# Documents, Data, and Pasteboard Organize your app’s data and preferences, and share that data on the pasteboard or in iCloud. ## Topics ### Documents [Developing a Document-Based App](/documentation/AppKit/developing-a-document-based-app) Write an app that creates, manages, edits, and saves text documents. [`NSDocument`](/documentation/AppKit/NSDocument) An abstract class that defines the interface for macOS documents. [`NSDocumentController`](/documentation/AppKit/NSDocumentController) An object that manages an app’s documents. [`NSPersistentDocument`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPersistentDocument) A document object that can integrate with Core Data. ### User Preferences [`NSUserDefaultsController`](/documentation/AppKit/NSUserDefaultsController) A controller that accesses user preference information for your app from the user’s defaults database. ### Pasteboard [`NSPasteboard`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPasteboard) An object that transfers data to and from the pasteboard server. [`NSPasteboardItem`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPasteboardItem) An item on a pasteboard. [`NSPasteboardReading`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPasteboardReading) A set of methods that defines the interface for initializing an object from a pasteboard. [`NSPasteboardWriting`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPasteboardWriting) A set of methods that defines the interface for retrieving a representation of an object that can be written to a pasteboard. [`NSPasteboardItemDataProvider`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPasteboardItemDataProvider) A set of methods implemented by the data provider of a pasteboard item to provide the data for a particular UTI type. [`NSPasteboard.ContentsOptions`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPasteboard/ContentsOptions) Options for preparing the pasteboard. [`NSPasteboardTypeOwner`](/documentation/AppKit/NSPasteboardTypeOwner) An object that serves as a data provider for data types that use lazy data fulfillment from a pasteboard request. ### File Promises File promises support UTI-based drag and drop functions, including drag flocking. When possible, they’re pasteboard compliant and file coordinated. [Supporting Drag and Drop Through File Promises](/documentation/AppKit/supporting-drag-and-drop-through-file-promises) Receive and provide file promises to support dragged app files and pasteboard operations. [Supporting Table View Drag and Drop Through File Promises](/documentation/AppKit/supporting-table-view-drag-and-drop-through-file-promises) Share data between macOS apps during drag and drop by using an item provider. [Supporting Collection View Drag and Drop Through File Promises](/documentation/AppKit/supporting-collection-view-drag-and-drop-through-file-promises) Share data between macOS apps during drag and drop by using an item provider. [`NSFilePromiseProvider`](/documentation/AppKit/NSFilePromiseProvider) An object that provides a promise for the pasteboard. [`NSFilePromiseProviderDelegate`](/documentation/AppKit/NSFilePromiseProviderDelegate) A set of methods that provides the name of the promised file and writes the file to the destination directory when the file promise is fulfilled. [`NSFilePromiseReceiver`](/documentation/AppKit/NSFilePromiseReceiver) An object that receives a file promise from the pasteboard. ### Object Editing [`NSEditor`](/documentation/AppKit/NSEditor) [`NSEditorRegistration`](/documentation/AppKit/NSEditorRegistration) A set of methods that controllers can implement to enable an editor view to inform the controller when it has uncommitted changes. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)