Question

I have an NSDocument subclass with two NSWindowControllers corresponding to 2 different xib.

Following the Document-Based Application Guide I have added the following in my document.m implementation

- (void)makeWindowControllers 
{
    NSLog(@"in MakeWindowControllers");

    MainWindowController *mainWindowController = [[MainWindowController alloc] init];
    [mainWindowController autorelease];
    [self addWindowController:mainWindowController];

    csvWindowController = [[CSVWindowController alloc] init];
    [csvWindowController autorelease];
    [self addWindowController:csvWindowController];        
}

Problem is I want the second window controller csvWindowController to hide its window initially, I will show the same instance of the window later on. To do so I have written:

@implementation CSVWindowController


- (id) init {

    if ( ! (self = [super initWithWindowNibName:@"CSVWindow"]) ) {

        NSLog(@"CSVWindowController init failed");
        return nil;
    }

    window = [self window];
    NSLog(@"CSVWindowController init");

    [window orderOut:nil]; // to hide it
    NSLog(@"CSVWindowController hiding the window");

    return self;
}

But the window is there, showing up.

Please not I have the VisibleAtLaunch not flagged, that console it’s showing my messages correctly, and that even if I change:

        [window orderOut:nil]; // to hide it
to 
        [window orderOut:self]; // to hide it

The result is the same, window showing up.

Any help is appreciated, thanks 🙂

Answer 1

Ok, again I reply to my own question, but this time with a positive remark. I think what I was doing wrong had something to do with the hidden – for me – implications of the Document-based architecture of the default Document Application template.

I have tried with a different approach, creating an application from scratch NOT flagging “Document-based Application” and providing it with:

• 1 NSDocument subclass
• 2 NSWindowControllers subclasses
• 1 MainMenu.xib
• 2 window.xib

and I have forced instantiation of the NSWindowController subclasses in the MyDocument code.

I have also put the IBActions for the MenuItems in the MyDocument and I have bound the MyDocument Object to the MenuItems in the MainMenu.xib.

This time I was able to do whatever, hiding/showing windows starting with one hidden one not, enabling menu items automatically at will.

Here follows the code, for any newbie like me who might have to fight with this in the future.

//  MyDocument.h
#import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
#import "testWindowController.h"
#import "test2WindowController.h"

@interface MyDocument : NSDocument {
    testWindowController *test;
    test2WindowController *test2;

}

- (IBAction)showWindow1:(id)pId;
- (IBAction)showWindow2:(id)pId;
- (IBAction)hideWindow1:(id)pId;
- (IBAction)hideWindow2:(id)pId;

@end


//  MyDocument.m
#import "MyDocument.h"
#import "testWindowController.h"
#import "test2WindowController.h"

@implementation MyDocument

- (id)init
{
    self = [super init];
    if (self) {
        // Initialization code here.
        NSLog(@"MyDocument init...");
        [self makeWindowControllers];
    }

    return self;
}

- (void)dealloc
{
    [super dealloc];
}

- (void)makeWindowControllers 
{

    test = [[testWindowController alloc] init];
    test2 = [[test2WindowController alloc] init];  

    [self addWindowController:test];
    [self addWindowController:test2];

    // start hiding the first window
    [[test window] orderOut:self];
}

- (IBAction)hideWindow1:(id)pId
{
    NSLog(@"hideWindow1");
    [[test window] orderOut:self];
}

- (IBAction)showWindow1:(id)pId
{
    NSLog(@"showWindow1");
    [test showWindow:self];
    [[test window] makeKeyAndOrderFront:nil]; // to show it
}

- (IBAction)hideWindow2:(id)pId
{
    NSLog(@"hideWindow2");
    [[test2 window] orderOut:self];
}

- (IBAction)showWindow2:(id)pId
{
    NSLog(@"showWindow2");
    [test2 showWindow:self];
    [[test2 window] makeKeyAndOrderFront:nil]; // to show it
}


 -(BOOL)validateMenuItem:(NSMenuItem *)menuItem {

     NSLog(@"in validateMenuItem for item: %@", [menuItem title]);

     if ([[menuItem title] isEqualToString:@"Show Window"] 
         && [[test window] isVisible]){
         return NO;
     }

     if ([[menuItem title] isEqualToString:@"Hide Window"] 
         && ![[test window] isVisible]){
         return NO;
     }

     if ([[menuItem title] isEqualToString:@"Show Window2"] 
         && [[test2 window] isVisible]){
         return NO;
     }

     if ([[menuItem title] isEqualToString:@"Hide Window2"] 
         && ![[test2 window] isVisible]){
         return NO;
     }
     return [super validateMenuItem:menuItem];
 }