Set the outlet of the item in TableCellView within the .xib file to the custom NSTableCellView subclass - swift

Question

I want to fill my NSTableView with content. Per table-cell-row are 3 items (2 NSTextFields and 1 NSImageView). For that I created a custom NSTableCellView where I want to set the #IBOutlets of the 3 Items, to set there the value for them. But when I try to set the referencing outlets, the only option is to create an action.
When I try to write #IBOutlet weak var personName: NSTextfield and then set the references, I can't because "xcode cannot locate the class in the current workspace"
When I create the NSTableViewinside a main.storyboard, I'm able to set the outlet references. So what is the different behavior between .storyboard and .xib?
When I try to connect the #IBOutlet with the Item "Person Name"
My NSViewController (owner of the .xib)
class ViewController: NSViewController, NSTableViewDataSource, NSTableViewDelegate {
#IBOutlet weak var tableView: NSTableView! //ref to tableView in xib
var persons:[Person] = [] //content to fill tableview
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
persons.append(Person(name: "John", age: 23, piRef: "/Users/xy/Desktop/profilePic.png"))
persons.append(Person(name: "Marie", age: 26, piRef: "/Users/xy/Desktop/profilePic.png"))
tableView.delegate = self
tableView.dataSource = self
}
func numberOfRows(in tableView: NSTableView) -> Int {
return persons.count
}
func tableView(_ tableView: NSTableView, viewFor tableColumn: NSTableColumn?, row: Int) -> NSView? {
let tableCellView:personTableCell = tableView.makeView(withIdentifier: NSUserInterfaceItemIdentifier(rawValue: "defaultRow"), owner: self) as! personTableCell
//NSTableColumn in xib has id "defaulRow"
if let person:Person = persons[row] {
tableCellView.setPerson(person: person) //call method inside NSTableCellView-subclass to set item values
}
return tableCellView
}
}
The custom NSTableCellView subclass ("personTableCell")
class personTableCell: NSTableCellView {
var person:Person! = nil
//here should be:
//#IBOutlet weak var personName: NSTextField!
//#IBOutlet weak var personAge: NSTextField!
//#IBOutlet weak var personImg: NSImageView!
func setPerson(person: Person) {
self.person = person
self.personName = person.name
self.personAge = person.age
self.personImg = NSImage(byReferencingFile: person.profileImgRef)
}
}
I want to be able to add the item outlet references to my NSTableCellView-subclass.

Answer 1

It appears to me you're making this harder than it needs to be. makeView is giving you a reference to the cell. Therefore you can access its members directly. No need for outlets (which is why Xcode won't make them for you.)
I can't read your screenshots well enough to tell how the textfields are defined (old eyes), so I can only give you a generic example from a working demo of a custom cell class:
class DIYTableViewDelegate: NSObject, NSTableViewDelegate {
var count = 0 // counts the number of views actually created
func tableView(_ tableView: NSTableView, viewFor tableColumn: NSTableColumn?, row: Int) -> NSView? {
let id = tableColumn!.identifier
var view = tableView.makeView(withIdentifier: id, owner: nil) as? CustomTableCellView
if view == nil {
view = createCell(id)
count += 1
}
view!.textField!.stringValue = "\(id.rawValue) \(row) \(view!.count) \(count)"
view!.count += 1
return view
}
}
Also, it's customary in Swift to capitalize the first letter of types (classes, structures, enums, protocols) and lowercase methods & properties. Doesn't affect how your code compiles, but it helps other Swifties read it.
Here's another example that may help:
func tableView(_ tableView: NSTableView, viewFor tableColumn: NSTableColumn?, row: Int) -> NSView? {
guard let vw = tableView.makeView(withIdentifier: tableColumn!.identifier, owner: self) as? CustomTableCellView else { return nil }
vw.textField?.stringValue = String(pictures[row].dropLast(4))
vw.imageView?.image = NSImage(named: pictures[row])
return vw
}