NSTableHeaderCell

NSTableHeaderCell is a subclass of NSCell in Apple’s AppKit used to render the header cell for a column in an NSTableView. Each NSTableColumn has a headerCell, which by default is an NSTableHeaderCell, and this cell is responsible for drawing the column’s title and any accompanying image in the header row of the table.

The header cell draws the label that identifies the column and can include an image, if one is provided. It supports text alignment and other presentation attributes that can be configured on the cell or via attributed strings. In addition, NSTableHeaderCell can participate in the table’s sorting UI by displaying a sort indicator when the table is sorted by that column, depending on the table’s sorting state and delegate behavior.

Customization is performed by configuring the column’s headerCell. Developers can set the header cell’s title or image directly, or replace the headerCell with a custom NSTableHeaderCell subclass to alter drawing or interaction. The header cell is drawn by the NSTableHeaderView that sits above the table’s data area, and is part of the standard mechanism by which NSTableView presents and manages its column headers.

In practice, header cells are commonly configured in code or Interface Builder by assigning a string or attributed string (and optionally an image) to the column’s headerCell. NSTableHeaderCell integrates with the broader NSTableView infrastructure for column management, rendering, and user interactions. See also NSTableView, NSTableColumn, and NSTableHeaderView for related components.