Setting up multiple NSWindowController objects and NSDocument

Question

I'm new to the NSDocument architecture and am looking to set up multiple windows (and hence multiple NSWindowController objects) for a single document.

From what I understand, NSDocument was really created to work with a single window, and it seems that the ability to have multiple windows was shoehorned in later. For example, it seems that the NSDocument should always be the file's owner for any window's NIB files. But what if I wanted to separate the window controllers from the document?

For example, in the NSDocument subclass I am currently using the code:

- (void)makeWindowControllers {
    [self setMyWindowController1:[[WindowControllerType1 alloc] initWithWindowNibName:@"MyWindow" owner:self]];
    [self addWindowController:[self MyWindowController1]];
}

But the NIB file "MyWindow"'s file owner is set to the NSWindowController subclass (WindowControllerType1), NOT my NSDocument subclass. In this case, whenever I look to get the document by using [[NSDocumentController sharedDocumentController] currentDocument], this ALWAYS returns nil.

I figure this can be rectified if I set the NIB file's owner to the NSDocument subclass, but then all of my outlet links break, and I'm not sure how to link to the NSWindowController subclass (WindowControllerType1), as the typical course of action (as far as I can tell) is to make the NSDocument a window controller delegate as well, which I would like to avoid!

Any suggestions?

EDIT:

Let me clarify and add some new information. I am aware of Apple's position on using the WindowController's document property. However, as I plan of having a larger number of nested NSViews in each window, I want to avoid passing the document through a large chain of views in order to accomplish this.

The issue is not necessarily this chain. It is mostly that when the [[NSDocumentController sharedDocumentController] currentDocument] is ALWAYS nil, none of the "for free" features of NSDocument seem to work, such as undo/redo. This is the major issue that I need to resolve.

No need to pass document through the views hierarchy. You can access view.window.windowController.document (and eventually set viewController.represented object to a sub-model of the whole document model). About the currentDocument issue, I have posted an alternative solution here : stackoverflow.com/questions/8912314/… — Moose

Willeke Willeke · Accepted Answer · 2015-10-19T00:00:50

From what I understand, NSDocument was really created to work with a single window, and it seems that the ability to have multiple windows was shoehorned in later.

No, makeWindowControllers is available in OS X v10.0 and later.

But what if I wanted to separate the window controllers from the document?

The window controller owns the NIB.

Any suggestions?

Do [self setMyWindowController1:[[WindowControllerType1 alloc] initWithWindowNibName:@"MyWindow"]].

NSWindowController has a property document which is set by addWindowController:.

Setting up multiple NSWindowController objects and NSDocument

2 Answers