Filtering the Grid Display

There are two ways to limit the number of items displayed in the Library window:

• Select a subset of library groups.

• Use the filter control at the bottom of the Library window.

In the groups pane of the Library window, the Library group contains all of the objects currently integrated into Interface Builder. The contents of the Library group are further subdivided based on the currently loaded plug-ins. Each plug-in can provide further groupings for the controls it defines. Selecting one or more of these subgroups limits the items displayed in the items pane to those in the selected groups. Figure 11-1 shows the window with two groups selected and the resulting list of items that are displayed.

To select a group, simply click it. To add groups to the current selection, hold down the Command key and click on each group. To select a range of groups, hold down the Shift key when clicking.

You can also filter the list of displayed objects using the filter control at the bottom of the Library window. The filter control always operates on the entire library and cannot be combined with other filtering options. Typing the name of an object or a textual description of it restricts the current list of items to those that match the specified string. For example, typing the word Font in the default library displays two items, as shown in Figure 11-2.

Creating Custom Groups

In addition to the predefined groups provided by each plug-in object, you can create custom groups to organize objects any way you want. To create a new custom group, choose New Group from the action menu at the bottom of the Library window. To add objects to your group, select the Library group (or any of its subgroups) and drag items from the items pane into your group. You can mix objects of any type inside a custom group.

You might use custom groups to store a set of frequently used objects or to implement a different organization for the contents of the main library. Custom groups always appear below the main library, as shown in Figure 11-3. You can arrange your custom groups however you want (including hierarchically) by dragging them around. As with the Library group, selecting a custom group displays the objects in that group plus the objects in its contained child groups.

Creating Smart Groups

Smart groups are custom groups whose contents are determined by a set of dynamic filtering criteria. You can use smart groups to track recently used objects or objects from across the library that match specific criteria. Because the filtering criteria is dynamic, Interface Builder regularly updates the contents of your smart groups to reflect the current environment.

To create a new smart group, choose New Smart Group from the action menu at the bottom of the Library window. You must specify the filtering criteria for your smart group when you create it. Figure 11-4) shows the rule editor sheet that you use to specify your filtering criteria. As you edit your rules, the sheet displays the current number of objects that match your criteria.

You can build smart groups to accommodate a variety of conditions. For example, you can build groups that filter based on the object’s description or type, or you can build a smart group that displays the objects you used most recently. Table 11-1 lists the types of rules you can configure in the rule editor and describes how Interface Builder matches objects using those rules.

Removing Groups and Smart Groups

To remove a group or smart group from the Library window, select the group in the groups pane of the Library window and do one of the following:

• Press the Delete key.

• Choose Remove Group from the action menu.

Rearranging Objects in the Items Pane

You can rearrange objects in a custom group by dragging them around in the items pane. As you drag an item, the items pane provides feedback as to the proposed new location of the item. When dropped, the pane animates the position change of the affected objects.

You can move objects only within custom groups that contain no child groups of their own. You cannot rearrange objects in smart groups or in any of the main library groups regardless of hierarchy.

Adding Custom Objects to the Library

Although you normally drag items out of the Library window and into your user interface, you can also drag your custom configurations of those objects back into the Library window. Doing this lets you retrieve those custom objects later without having to reconfigure them.

To add a custom object to the library, do the following:

1. In your window, configure the object as you would like it.

2. Press and hold the Option key and drag the object to the Library window.

3. In the organization pane of the Library window, drop the object on the Custom Objects group or on a custom group you created. Interface Builder prompts you for information about the dropped object.

4. Fill in the information about your object and press OK.

You can use this technique to drag one object or a group of objects. When dragging more than one object, the entire group becomes a single item in the Library window. Dragging that item back out of the library creates all of the original objects.

The items you add to the library persist between Interface Builder sessions so that you can use them over and over again. To remove a custom item from the Library window, do the following:

1. Select the Custom Objects group in the library to see the items in that group.

2. Select your custom item.

3. Press the Delete key.

You must remove custom items from the Custom Objects group in order to remove them from the Library window. Removing items from your custom group folders removes them from the group but not the library.

In addition to adding custom configurations of objects to the library, you can also add entirely new objects to the library through an Interface Builder plug-in. Plug-ins are typically used in situations where you want to be able to configure and edit the attributes of your custom classes. For more information, see Using Plug-ins to Integrate New Objects into the Library.

Minimizing the Organization Pane

You can make room for more items and descriptive information in the Library window by minimizing the organization pane. To do this, drag the split bar for that pane up to the pane’s top edge. As you near the top, the pane is automatically replaced by a pop-up menu; see Figure 11-5. You can continue to select the currently displayed group using the pop-up menu. Doing so, however, limits you to selecting one group at a time.

To return to the full organization pane, drag the split bar back down until the pane appears.

64-Bit Plug-Ins

Interface Builder 3.2 or later is a 64-bit application. Consequently, you should modify your plug-in to use 64-bit addressing. For general information about conversion to 64-bit addressing, see 64-Bit Transition Guide. Both Interface Builder and ibtool can auto-relaunch in 32-bit mode to load 32-bit plug-ins.