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by WebView delegates to communicate with an Open dialog.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebPlugIn Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by an application using the Web Kit and any Web Kit-based plug-ins.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebPlugInContainer Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol that enables a plug-in to send messages to an application.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebPlugInViewFactory Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to create an NSView object for a plug-in.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebPolicyDelegate Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to modify the policy decisions that are made when handling URLs or the data they represent.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebResource Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for downloaded data and its related properties, such as its URL and MIME type.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebScripting Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol that defines methods that classes can implement to expose their interfaces to a WebScript environment.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebScriptObject Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for bridging a web view's scripting environment and the Objective-C runtime.
Reference 2009-04-08
WebView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for embedding web content in a window.
Reference 2009-04-08
NSDockTile Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for customizing an application's dock tiles
Reference 2009-03-04
NSWindow Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a window.
Reference 2009-03-04
WebDocumentText Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by document view objects to support working with text.
Reference 2009-03-04
WebFrameView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for displaying the actual web content contained in a frame.
Reference 2009-03-04
WebHistory Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for maintaining a set of pages visited by users.
Reference 2009-03-04
WebPolicyDecisionListener Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol for handling download decisions asynchronously.
Reference 2009-03-04
WebUIDelegate Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to control user interface-related aspects, such as opening windows and augmenting default menus.
Reference 2009-03-04
DOMNode Additions Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the API added to the DOMNode class to facilitate communication between WebKit and the DOM API.
Reference 2009-02-04
NSCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for cell objects.
Reference 2009-02-04
NSHelpManager Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an application-level help system.
Reference 2009-02-04
NSMenuView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a deprecated class replaced by the NSMenu class.
Reference 2009-02-04
NSOpenPanel Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the panel that a user employs to locate and open a file.
Reference 2009-02-04
NSOutlineView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a row-and-column format view for displaying hierarchical data.
Reference 2009-02-04
NSSavePanel Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the panel that a user employs to set a file-system location and save a file.
Reference 2009-02-04
WebBackForwardList Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for tracking a list of visited pages with relation to the most recent page.
Reference 2009-02-04
DOMHTMLDocument Additions Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the API added to the DOMHTMLDocument class to facilitate communication between WebKit and the DOM API.
Reference 2009-01-26
NSCursor Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the appearance of the user interface cursor.
Reference 2009-01-06
NSImageCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an object that displays an image in a frame, usually in a control.
Reference 2009-01-06
NSPanel Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a window for performing auxiliary functions in an application.
Reference 2009-01-06
NSSpeechSynthesizer Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Cocoa parser that converts text to speech.
Reference 2009-01-06
NSTextField Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a control that displays editable text.
Reference 2009-01-06
NSTextFieldCell Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the user interface of a text field.
Reference 2009-01-06
Application Kit Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for all things related to an application's user interface.
Reference 2008-11-19
NSDateFormatter Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a date formatter.
Reference 2008-11-19
NSNumberFormatter Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes a number formatter.
Reference 2008-11-19
DOMDocument Additions Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the API added to the DOMDocument class to facilitate communication between WebKit and the DOM API.
Reference 2008-10-15