Goal
An NSTextView that, upon new lines, expands its frame vertically to force a SwiftUI parent view to render again (i.e., expand a background panel that's under the text + push down other content in VStack). The parent view is already wrapped in a ScrollView. Since the SwiftUI TextEditor is ugly and under-featured, I'm guessing several others new to MacOS will wonder how to do the same.
Update
@Asperi pointed out a sample for UIKit buried in another thread. I tried adapting that for AppKit, but there's some loop in the async recalculateHeight function. I'll look more at it with coffee tomorrow. Thanks Asperi. (Whoever you are, you are the SwiftUI SO daddy.)
Problem
The NSTextView implementation below edits merrily, but disobeys SwiftUI's vertical frame. Horizontally all is obeyed, but texts just continues down past the vertical height limit. Except, when switching focus away, the editor crops that extra text... until editing begins again.
What I've Tried
Sooo many posts as models. Below are a few. My shortfall I think is misunderstanding how to set constraints, how to use NSTextView objects, and perhaps overthinking things.
import SwiftUI
import Combine
struct ContentView: View {
@State var text = NSAttributedString(string: "Testing.... testing...")
let nsFont: NSFont = .systemFont(ofSize: 20)
var body: some View {
// ScrollView would go here
VStack(alignment: .center) {
GeometryReader { geometry in
NSTextEditor(text: $text.didSet { text in react(to: text) },
nsFont: nsFont,
geometry: geometry)
.frame(width: 500, // Wraps to width
height: 300) // Disregards this during editing
.background(background)
}
Text("Editing text above should push this down.")
}
}
var background: some View {
...
}
// Seeing how updates come back; I prefer setting them on textDidEndEditing to work with a database
func react(to text: NSAttributedString) {
print(#file, #line, #function, text)
}
}
// Listening device into @State
extension Binding {
func didSet(_ then: @escaping (Value) ->Void) -> Binding {
return Binding(
get: {
return self.wrappedValue
},
set: {
then($0)
self.wrappedValue = $0
}
)
}
}
import SwiftUI
struct NSTextEditor: View, NSViewRepresentable {
typealias Coordinator = NSTextEditorCoordinator
typealias NSViewType = NSTextView
@Binding var text: NSAttributedString
let nsFont: NSFont
var geometry: GeometryProxy
func makeNSView(context: NSViewRepresentableContext<NSTextEditor>) -> NSTextEditor.NSViewType {
return context.coordinator.textView
}
func updateNSView(_ nsView: NSTextView, context: NSViewRepresentableContext<NSTextEditor>) { }
func makeCoordinator() -> NSTextEditorCoordinator {
let coordinator = NSTextEditorCoordinator(binding: $text,
nsFont: nsFont,
proxy: geometry)
return coordinator
}
}
class NSTextEditorCoordinator : NSObject, NSTextViewDelegate {
let textView: NSTextView
var font: NSFont
var geometry: GeometryProxy
@Binding var text: NSAttributedString
init(binding: Binding<NSAttributedString>,
nsFont: NSFont,
proxy: GeometryProxy) {
_text = binding
font = nsFont
geometry = proxy
textView = NSTextView(frame: .zero)
textView.autoresizingMask = [.height, .width]
textView.textColor = NSColor.textColor
textView.drawsBackground = false
textView.allowsUndo = true
textView.isAutomaticLinkDetectionEnabled = true
textView.displaysLinkToolTips = true
textView.isAutomaticDataDetectionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticTextReplacementEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticDashSubstitutionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticQuoteSubstitutionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticTextCompletionEnabled = true
textView.isContinuousSpellCheckingEnabled = true
textView.usesAdaptiveColorMappingForDarkAppearance = true
// textView.importsGraphics = true // 100% size, layoutManger scale didn't fix
// textView.allowsImageEditing = true // NSFileWrapper error
// textView.isIncrementalSearchingEnabled = true
// textView.usesFindBar = true
// textView.isSelectable = true
// textView.usesInspectorBar = true
// Context Menu show styles crashes
super.init()
textView.textStorage?.setAttributedString($text.wrappedValue)
textView.delegate = self
}
// Calls on every character stroke
func textDidChange(_ notification: Notification) {
switch notification.name {
case NSText.boundsDidChangeNotification:
print("bounds did change")
case NSText.frameDidChangeNotification:
print("frame did change")
case NSTextView.frameDidChangeNotification:
print("FRAME DID CHANGE")
case NSTextView.boundsDidChangeNotification:
print("BOUNDS DID CHANGE")
default:
return
}
// guard notification.name == NSText.didChangeNotification,
// let update = (notification.object as? NSTextView)?.textStorage else { return }
// text = update
}
// Calls only after focus change
func textDidEndEditing(_ notification: Notification) {
guard notification.name == NSText.didEndEditingNotification,
let update = (notification.object as? NSTextView)?.textStorage else { return }
text = update
}
}
Crash
*** Assertion failure in -[NSCGSWindow setSize:], NSCGSWindow.m:1458
[General] Invalid parameter not satisfying:
size.width >= 0.0
&& size.width < (CGFloat)INT_MAX - (CGFloat)INT_MIN
&& size.height >= 0.0
&& size.height < (CGFloat)INT_MAX - (CGFloat)INT_MIN
import SwiftUI
struct AsperiMultiLineTextField: View {
private var placeholder: String
private var onCommit: (() -> Void)?
