Sample code for creating a NSTextField “label”?

Question

In my desktop Mac OS X app, I\'d like to programatically create a NSTextField \"label\" which has the same behavior and properties as a typical label created in Interface Bu

Answer 1

Disassembled AppKit in Objective-C:

BOOL TMPSierraOrLater() {
    static BOOL result = NO;
    static dispatch_once_t onceToken;
    dispatch_once(&onceToken, ^{
        result = [NSProcessInfo.processInfo isOperatingSystemAtLeastVersion:(NSOperatingSystemVersion){ 10, 12, 0 }];
    });
    return result;
}

@implementation NSTextField (TMP)

+ (instancetype)TMP_labelWithString:(NSString *)stringValue {
    if (TMPSierraOrLater()) {
        return [self labelWithString:stringValue];
    }
    NSParameterAssert(stringValue);
    NSTextField *label = [NSTextField TMP_newBaseLabelWithoutTitle];
    label.lineBreakMode = NSLineBreakByClipping;
    label.selectable = NO;
    [label setContentHuggingPriority:(NSLayoutPriorityDefaultLow + 1) forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationHorizontal];
    [label setContentHuggingPriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationVertical];
    [label setContentCompressionResistancePriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationHorizontal];
    [label setContentCompressionResistancePriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationVertical];
    label.stringValue = stringValue;
    [label sizeToFit];
    return label;
}

+ (instancetype)TMP_wrappingLabelWithString:(NSString *)stringValue {
    if (TMPSierraOrLater()) {
        return [self wrappingLabelWithString:stringValue];
    }
    NSParameterAssert(stringValue);
    NSTextField *label = [NSTextField TMP_newBaseLabelWithoutTitle];
    label.lineBreakMode = NSLineBreakByWordWrapping;
    label.selectable = YES;
    [label setContentHuggingPriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultLow forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationHorizontal];
    [label setContentHuggingPriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationVertical];
    [label setContentCompressionResistancePriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultLow forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationHorizontal];
    [label setContentCompressionResistancePriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationVertical];
    label.stringValue = stringValue;
    label.preferredMaxLayoutWidth = 0;
    [label sizeToFit];
    return label;
}

+ (instancetype)TMP_labelWithAttributedString:(NSAttributedString *)attributedStringValue {
    if (CRKSierraOrLater()) {
        return [self labelWithAttributedString:attributedStringValue];
    }
    NSParameterAssert(attributedStringValue);
    NSTextField *label = [NSTextField TMP_newBaseLabelWithoutTitle];
    [label setContentHuggingPriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultLow forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationHorizontal];
    [label setContentHuggingPriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationVertical];
    [label setContentCompressionResistancePriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultLow forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationHorizontal];
    [label setContentCompressionResistancePriority:NSLayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forOrientation:NSLayoutConstraintOrientationVertical];
    label.attributedStringValue = attributedStringValue;
    [label sizeToFit];
    return label;
}

#pragma mark - Private API

+ (instancetype)TMP_newBaseLabelWithoutTitle {
    NSTextField *label = [[self alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectZero];
    label.textColor = NSColor.labelColor;
    label.font = [NSFont systemFontOfSize:0.0];
    label.alignment = NSTextAlignmentNatural;
    label.baseWritingDirection = NSWritingDirectionNatural;
    label.userInterfaceLayoutDirection = NSApp.userInterfaceLayoutDirection;
    label.enabled = YES;
    label.bezeled = NO;
    label.bordered = NO;
    label.drawsBackground = NO;
    label.continuous = NO;
    label.editable = NO;
    return label;
}

@end