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Leopard Reference Library
Cocoa is an object-oriented application environment designed for developing Mac OS X native applications. The Cocoa frameworks support rapid development and high productivity. Cocoa provides developers starting new Mac OS X projects the fastest way to full-featured implementations. Applications from other platforms can also be brought to Mac OS X quickly using Cocoa.

A guided introduction and learning path for developers new to Cocoa.   Essential information for developers using Objective-C.   Objective-C API references organized by framework.
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Preventing column reordering in NSTableView (HTML)
QA1503: Demonstrates how to prevent column reordering of certain columns in NSTableView.
User Experience Technical Q&As 2007-01-24
Preventing crashes when using multiple disabled but editable NSComboBoxes (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1142: How to prevent a crash when using multiple disabled -- but editable --NSComboBoxes in a view.
User Experience Technical Q&As 2002-06-03
Progress Indicators (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa progress indicators.
User Experience Guides 2002-11-12
QLPreviewRequest Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an opaque type for handling requests for Quick Look document previews.
User Experience Reference 2007-04-20
QLThumbnailRequest Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes an opaque type for handling requests for Quick Look thumbnail images.
User Experience Reference 2007-10-31
Querying Metadata With Spotlight (HTML)
TN2192: Describes how a Cocoa application can search Spotlight metadata.
User Experience Technical Notes 2007-06-04
Quick Look Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for creating plug-ins that generate Quick Look previews and thumbnails.
User Experience Reference 2007-04-13
Quick Look Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the purporse and architecture of Quick Look generators and explains how to create them.
User Experience Guides 2008-02-08
Re-enabling dragging from NSTableView to other applications (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1220: Explains how to re-enable drag-and-drop from NSTableViews to other applications
User Experience Technical Q&As 2008-02-08
Reducer (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Simple utility for rescaling bitmapped images. Demonstrates use of Core Image, NSAnimation, view drawing redirection.
User Experience Sample Code 2005-06-06
Requirements for Quartz GL (HTML)
QA1536: Describes the requirements for enabling Quartz GL.
User Experience Technical Q&As 2008-08-08
Resolution Independence Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Describes resolution independence and how to start updating applications to support high-resolution monitors.
User Experience Guides 2007-05-04
RGB Image (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates compositing to separate an NSimage into its RGB components, and how to recombine those components.
User Experience Sample Code 2003-01-14
RoundTransparentWindow (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Creating (in Cocoa) custom-shaped windows and transparent window content; plus changing the shape of windows dynamically.
User Experience Sample Code 2003-01-14
Screen Saver Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Objective-C API for supporting and working with screen effects.
User Experience Reference 2006-05-23
Screen Saver Functions Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes functions and function-like macros available in the Screen Saver framework.
User Experience Reference 2006-05-23
ScreenSaverDefaults Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class that defines a set of methods for saving and restoring user defaults for screen savers.
User Experience Reference 2006-05-23
ScreenSaverView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class that defines the interface for subclassers to interact with the screen saver infrastructure.
User Experience Reference 2006-05-23
Scroll View Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to use scroll views in Cocoa applications.
User Experience Guides 2006-06-28
Search Fields (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa search fields.
User Experience Guides 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.
User Experience Guides 2005-12-06
Search Kit Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interface for supporting user searches of textual content.
User Experience Reference 2009-05-06
SearchField (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to use and customize the features of the "NSSearchField" control.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-04-25
SearchKit Release Notes (HTML)
User Experience Release Notes 2005-04-29
Segmented Controls Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa segmented controls.
User Experience Guides 2006-02-07
Sheet Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa sheets.
User Experience Guides 2006-09-05
SimpleCocoaApp (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
A basic Cocoa application for beginners to Cocoa and Objective-C.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-08-07
Slider Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa sliders.
User Experience Guides 2006-10-03
Software Delivery Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to distribute and install Mac OS X software using PackageMaker and Installer.
User Experience Guides 2006-07-24
Solving NSTabView drawing problems in Mac OS X 10.1.x (HTML) (日本語 HTML)
QA1117: Explains how to work around NSTabView draw problems in Mac OS X 10.1.x
User Experience Technical Q&As 2002-02-14
SonOfSillyBalls (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Draws a bunch of randomly colored, randomly placed, silly balls in a window on the screen.
User Experience Sample Code 2003-01-14
SourceView (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to use NSOutlineView driven by NSTreeController.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-11-15
Speech (HTML) (PDF)
Explains Cocoa's interfaces to the speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies.
User Experience Guides 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.
User Experience Guides 2006-09-05
SpeedometerView (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Shows how to make a custom NSView.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-06-06
Spell Checking (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the spell-checking facilities in the Cocoa text system.
User Experience Guides 2004-02-09
SpotlightFortunes (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to provision a Spotlight importer plug-in for a custom UTI, and how to use a NSMetadataQuery with bindings to display live query results in a table view.
User Experience Sample Code 2008-06-06
Sproing (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Shows how "springs" work to control view resizing behavior.
User Experience Sample Code 2003-05-20
Squiggles (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates many Cocoa fundamentals in a Document-based Application featuring custom drawing and event-handling.
User Experience Sample Code 2008-08-29
Status Bars (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa status bars.
User Experience Guides 2002-11-12
Steppers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa steppers.
