OS X - How can a NSViewController find its window?

Question

I have a Document based core data app. The main document window has a number of views, each controlled by its own custom NSViewController which are switched in as necessary. I want each of these view controllers to be able to drop down a custom modal sheet from the document window. However because the views are separate and not in the MyDocument nib I cannot link the view to the document window in IB. This means that when I call

[NSApp beginSheet: sheetWindow modalForWindow: mainWindow modalDelegate: self didEndSelector: @selector(didEndSheet:returnCode:contextInfo:) contextInfo: nil];

I’m supplying nil for mainWindow and the sheet therefore appears detached.

Any suggestions?

Many Thanks

score 115 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 19 '11 at 03:47

115

You can use [[self view] window]

answered Apr 19 '11 at 03:47

Tom Dalling

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I have tried this in the past - Xcode returns a Method '-view' not found (return type defaults to 'id') error – AJ. Apr 19 '11 at 18:33
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If `self` doesn't have a `view` method, then it's not an `NSViewController`. – Tom Dalling Apr 20 '11 at 02:34
Thanks Tom - that's my issue! I have a controller for the sheet that is instantiated by a subclassed NSViewController. Trouble is my sheet controller is subclassed from NSObject. To fix the issue I am now getting the window from my subclassed viewController using [[self view] window] and sending this to my sheet controller. Previously I was trying to get the window from my sheet controller – AJ. Apr 28 '11 at 03:19
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@AJ @TomDalling my `[self view]` returns but `[[self view] window]` returns null, not sure what to do now. – Jason Murray Mar 16 '15 at 00:21
I have the same issue as Jason – real 19 Sep 13 '15 at 16:51
@Ethan It means that the view isn't in a window. The view either hasn't been added yet, or it has been removed. – Tom Dalling Oct 15 '15 at 10:39
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@JasonMurray have you tried calling self.view.window in viewWillAppear of the NSViewController? – Riskov Feb 11 '16 at 16:16

score 42 · Answer 2 · edited May 22 '18 at 17:55

42

Indeed, it's self.view.window (Swift).

This may be nil in viewDidLoad() and viewWillAppear(), but is set properly by the time you get to viewDidAppear().

edited May 22 '18 at 17:55

pkamb

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answered Nov 03 '16 at 14:59

Tim Closs

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 01 '19 at 14:11

One issue with the other answers (i.e., just looking at self.view.window) is that they don't take into account the case that when a view is hidden, its window property will be nil. A view might be hidden for a lot of reasons (for example, it might be in one of the unselected views in a tab view).

The following (swift) extension will provide the windowController for a NSViewController by ascending the view controller hierarchy, from which the window property may then be examined:

public extension NSViewController {
    /// Returns the window controller associated with this view controller
    var windowController: NSWindowController? {
        return ((self.isViewLoaded == false ? nil : self.view)?.window?.windowController)
            ?? self.parent?.windowController // fallback to the parent; hidden views like those in NSTabView don't have a window
    }

}

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 19 '11 at 15:17

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If your controller can get access to the NSDocument subclass, you can use -windowForSheet

answered Apr 19 '11 at 15:17

JeremyP

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 11 '18 at 12:39

OS X - How can a NSViewController find its window?

5 Answers5