NSArrayController sorting: "this class is not key value coding-compliant for the key"

Question

I´m trying to setup sorting in NSTableView. NSArrayController is bound to an Array: dynamic var dataArray = [Person](). Populating the tableView is working so far, but coming to sorting I´m stuck in this error. My setup is:

1: in IB: ArrayController, Binding Inspector:

   - Sort Descriptors bind to ViewController
   - Model Key Path: self.customSortDescriptors

2: in IB: tableView, Binding Inspector:

( Here I´m getting error: "this class is not key value coding-compliant for the key customSortDescriptors.")

   - Sort Descriptors bind to ArrayController
   - Controller Key: arrangedObjects
   - Model KEy Path: customSortDescriptors

3: in IB: Column "Name", Attributes Inspector:

   - Sort Key: name
   - Selector: caseInsensitiveCompare:

In ViewController:

class ViewController: NSViewController {

    @IBOutlet var arrayController: NSArrayController!

    @IBOutlet var tableView: NSTableView!

    dynamic var dataArray = [Person]()

    dynamic var customSortDescriptors = [NSSortDescriptor(key: "name", ascending: true, selector: #selector(NSString.localizedStandardCompare(_:)))];

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        dataArray.append(Person(name: "Noah", familyName: "Vale", age: 72))
        dataArray.append(Person(name: "Sarah", familyName: "Yayvo", age: 29))
        dataArray.append(Person(name: "Shanda", familyName: "Lear", age: 45))

    }

}

Everything works without errors until I set the second step from above: 2: in IB: tableView, Binding Inspector:Then I´m getting error: this class is not key value coding-compliant for the key customSortDescriptors.

Person class:

class Person : NSObject {
    var name:String
    var familyName:String
    var age = 0

    override init() {
        name = "name"
        familyName = "family"
        super.init()
    }

    init(name:String, familyName:String, age:Int) {
        self.name = name
        self.familyName = familyName
        self.age = age
        super.init()
    }
}

This is a demo project: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwRghT926ZpyMVhZMHJqTGFOS3c/view

@ shallowThought: What do you mean by "Try not to inherit from NSObject"? Populating the tableview is working. — Josch Hazard

vadian vadian · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-29T12:44:21

The error occurs because the array controller doesn't have a property customSortDescriptors

Bind tableView.sortDescriptors to arraycontroller.sortDescriptors (controllerKey!).

However if you want to enable column sorting by clicking on the header add values for Sort Key and Selector in the table column:

In this case you need only the binding from table view to array controller as in the first image.

NSArrayController sorting: "this class is not key value coding-compliant for the key"

1 Answers