NSDataLinkManager

Inherits From: NSObject

Conforms To: NSCoding NSObject (NSObject)

Declared In: AppKit/NSDataLinkManager.h

Class Description

An NSDataLinkManager object (also known as a data link manager or simply link manager) manages data linked from and into a document through NSDataLink objects. NSDataLink objects (or data links) provide a link between a selection in a source document and a dependent, dynamically updated selection in a destination document. When a user does a Paste and Link command in the destination document, the link manager creates the link in response to a addLink:at: message. When this link is added to the destination document, it makes a connection with the source document's link manager, which creates a source link in the source application.

If an application supports data linking, a link manager should be instantiated for every document the application creates. A link manager must be assigned a delegate that assists it in keeping the document up to date; this delegate must implement some or all of the methods listed in the Methods Implemented by the Delegate section of this class specification. In addition, the delegate must keep the link manager informed of the state of the document, sending it messages whenever the document is edited, saved, or otherwise altered.

Only applications that support continuously updating links need to be aware of when source links are created; these applications can have the delegate of the destination document's link manager return YES in response to a dataLinkManagerTracksLinksIndividually: message, and then respond to dataLinkManager:startTrackingLink: messages to receive notifications that source links are created.

For more information about NSDataLink objects, see the NSDataLink class description. See the NSSelection class description for more information on NSSelection objects.

Initializing and Freeing a Link Manager

• - (id)initWithDelegate:(id)anObject Initializes and returns a newly allocated instance, designating anObject as the delegate.
• - (id)initWithDelegate:(id)anObject Initializes and returns a newly allocated instance fromFile:(NSString *)path designating anObject as the delegate. The document's file is specified by the full path path. Adding and Removing Links
• - (BOOL)addLink:(NSDataLink *)link Adds the link link to the document, indicating that the data at:(NSSelection *)selection in the document described by selection is dependent upon the link.
• - (BOOL)addLinkAsMarker:(NSDataLink *)link Incorporates link into the document as a marker in the at:(NSSelection *)selection location of the destination document described by selection.
• - (NSDataLink *)addLinkPreviouslyAt:(NSSelection *)oldSelection fromPasteboard:(NSPasteboard *)pasteboard Creates and adds a new destination link corresponding to at:(NSSelection *)selection the same source data as the link described by the destination selection oldSelection with the new link's destination selection provided in selection; the document's links must have been written to the pasteboard pasteboard.
• - (void)breakAllLinks Breaks all the destination links in the document.
• - (void)writeLinksToPasteboard:(NSPasteboard *)pasteboard Writes all the link manager's links to pasteboard.

• - (void)noteDocumentClosed Informs link manager that document has been closed.
• - (void)noteDocumentEdited Informs link manager that document has been edited.
• - (void)noteDocumentReverted Informs link manager that changes have been reverted.
• - (void)noteDocumentSaved Informs link manager that document has been saved.
• - (void)noteDocumentSavedAs:(NSString *)path Informs link manager that document has been saved in the file specified by the full pathname path.
• - (void)noteDocumentSavedTo:(NSString *)path Informs link manager that document has been saved in the file specified by the full pathname path.

• - (id)delegate Returns the data link manager's delegate.
• - (BOOL)delegateVerifiesLinks Returns YES if delegate is asked to verify updates.
• - (NSString *)filename Returns the filename for the link manager's document.
• - (BOOL)interactsWithUser Tells whether the link manager displays panels if link errors occur.
• - (BOOL)isEdited Returns YES if the document was edited since the last save.
• - (void)setDelegateVerifiesLinks:(BOOL)flag Sets whether the delegate is asked to verify updates.
• - (void)setInteractsWithUser:(BOOL)flag Sets whether the link manager displays panels if link errors occur.

• - (BOOL)areLinkOutlinesVisible Returns YES if outlines are visible.
• - (NSEnumerator *)destinationLinkEnumerator Returns an enumerator of the destination's source links.
• - (NSDataLink *)destinationLinkWithSelection:(NSSelection *)destSel Returns the destination link for the selection destSel.
• - (void)setLinkOutlinesVisible:(BOOL)flag Sets whether outlines are visible.
• - (NSEnumerator *)sourceLinkEnumerator Returns an enumerator of the receiver's source links.

• - (BOOL)copyToPasteboard:(NSPasteboard *)pasteboard at:(NSSelection *)selection Implemented by the link manager's delegate to supply the cheapCopyAllowed:(BOOL)flag source data described by selection on the pasteboard pasteboard. If flag is YES, the system guarantees that no events will be processed by the application before the delegate is requested to provide the specified data; in this case, the application doesn't necessarily have to write any data representations to the pasteboard. This method should return YES upon success, or NO if the selection can't be resolved.
• - (void)dataLinkManager:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender didBreakLink:(NSDataLink *)link Informs the delegate that the destination link link was broken and thus data based on the link's destination selection will no longer be updated.
• - (BOOL)dataLinkManager:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender isUpdateNeededForLink:(NSDataLink *)link Returns YES if the source data identified by link's source selection has been modified since the link's last update time.
• - (void)dataLinkManager:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender startTrackingLink:(NSDataLink *)link Informs the delegate that a destination document has established a data link link to the link manager's document and is tracking it.
• - (void)dataLinkManager:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender stopTrackingLink:(NSDataLink *)link Informs the delegate that a destination is no longer tracking the source link link.
• - (void)dataLinkManagerCloseDocument:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender Closes documents opened without the user interface.
• - (void)dataLinkManagerDidEditLinks:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender Informs the delegate that link data has been modified; the delegate should use this notification to mark the document as edited.
• - (void)dataLinkManagerRedrawLinkOutlines:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender Directs the delegate to redraw objects with link outlines.
• - (BOOL)dataLinkManagerTracksLinksIndividually:(NSDataLinkManager *)sender Returns whether the receiver is willing to track links individually.
• - (BOOL)importFile:(NSString *)filename Imports the file filename at the destination described by at:(NSSelection *)selection selection. Returns YES upon success, or NO if the selection can't be resolved.
• - (BOOL)pasteFromPasteboard:(NSPasteboard *)pasteboard at:(NSSelection *)selection Pastes the updated data that has been made available on pasteboard. The destination for the data is described by selection, which was supplied to the link manager as an argument to the addLink:at: method. Returns YES upon success, or NO if the selection can't be resolved.
• - (BOOL)showSelection:(NSSelection *)selection Shows the source data for the specified selection selection. Returns YES upon success, or NO if the selection can't be resolved.
• - (NSWindow *)windowForSelection:(NSSelection *)selection Returns the NSWindow object for the given selection, or nil if the selection can't be resolved.