Chapter 7: Introducing Interface Builder
In This Chapter
Introducing nib files
Getting started with Interface Builder
Setting classes and subclasses
As emphasized in previous chapters, Interface Builder — also known as IB — could be called Application Builder. Many developers use IB exclusively as an interface design tool. But you can use it in a completely general way, creating arbitrary collections of objects for your applications and defining arbitrary links between them.
Tip
Even when used exclusively for UI design, you can use IB to create loadable elements within a UI, such as individual entries in a table or scrolling subwindows. You don't have to use IB to design complete views. Potentially you can combine IB elements with code to create customized animated interfaces that have more in common with Flash design than with the standard Aqua/OS X look and feel.
Introducing Nib Files
A nib file is a collection of objects. The contents of a nib file are read-only: you can't use a nib file as a persistent store for mutable data. But IB includes initialization options for certain ...
