window.windowController is nil inside windowWillClose() but it isn't inside viewDidAppear() - swift

Question

I've tried, without success, respond to events such as windowWillClose() and windowShouldClose() inside NSWindowController (yes conforming to NSWindowDelegate).
Later, to my surprise, I was able to receive those events if I make my contentViewController (NSViewController) conform to NSWindowDelegate.
Unfortunately, later on, found out that view.window?.windowController is nil inside windowWillClose() or windowShouldClose(), code:
override func viewDidAppear() {
super.viewDidAppear()
self.view.window?.delegate = self
self.view.window?.windowController // not nil!
}
func windowWillClose(_ notification: Notification) {
self.view.window?.windowController // nil!!
}
func windowShouldClose(_ sender: NSWindow) -> Bool {
self.view.window?.windowController // nil!!
return true
}
After realizing that view.window?.windowController is not nil inside viewDidAppear() the next thing I thought was that Swift garbage collected the controller, so I changed viewDidAppear() in a way that creates another reference of windowController thus preventing garbage collection on said object, code:
var windowController: NSWindowController?
override func viewDidAppear() {
super.viewDidAppear()
self.view.window?.delegate = self
windowController = view.window?.windowController
}
func windowWillClose(_ notification: Notification) {
self.view.window?.windowController // NOT nil
}
func windowShouldClose(_ sender: NSWindow) -> Bool {
self.view.window?.windowController // NOT nil
return true
}
My hypothesis turned out to be correct (I think).
Is this the same issue that is preventing me from receiving those events inside NSWindowController?
Is there another way I can achieve the same thing without creating more object references?

Answer 1

In order to post code, I use the Answer option even though it is more of a comment.
I added in NSViewController:
override func viewDidAppear() {
super.viewDidAppear()
parentWindowController = self.view.window!.windowController
self.view.window!.delegate = self.view.window!.windowController as! S1W2WC. // The NSWC class, which conforms to NSWindowDelegate
print(#function, "windowController", self.view.window!, self.view.window!.windowController)
}
I get print log:
viewDidAppear() windowController Optional()
and notification is passed.
But if I change to
override func viewDidAppear() {
super.viewDidAppear()
// parentWindowController = self.view.window!.windowController
self.view.window!.delegate = self.view.window!.windowController as! S1W2WC
print(#function, "windowController", self.view.window!, self.view.window!.windowController)
}
by commenting out parentWindowController, notification don't go anymore to the WindowController…
Edited: I declared in ViewController:
var parentWindowController: NSWindowController? // Helps keep a reference to the controller

Answer 2

The proposed solutions are, in my opinion, hacks that can cause serious problems with memory management by creating circular references. You definitely can make instances of NSWindowController work as the window’s delegate. The proper way is to wire it up correctly in either code or in Interface Builder in Xcode. An example of how to do it properly is offered here.
If the delegate methods are not called is because the wiring up is not done correctly.
Another thing that must be done in Swift is when you add the name of the NSWindowController subclass in Interface Builder in Xcode is to check the checkbox of Inherits from Module. If you fail to do this, none of your subclass methods will be called.