How do I make a inspector sidebar in a macOS app?

Generated on 7/31/2024

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To create an inspector sidebar in a macOS app using SwiftUI, you can leverage the new APIs and features introduced at WWDC 2024. Here are the steps and relevant information:

  1. Using NavigationSplitView: You can build a sidebar using the NavigationSplitView API. This allows you to create a sidebar that can be used for navigation and displaying additional content.

  2. Customizing the Sidebar: You can customize the appearance and behavior of the sidebar. For example, you can use the sidebarAdaptable modifier to switch between a tab bar and a sidebar representation.

  3. Example Code:

    import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        NavigationSplitView {
            List {
                Text("Item 1")
                Text("Item 2")
            }
            .navigationTitle("Sidebar")
        } detail: {
            Text("Detail View")
        }
    }
}

  4. Additional Customization: You can further refine the behavior and appearance of your windows and sidebars using various modifiers and APIs. For example, you can remove the toolbar background or title to highlight specific content.

For more detailed guidance, you can refer to the following sessions from WWDC 2024:

These sessions provide comprehensive information on how to use the new SwiftUI APIs to create and customize sidebars and other window elements in your macOS applications.

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