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Nib Files and Cocoa

Nib files are integrated into many of the standard workflows in Cocoa. For example, when the user opens a new document, the NSDocument class automatically creates a new document window based on the contents of an associated nib file. This automatic nib file support is very convenient and saves you the trouble of loading commonly used nib files yourself. There may still be times though when you need to display some user interface element that is not part of a common workflow. For example, you might need to display a custom inspector panel or you might want to set or change the contextual menu associated with a custom object. When those situations occur, you can programmatically load the needed nib files and integrate the resulting objects into your application.

Contents:

Anatomy of a Nib File
The Nib Object Life Cycle
Automatic Support For Nib Files
Nib File Design Guidelines
Loading Nib Files into Your Program Programmatically
Connecting Menu Items Across Nib Files

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