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  "identifier" : "/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol",
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# NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol

A set of methods that declares the interface for objects that draw text attachment icons and handle mouse events on their icons.

```
protocol NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol : NSObjectProtocol
```

## Overview

With the exceptions of [`cellBaselineOffset()`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/cellBaselineOffset()), [`attachment`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/attachment), and [`attachment`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/attachment), all of these methods are implemented by the [`NSCell`](/documentation/AppKit/NSCell) class.For general information on text attachments, see <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Foundation/NSAttributedString> and [`NSTextView`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextView).

## Topics

### Setting the attachment

[`attachment`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/attachment)

Returns the text attachment object that owns the cell.

[`attachment`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/attachment)

Returns the text attachment object that owns the cell.

### Drawing the cell contents

[`draw(withFrame:in:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/draw(withFrame:in:))

Draws the cell’s image in the specified rectangle of the currently focused view.

[`draw(withFrame:in:characterIndex:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/draw(withFrame:in:characterIndex:))

Draws the cell’s image at the specified index point in the view.

[`draw(withFrame:in:characterIndex:layoutManager:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/draw(withFrame:in:characterIndex:layoutManager:))

Draws the cell’s image using the specified layout manager.

[`highlight(_:withFrame:in:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/highlight(_:withFrame:in:))

Draws the receiver’s image with optional highlighting.

### Providing the cell metrics

[`cellSize()`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/cellSize())

Returns the size of the attachment’s icon.

[`cellBaselineOffset()`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/cellBaselineOffset())

Returns the text position where you draw the attachment cell’s image, relative to the current point established in the glyph layout.

[`cellFrame(for:proposedLineFragment:glyphPosition:characterIndex:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/cellFrame(for:proposedLineFragment:glyphPosition:characterIndex:))

Returns the frame of the cell to draw at the specified position in a text container.

### Responding to mouse events

[`wantsToTrackMouse()`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/wantsToTrackMouse())

Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the attachment handles mouse events occurring over its image.

[`wantsToTrackMouse(for:in:of:atCharacterIndex:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/wantsToTrackMouse(for:in:of:atCharacterIndex:))

Allows an attachment to specify the events for which it tracks the mouse.

[`trackMouse(with:in:of:untilMouseUp:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/trackMouse(with:in:of:untilMouseUp:))

Handles a mouse-down event on the cell’s image, and optionally waits until a mouse-up event

[`trackMouse(with:in:of:atCharacterIndex:untilMouseUp:)`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAttachmentCellProtocol/trackMouse(with:in:of:atCharacterIndex:untilMouseUp:))

Handles a mouse-down event on the image at the specified character position.


---

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