NSTextField and NSTouchbar - objective-c

Question

I am implementing touchbar functionalities.
I want a specific touchbar to be displayed when editing an NSTextField.
I have tried to both methods :
set a touchbar using touchbar property :
field.touchBar = myTouchBar
and subclassing NSTextField to override makeTouchBar() function :
class MyTextField: NSTextField
{
override func makeTouchBar(){return myTouchBar}
}
Both methods show an empty touchbar when editing the field. Changing the isAutomaticTextCompletionEnabled and allowsCharacterPickerTouchBarItem properties does not change it - just making the corresponding buttons appear.
Doing exactly the same thing with an NSTextView - or many other type of NSView, however, works perfectly well.
Do you know if it is possible to have a custom toolbar when editing an NSTextField?

Answer 1

Thanks to #Willeke's answer, I have been able to find the solution. It is quite tricky, however :
First, subclass NSTextField to keep another NSTouchBar :
class MyTextField: NSTextField
{
private var innerTouchBar: Any?
var editor: NSText?
#available(OSX 10.12.2, *)
func setTouchBar(_ touchBar: NSTouchBar?)
{
innerTouchBar = touchBar
}
#available(OSX 10.12.2, *)
func getTouchBar() -> NSTouchBar?
{
innerTouchBar as? NSTouchBar
}
}
Then, subclass NSTextView to use a provided NSTouchBar :
#available(OSX 10.12.2, *)
class MyTextView: NSTextView
{
private var innerTouchBar: NSTouchBar?
convenience init(touchBar: NSTouchBar?)
{
self.init()
innerTouchBar = touchBar
}
override func makeTouchBar() -> NSTouchBar?
{
innerTouchBar
}
}
When the NSWindowController gets asked for the NSTextView of the NSTextField, then create a custom NSTextView with the innerTouchBar of the NSTextField :
extension MyWindowController
{
func windowWillReturnFieldEditor(_ sender: NSWindow, to client: Any?) -> Any?
{
if #available(OSX 10.12.2, *)
{
if let field = client as? MyTextField
{
if field.editor == nil
{
field.editor = SFTextView(touchBar: field.getTouchBar())
field.editor?.isFieldEditor = true
}
return field.editor
}
}
return nil;
}
}
Of course, do not forget to use MyTextField instead of NSTextField in the XIB or in your code, and to call the setTouchBar(_:) function first thing after creation.
Explanation
Every NSTextField has an underlying NSTextView, which is in fact the firstResponder, and the object whose touchBar is displayed. We cannot access the underlying NSTextView directly from NSTextField. Instead, the NSTextField asks the NWindowController which NSTextView to use. So when this happens, in windowWillReturnFieldEditor(_:,to:) of NSWindowController, we have to return a custom NSTextViewwith the correct touchBar.
I think this can apply to other things than touchBar...