---
title: "rectForLayout(at:in:textContainer:characterRange:)"
framework: appkit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "appkit/nstextblock/rectforlayout(at:in:textcontainer:characterrange:)"
---

# rectForLayout(at:in:textContainer:characterRange:)

Returns the rectangle within which glyphs should be laid out for the specified arguments.

## Declaration

```swift
func rectForLayout(at startingPoint: NSPoint, in rect: NSRect, textContainer: NSTextContainer, characterRange charRange: NSRange) -> NSRect
```

## Parameters

- `startingPoint`: The location, in container coordinates, where layout begins.
- `rect`: The rectangle in which the block is constrained to lie. For top-level blocks, this is the container rectangle of textContainer; for nested blocks, this is the layout rectangle of the enclosing block.
- `textContainer`: The text container being used for the layout.
- `charRange`: The range of the characters in the doc://com.apple.appkit/documentation/AppKit/NSTextStorage object whose glyphs are to be drawn.

## Return Value

Return Value The rectangle within which glyphs should be laid out.

## Discussion

Discussion This method is called by the typesetter before the text block is laid out to return the rectangle within which glyphs should be laid out.

## See Also

### Determining size and position of a text block

- [boundsRect(forContentRect:in:textContainer:characterRange:)](appkit/nstextblock/boundsrect(forcontentrect:in:textcontainer:characterrange:).md)