@Binding private var text: NSAttributedString
private var internalText: Binding<NSAttributedString> {
Binding<NSAttributedString>(get: { self.text } ) {
self.text = $0
self.showingPlaceholder = $0.string.isEmpty
}
}
@State private var dynamicHeight: CGFloat = 100
@State private var showingPlaceholder = false
init (_ placeholder: String = "", text: Binding<NSAttributedString>, onCommit: (() -> Void)? = nil) {
self.placeholder = placeholder
self.onCommit = onCommit
self._text = text
self._showingPlaceholder = State<Bool>(initialValue: self.text.string.isEmpty)
}
var body: some View {
NSTextViewWrapper(text: self.internalText, calculatedHeight: $dynamicHeight, onDone: onCommit)
.frame(minHeight: dynamicHeight, maxHeight: dynamicHeight)
.background(placeholderView, alignment: .topLeading)
}
@ViewBuilder
var placeholderView: some View {
if showingPlaceholder {
Text(placeholder).foregroundColor(.gray)
.padding(.leading, 4)
.padding(.top, 8)
}
}
}
fileprivate struct NSTextViewWrapper: NSViewRepresentable {
typealias NSViewType = NSTextView
@Binding var text: NSAttributedString
@Binding var calculatedHeight: CGFloat
var onDone: (() -> Void)?
func makeNSView(context: NSViewRepresentableContext<NSTextViewWrapper>) -> NSTextView {
let textField = NSTextView()
textField.delegate = context.coordinator
textField.isEditable = true
textField.font = NSFont.preferredFont(forTextStyle: .body)
textField.isSelectable = true
textField.drawsBackground = false
textField.allowsUndo = true
/// Disabled these lines as not available/neeed/appropriate for AppKit
// textField.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
// textField.isScrollEnabled = false
// if nil != onDone {
// textField.returnKeyType = .done
// }
textField.setContentCompressionResistancePriority(.defaultLow, for: .horizontal)
return textField
}
func makeCoordinator() -> Coordinator {
return Coordinator(text: $text, height: $calculatedHeight, onDone: onDone)
}
func updateNSView(_ NSView: NSTextView, context: NSViewRepresentableContext<NSTextViewWrapper>) {
NSTextViewWrapper.recalculateHeight(view: NSView, result: $calculatedHeight)
}
fileprivate static func recalculateHeight(view: NSView, result: Binding<CGFloat>) {
/// UIView.sizeThatFits is not available in AppKit. Tried substituting below, but there's a loop that crashes.
// let newSize = view.sizeThatFits(CGSize(width: view.frame.size.width, height: CGFloat.greatestFiniteMagnitude))
// tried reportedSize = view.frame, view.intrinsicContentSize
let reportedSize = view.fittingSize
let newSize = CGSize(width: reportedSize.width, height: CGFloat.greatestFiniteMagnitude)
if result.wrappedValue != newSize.height {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
result.wrappedValue = newSize.height // !! must be called asynchronously
}
}
}
final class Coordinator: NSObject, NSTextViewDelegate {
var text: Binding<NSAttributedString>
var calculatedHeight: Binding<CGFloat>
var onDone: (() -> Void)?
init(text: Binding<NSAttributedString>, height: Binding<CGFloat>, onDone: (() -> Void)? = nil) {
self.text = text
self.calculatedHeight = height
self.onDone = onDone
}
func textDidChange(_ notification: Notification) {
guard notification.name == NSText.didChangeNotification,
let textView = (notification.object as? NSTextView),
let latestText = textView.textStorage else { return }
text.wrappedValue = latestText
NSTextViewWrapper.recalculateHeight(view: textView, result: calculatedHeight)
}
func textView(_ textView: NSTextView, shouldChangeTextIn: NSRange, replacementString: String?) -> Bool {
if let onDone = self.onDone, replacementString == "\n" {
textView.resignFirstResponder()
onDone()
return false
}
return true
}
}
}
Solution thanks to @Asperi's tip to convert his UIKit code in this post. A few things had to change:
Bugs:
Hope this saves some others making SwiftUI Mac apps some time.
