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Gametes · Feb 6, 2001, 01:22 AM

So, in a continuing effort to learn about InterfaceBuilder, I have been selecting "show package contents" from apps I download.
I noticed, however, that if I change the .nib files under Contents/Resources/English, nothing happens? How can this be? Don't apps call on these resource files for their layout? If the data is in the app already, why have these files hanging around, but if the data is not in the apps, then why won't changing the data change the app?

It makes no sense. There must be some kind of blessing procedure to get it to work.
Anybody know how to get the altered .nibs to be used by the app?

Dalgo · Feb 6, 2001, 06:55 AM

I don't know what you are ding but I have never had any trouble changing parts of a program by altering the contents of the nib file. I have no ides what your problem could be.

Wel... maybe what is happening to you is a safeguard so that if you totally mess up a nib file, like replace it with another nib that makes no sense to be there, maybe apple made it so project builder also compiles the nib resources into the application executable itself so if your ruin your nibs it'll use that by default? That's the only thing that I can think of.

parallax · Feb 6, 2001, 04:44 PM

First of all, what Application are you trying to screw around with?

I've managed to sucessfully FUBAR .nib files of OmniWeb and have them load.

Gametes · Feb 6, 2001, 05:54 PM

Omniweb, actually. If I shorten the addressbar, it works, but if I move the now shortened address bar up to between the info and reload buttons, it loads the original version.

Apparently, within certain parameters it'll accept fubared .nibs, but too far from the path and it'll regenerate the standard config. Weird.

parallax · Feb 7, 2001, 09:38 AM

That's odd.

What happens when you delete the .nib~ file (when you change the nib)? Will it be forced to use your nib file?

Gametes · Feb 7, 2001, 09:14 PM

No, it just makes a new one.
It's like, minor changes are fine but if I screw it up too much it reverts to the original.
My question is, where the hell did the "original" come from, if I deleted it? It has to be compiled in the app, but if so, why have .nib files?!

Dalgo · Feb 8, 2001, 06:40 AM

Well, maybe only all of the nib files for the author's default language are compiled into the app so nib files for other languages are needed? Of course this does still keep the question "Why have the author's default nib file there at all?". That's really strange.

parallax · Feb 8, 2001, 10:09 AM

Hmm... When I go home I'll try to do this with little apps I'll build.

gregomni · Feb 9, 2001, 05:30 PM

The problems you are having with that particular change in the OmniWeb nibs is because OmniWeb directly moves the views around in code instead of depending upon the layout in InterfaceBuilder. It does that for the three "Hide/Show X Bar" menu items in the interface.

So what happens when you move the address bar is that OW loads the nib (with your changes), sees the user preference for a visible address bar, and pulls the controls from wherever they happen to be and into that bar. (Or alternately if the preference is for it to be hidden, it pulls the controls out and takes them off screen.)

So in this particular case, changing the nib isn't going to help you any because part of the layout is done in code. There is no generic compile-nibs-in-to-application thing.

By the way, you should be able to get the behavior you want in OmniWeb 4.0 final without nib hacking.

Gametes · Feb 12, 2001, 01:55 PM

Boy I hope so. I like Omni so much more than IE. I like its minimalistic layout and the fact that the underpinnings of its functioning are exposed, like bone (source view, the process viewer, etc.).
But I can't handle on my poor blueberry clamshell seeing that gaping space between the info and reload widgets while simultaneously having to scroll down to see more text...

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