Implementing NSPopover on NSStatusItem

Question

I currently have an NSStatusItem for the status bar that is initialized in awakeFromNib like this:

    statusItem = [[NSStatusBar systemStatusBar] statusItemWithLength:NSVariableStatusItemLength];
    [statusItem setMenu:statusMenu];
    [statusItem setImage:statusImage];
    [statusItem setAlternateImage:statusHighlightedImage];
    [statusItem setHighlightMode:YES];
    [statusItem setTarget:self];

I have an NSMenu that opens when the icon is clicked. One of the options, when clicked, is supposed to open an NSPopover from the status bar icon. To do that, I have this code, which is connected to the menu item via Interface Builder:

- (IBAction)prefs:(id)sender {    
    NSRectEdge prefEdge = NSMaxYEdge;

    [[self pop] showRelativeToRect:[[statusItem view] bounds]
                          ofView:[statusItem view]
                   preferredEdge:prefEdge];
}

However, when I click the menu item that should open the Popover, nothing happens. Is there any particular reason why this might be the case? As far as I can tell, it should be possible to do.

Thanks in advance. I looked through Stack Overflow the best I could, but if there's a true duplicate question, please link me to it.

FYI: The statusItem variable is the NSStatusItem.

Is that `-prefs:` method getting called? Are `[self pop]` and `[statusItem view]` non-nil? — paulmelnikow, Dec 27 '12 at 01:49
@noa is right, try to log something, and check if `self.pop` doesn't return `nil`. — IluTov, Dec 27 '12 at 01:52
@NSAddict the NSMenu is actually implemented directly in IB. Perhaps I should implement it programmatically instead? — Josh, Dec 27 '12 at 01:53
@Josh no it should be fine if you connected it correctly. Try to log something in `prefs:` — IluTov, Dec 27 '12 at 01:55
Oh, [self pop] does return null. Maybe I'm not even implementing the Popover correctly. What do you guys think? @noa — Josh, Dec 27 '12 at 01:55
I haven't used NSPopover, but maybe you just need to instantiate one. Try `self.pop = [[NSPopover alloc] init];` in `-awakeFromNib`. — paulmelnikow, Dec 27 '12 at 01:57
@Noa if I do that, then this is printed in the console: 2012-12-26 17:58:31.805[821:303] An uncaught exception was raised 2012-12-26 17:58:31.807[821:303] -[NSPopover showRelativeToRect:ofView:preferredEdge:]: nil view provided. You must supply a view. — Josh, Dec 27 '12 at 01:59
@RamyAlZuhouri I believe that's how I implemented it though unless there's something I did incorrectly. — Josh, Dec 27 '12 at 02:00
I bet that instead of binding the popover you've bound the popover view controller. — Ramy Al Zuhouri, Dec 27 '12 at 02:01
@RamyAlZuhouri how would I go about checking if it's been bound correctly? — Josh, Dec 27 '12 at 02:06
It looks like you're going to need to either use a custom view in your status item, or find another way to get the position in the status item. — paulmelnikow, Dec 27 '12 at 02:08
If that doesn't work, do take a look at Matt Gemmell's MAAttachedWindow. — TheAmateurProgrammer, Dec 27 '12 at 02:12
You need to set a view yourself for `[statusItem view]` to return non-`nil`. — Wevah, Dec 27 '12 at 02:14
Try to do it again, right click on the app delegate, find the ivar, ctrl-drag it to the popover (and not the popover controller). — Ramy Al Zuhouri, Dec 27 '12 at 02:17
@RamyAlZuhouri tried that again to be sure, looks fine on my end. — Josh, Dec 27 '12 at 02:27
Then show the accessor self.pop, what is that? There's surely a mistake. — Ramy Al Zuhouri, Dec 27 '12 at 02:43

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 27 '12 at 02:29

2

You need to set a view yourself using [statusItem setView:] for [statusItem view] to return non-nil.

If you don't mind using private API, you could try calling [statusItem _button], instead, though this won't be allowed if you plan on submitting to the App Store.

answered Dec 27 '12 at 02:29

Wevah

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I tried using _button just to see if it would work, but it didn't. Unless I'm making an easy mistake, setting the view doesn't seem to work. It just overrides the current view for the status item (so it disappears from the menu bar). – Josh Dec 27 '12 at 02:35
Yeah, that's what it does. – Wevah Dec 27 '12 at 02:38
Hm. Not sure why this won't work, even when I create a new view. – Josh Dec 27 '12 at 02:52
1

button is no longer private, and even recommended to use as public property since MacOS 10.10 – Motti Shneor Jun 14 '21 at 09:39
(And `setView:` is deprecated.) – Wevah Jun 14 '21 at 18:29

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 14 '21 at 09:53

I don't know if this problem was resolved already, but I have few notes.

First step is to verify (emit NSLog, or stop at breakpoint in debugger) that your menu-item actually works, and that prefs: IBAction is being called.
I don't know your UI design, but it makes sense to show the popover relative to the NSMenuItem which commanded it to appear, and not relative to the NSStatusItem. So use the [(NSMenuItem *)sender view] as your anchor and its bounds.
try to display your popover from somewhere else in your app - just to make sure the actual popover is OK and can be displayed.

Implementing NSPopover on NSStatusItem

2 Answers2