User Experience Guides 2002-11-12
StickiesExample (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Contains sample code and tools used by Sync Services Tutorial to demonstrate debugging syncing applications.
User Experience Sample Code 2006-08-08
Suppressing the "unexpectedly quit" alert (HTML)
QA1288: Describes how to suppress the "unexpectedly quit" alert.
User Experience Technical Q&As 2008-03-11
System Services (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Cocoa applications can extend their capabilities seamlessly to other applications.
User Experience Guides 2002-11-12
Tab Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa tab views.
User Experience Guides 2003-11-06
Table View Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa table views.
User Experience Guides 2006-04-04
Text Fields (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa text fields.
User Experience Guides 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.
User Experience Guides 2006-06-28
Text Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa text views.
User Experience Guides 2004-02-09
TextLayoutDemo (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Customizing NSTextView with NSLayoutManager and a custom NSTextContainer.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-06-01
Tinted Image (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates the use of an NSImage as an off-screen drawing destination.
User Experience Sample Code 2003-01-14
TipWrapper (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Shows how to wrap long tool tips into multiple lines in Cocoa.
User Experience Sample Code 2003-12-18
Token Field Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to set up and programatically manage a token field.
User Experience Guides 2007-12-11
Toolbar Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa toolbars.
User Experience Guides 2009-02-04
ToolbarSample (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates using the Cocoa NSToolbar/NSToolbarItem API to add customizable toolbars to windows. Includes advanced custom views.
User Experience Sample Code 2003-01-14
TrackBall (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to build a custom control based on the NSControl class.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-06-07
TrackIt (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to use the NSTrackingArea class.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-03-05
TwoManyControllers (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
How to use an intermediate NSArrayController to populate an NSTableView across two to-many relationships.
User Experience Sample Code 2007-02-23
Undo Architecture (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to record information in Cocoa so a user can reverse an operation's effect.
User Experience Guides 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.
User Experience Guides 2007-10-31
User Interface Validation (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the standard mechanism to validate user interface items in Cocoa.
User Experience Guides 2007-07-10
Using AppleScript Scripts in Cocoa Applications (HTML)
TN2084: Explains how to work with AppleScript scripts in your Cocoa application.
User Experience Technical Notes 2006-09-19
Using the Web Kit for Application Registration (HTML)
Learn how to use the Web Kit to handle your application's online registration.
User Experience Articles 2004-03-09
ViewController (HTML) (DMG) (ZIP)
Demonstrates how to use "NSViewController".
User Experience Sample Code 2007-06-11
WebArchive Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for archiving a web page and all of its related resources.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebBackForwardList Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for tracking a list of visited pages with relation to the most recent page.
User Experience Reference 2009-02-04
WebDataSource Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for encapsulating web content for display in a web frame view.
User Experience Reference 2008-10-15
WebDocumentRepresentation Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by document representation classes that handle specific MIME types.
User Experience Reference 2006-05-23
WebDocumentSearching Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by document view objects to support searching.
User Experience Reference 2006-05-23
WebDocumentText Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by document view objects to support working with text.
User Experience Reference 2009-03-04
WebDocumentView Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by document view objects to display data of different MIME types.
User Experience Reference 2008-10-15
WebDownload Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for providing an authentication sheet before a download begins.
User Experience Reference 2008-10-15
WebEditingDelegate Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by WebView objects to change the view's default editing behavior.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebFrame Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for encapsulating the data displayed within a WebFrameView object.
User Experience 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.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebFrameView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for displaying the actual web content contained in a frame.
User Experience Reference 2009-03-04
WebHistory Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for maintaining a set of pages visited by users.
User Experience Reference 2009-03-04
WebHistoryItem Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for encapsulating information about a visited page.
User Experience Reference 2008-10-15
WebJavaPlugIn Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol for running Java applets from within a WebView.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebKit Constants Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the types and constants found in the WebKit framework.
User Experience Reference 2008-10-15
WebKit Objective-C Framework Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Objective-C API used to display web content in windows.
User Experience Reference 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.
User Experience Guides 2008-10-15
WebOpenPanelResultListener Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol adopted by WebView delegates to communicate with an Open dialog.
User Experience 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.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebPlugInContainer Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol that enables a plug-in to send messages to an application.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebPlugInViewFactory Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to create an NSView object for a plug-in.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebPolicyDecisionListener Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol for handling download decisions asynchronously.
User Experience Reference 2009-03-04
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.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebPreferences Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for the preferences you can change per WebView object, such as font, text encoding, and image settings.
User Experience Reference 2008-10-15
WebResource Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for downloaded data and its related properties, such as its URL and MIME type.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebResourceLoadDelegate Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to be notified on the progress of loading individual resources.
User Experience Reference 2008-06-19
WebScripting Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol that defines methods that classes can implement to expose their interfaces to a WebScript environment.
User Experience 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.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
WebUIDelegate Protocol Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the protocol used to control user interface-related aspects, such as opening windows and augmenting default menus.
User Experience Reference 2009-03-04
WebUndefined Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class used to represent the JavaScript "undefined" value.
User Experience Reference 2006-05-23
WebView Class Reference (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the class for embedding web content in a window.
User Experience Reference 2009-04-08
Why aren't my tracking rects working? (HTML)
QA1355: Describes a common mistake in setting up cursor-tracking rectangles.
User Experience Technical Q&As 2004-12-02
Window Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa windows and panels.
User Experience Guides 2009-02-04