import SwiftUI
// Wraps the NSTextView in a frame that can interact with SwiftUI
struct MultilineTextField: View {
private var placeholder: NSAttributedString
@Binding private var text: NSAttributedString
@State private var dynamicHeight: CGFloat // MARK TODO: - Find better way to stop initial view bobble (gets bigger)
@State private var textIsEmpty: Bool
@State private var textViewInset: CGFloat = 9 // MARK TODO: - Calculate insetad of magic number
var nsFont: NSFont
init (_ placeholder: NSAttributedString = NSAttributedString(string: ""),
text: Binding<NSAttributedString>,
nsFont: NSFont) {
self.placeholder = placeholder
self._text = text
_textIsEmpty = State(wrappedValue: text.wrappedValue.string.isEmpty)
self.nsFont = nsFont
_dynamicHeight = State(initialValue: nsFont.pointSize)
}
var body: some View {
ZStack {
NSTextViewWrapper(text: $text,
dynamicHeight: $dynamicHeight,
textIsEmpty: $textIsEmpty,
textViewInset: $textViewInset,
nsFont: nsFont)
.background(placeholderView, alignment: .topLeading)
// Adaptive frame applied to this NSViewRepresentable
.frame(minHeight: dynamicHeight, maxHeight: dynamicHeight)
}
}
// Background placeholder text matched to default font provided to the NSViewRepresentable
var placeholderView: some View {
Text(placeholder.string)
// Convert NSFont
.font(.system(size: nsFont.pointSize))
.opacity(textIsEmpty ? 0.3 : 0)
.padding(.leading, textViewInset)
.animation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.15))
}
}
// Creates the NSTextView
fileprivate struct NSTextViewWrapper: NSViewRepresentable {
@Binding var text: NSAttributedString
@Binding var dynamicHeight: CGFloat
@Binding var textIsEmpty: Bool
// Hoping to get this from NSTextView,
// but haven't found the right parameter yet
@Binding var textViewInset: CGFloat
var nsFont: NSFont
func makeCoordinator() -> Coordinator {
return Coordinator(text: $text,
height: $dynamicHeight,
textIsEmpty: $textIsEmpty,
nsFont: nsFont)
}
func makeNSView(context: NSViewRepresentableContext<NSTextViewWrapper>) -> NSTextView {
return context.coordinator.textView
}
func updateNSView(_ textView: NSTextView, context: NSViewRepresentableContext<NSTextViewWrapper>) {
NSTextViewWrapper.recalculateHeight(view: textView, result: $dynamicHeight, nsFont: nsFont)
}
fileprivate static func recalculateHeight(view: NSView, result: Binding<CGFloat>, nsFont: NSFont) {
// Uses visibleRect as view.sizeThatFits(CGSize())
// is not exposed in AppKit, except on NSControls.
let latestSize = view.visibleRect
if result.wrappedValue != latestSize.height &&
// MARK TODO: - The view initially renders slightly smaller than needed, then resizes.
// I thought the statement below would prevent the @State dynamicHeight, which
// sets itself AFTER this view renders, from causing it. Unfortunately that's not
// the right cause of that redawing bug.
latestSize.height > (nsFont.pointSize + 1) {
DispatchQueue.main.async {
result.wrappedValue = latestSize.height
print(#function, latestSize.height)
}
}
}
}
// Maintains the NSTextView's persistence despite redraws
fileprivate final class Coordinator: NSObject, NSTextViewDelegate, NSControlTextEditingDelegate {
var textView: NSTextView
@Binding var text: NSAttributedString
@Binding var dynamicHeight: CGFloat
@Binding var textIsEmpty: Bool
var nsFont: NSFont
init(text: Binding<NSAttributedString>,
height: Binding<CGFloat>,
textIsEmpty: Binding<Bool>,
nsFont: NSFont) {
_text = text
_dynamicHeight = height
_textIsEmpty = textIsEmpty
self.nsFont = nsFont
textView = NSTextView(frame: .zero)
textView.isEditable = true
textView.isSelectable = true
// Appearance
textView.usesAdaptiveColorMappingForDarkAppearance = true
textView.font = nsFont
textView.textColor = NSColor.textColor
textView.drawsBackground = false
textView.setContentCompressionResistancePriority(.defaultLow, for: .horizontal)
// Functionality (more available)
textView.allowsUndo = true
textView.isAutomaticLinkDetectionEnabled = true
textView.displaysLinkToolTips = true
textView.isAutomaticDataDetectionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticTextReplacementEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticDashSubstitutionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticSpellingCorrectionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticQuoteSubstitutionEnabled = true
textView.isAutomaticTextCompletionEnabled = true
textView.isContinuousSpellCheckingEnabled = true
super.init()
// Load data from binding and set font
textView.textStorage?.setAttributedString(text.wrappedValue)
textView.textStorage?.font = nsFont
textView.delegate = self
}
func textDidChange(_ notification: Notification) {
// Recalculate height after every input event
NSTextViewWrapper.recalculateHeight(view: textView, result: $dynamicHeight, nsFont: nsFont)
// If ever empty, trigger placeholder text visibility
if let update = (notification.object as? NSTextView)?.string {
textIsEmpty = update.isEmpty
}
}
func textDidEndEditing(_ notification: Notification) {
// Update binding only after editing ends; useful to gate NSManagedObjects
$text.wrappedValue = textView.attributedString()
}
}