---
title: Introduction to Toolbars
framework: cocoa
role: article
path: apple-archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/Toolbars
---

# Introduction to Toolbars

Explains how to use Cocoa toolbars.

## Organization of This Document

This programming topic describes how to use toolbars. It contains the following articles:

- [How Toolbars Work](Concepts/HowToolbarsWork.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000750-BBCCFHAC) gives basic information on toolbars. - [Toolbar Management Checklist](Concepts/HowTBsCreated.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000751-CJBBEHJA) describes what happens when you create a toolbar. - [Adding and Removing Toolbar Items](Tasks/AddRemoveToolbarItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000755-BBCGJCDJ) describes managing toolbar items, and the role of the NSToolbar delegate. - [Setting a Toolbar Item’s Representation](Tasks/SettingTBItemRep.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000722-BBCGFFHE) describes the different ways a toolbar item can be represented and how to set them. - [Validating Toolbar Items](Tasks/ValidatingTBItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000753-BAJGFHDD) describes how to set whether a toolbar item is clickable or not. - [Setting a Toolbar Item’s Size](Tasks/SettingTBItemSize.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000754-BAJEFGAB) describes how to set a toolbar item’s minimum and maximum size. - [Selectable Toolbar Items](Tasks/SelectableItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20002308-CJBGHHGG) describes how to support selectable toolbar items. - [Subclassing NSToolbarItem](Tasks/SubclassingTBItem.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000756-BAJBAGII) describes the methods to override when subclassing NSToolbarItem. - [Techniques for Toolbar Management](Tasks/DeterminingOverflow.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000859-BAJGFHDD) describes how to determine if a toolbar has items in the overflow menu and how to calculate toolbar height.

## See Also

The following sample code is available through Apple Developer Connection:

- *[iSpend](../../../../samplecode/iSpend/Introduction/Intro.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/DTS10003625)* shows how to add basic toolbar support to an application. - *[ToolbarSample: Using NSToolbar to construct a window toolbar](../../../../samplecode/ToolbarSample/Introduction/Intro.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/DTS10000413)* implements an example toolbar including using custom views in a toolbar item.

[Next](Concepts/HowToolbarsWork.html)

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