How to refer to an IB controller instance from code???

Question

Hi all. I know this must be simple but I have just never run into this before.
When you drag an array controller from IB's palette into your top-level window, it instantiates it, right? All well and good - it's controlling my array and updating the tableView that is bound to its arrangedObjects just fine.
Now I want to refer to it (the instance of the controller) from code. I have its class files, VoteeController.h and .m, but since I didn't make the instance, I don't know how to reference the instance. What I want to do is get the selection of the controller. That's all!
I cannot code mySelection = [VoteeController selectedObjects], because that is a class object.
How do I refer to the instance of this controller that IB instantiated when I dragged it onto the main window??
I have the model object, playersArray, which has the data but doesn't have the selection since it is not a controller. I need to get the selected objects of the array controller that I made in IB.
Thanks for any help!!

Answer 1

Yes, I found a way to do it. So I am glad I can help. I will paste in the notes I took for myself.
Ask any questions if the notes are not clear or do not work for you.
NOTES:
Settings for IB:
TextModel NSObject:
Class: TextModel (same as @interface)
TextViewController Object Controller:
Connections: content to TextModel
Class: NSObjectController
Bindings: none
Content: control-dragged to TextModel.
Keys: testString
NOTE: Also works with no connection but setting in Bindings of Bind To Controller: TextModel, "blank" Controller Key and Key Path of self. ("TextModel.self") as Controller Content Content Object.
NSTextView:
Controller: TextViewController
Connections: none
Bindings:
Controller: TextViewController
Controller Key:selection
Key Path: testString
SUMMARY:
1) Model Object - no connection needed. No keys needed. Just enter the Class name in the ID field (the Class name is the name of the Class whose instance contains the getters and setters for the object you want this Model Object to represent).
2) Controller Object -
A. Leave Class alone unless it makes new objects.
B. No connections.
C. Use Attributes panel to enter keys for the objects in the Model that you want.
D. Bindings: bind to the Object Model. Leave the Controller Key blank and enter "self" in the Model Key Path.
3) View Object -
A. Leave Class alone (NSTextView)
B. Turn off all RTF options if plain text.
C. No connections.
D. Bindings: bind to the View Controller. Set the Controller Key to Selection and the Model Key Path to the model key (e.g., testString).
Now I've screwed up my Array->Two Array Controllers -> Two Table Views so they don't work any more. I had them working but with what I considered kludges (my goal in this project is to learn the BEST way to use Cocoa Bindings so as to have the absolute minimum glue code - I am aiming for the learning process, not a result necessarily - I already have a completely functional app in AppleScript Studio so I am under no "deadline."
I had it working using your solution and setting some connections (control-drag) also, but I wanted to redesign it and not have to use connections (notice the TextView rules I posted above use no connections at all - only bindings).
So if anyone reading this knows how to connect a single array as the Model to two NSArrayControllers as the Controllers, and the Controllers to two TableViews as the Views, chime in. I thought I had it down but it just doesn't load the array into the tableView. As usual, the array has its 7 elements in the debugger and in the NSLogs that I do.
The part that keeps confusing me is that you have to set a class name for each IB element, and I don't want to have a bajillion Class files. I want one or two general Classes that can contain both an array and some strings and booleans and so forth - and I still cannot find the way to access an IB instance from code except the IBOutlet solution you provided. If that's the only way, fine; but I wanted to see if there is another way using Bindings. SURELY people who declare arrays need to obtain the selection for the arrays, and that exists ONLY in the Controller. So are we supposed to interact with the Controllers or not? How to get a controller's selection and use it on your Model array so you can manipulate with it? The controller instance doesn't even have a name.
Anybody know anything about FIle's Owner? Several of the examples say to connect something to File's Owner but never say why. If File's Owner has access to all properties of the whole project, that would explain why it is used so often. But I do not think that is the case.