What is [NSNibOutletConnector establishConnection]?

Hello NG,

I have some trouble to add a checkbox to my nib.
I have a NSWindowContoller subclass for that nib.
I have added a IBAction method and connected it to the control.
I also added a NSButton outlet and connected it to the control.
The first ting funny is that my action method is called from the
[NSNibOutletConnector establishConnection] before awakeFromNib.
I did release the action - connection in the nib to avoid this, but
the IBAction-Method is still called before awakeFromNib.
After that I tried to check for the sender to a avoid the unwanted
calls, but the the sender is never the same id like the outlet, even
if I click the checkbox button. The same window has other checkboxes I
have added under Tiger ( Xcode 2.5) that don't show that behavior. I
also can't remember having seen [NSNibOutletConnector
establishConnection] before?
Something wrong with IB?

Thanx Florian

On Jan 9, 3:42 pm, Florian Zschocke wrote:

> Something wrong with IB?

Probably not. What you are reporting is almost certainly a frequently-
encountered trap in naming properties and IBOutlets.

> The first ting funny is that my action method is called from the
> [NSNibOutletConnector establishConnection] before awakeFromNib.

Suppose you have declared you button outlet thus:

IBOutlet NSButton * aProperty;

Is the button's action method

- (IBAction) setAProperty: (id) sender;

?

Refer to the documentation for -awakeFromNib :

> For each outlet that needs a connection, the NSNib object looks for
> a method of the form setOutletName: in your object. If that method
> exists, the NSNib object calls it, passing the target object as a
> parameter. If you did not define a setter method with that exact
> name, the NSNib object searches the object for an instance variable
> (of type IBOutlet id) with the corresponding outlet name and tries
> to set its value directly.

So when you NIB is loaded, and it comes time to connect your button to
the outlet, the NIB loader finds your setAProperty: method, and calls
it, rather than set the aProperty instance variable directly.

-- F