Can't set a constraint on the window - storyboard

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Created Sep ’24

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I have an application with storyboard and I'm trying to set a constraint for the minimum size of my window (the view), but now matter what I do the constraint window is always grayed out, how do I go about this?

Answered by DTS Engineer in 803834022

Thanks for the post. If the constraints are grayed out, here are some recommendations that have resolved similar issues for others in no particular order I have been gathering:

Size Classes: Make sure that the constraints you're trying to edit are not disabled for specific size classes. Select the affected constraints, then go to the "Attributes Inspector." Check the "Active when:" section and ensure the constraints are active for the current size class or for all size classes.
Containing View's Content Mode: If the view whose size you want to constrain has its "Content Mode" setting to "Scale Aspect Fit," "Scale Aspect Fill," or "Redraw," it may be overriding the size constraints. Change the "Content Mode" to "Redraw" and see if it enables the constraints.
Window Shape: If your window is not a standard rectangular shape (e.g., circle, square), it might have limitations in restricting its size due to its geometry.
Gestures or Programmatic Changes: If you have any gestures or code that directly adjusts the window's size, it might be disabling the size constraints set in Interface Builder. Check your code and disable any size-manipulating routines temporarily to see if it enables the constraints.
Higher Priority Constraints: There might be other constraints with higher priority that are overriding your minimum size constraints. Check the "Priority" in the "Attributes Inspector" for all constraints and adjust them as needed.
MacOS or iOS Specifics: Ensure the behavior you are observing is consistent with the platform guidelines for MacOS or iOS.
Launch Conditions: In the General tab of your target settings > App, check under "Bundled Resources" for any "Launch Conditions" described by NSSizeConstraint. If there are conflicts, the launch conditions might be disabling constraints.
Autolayout Issues: Sometimes, corruption in Autolayout can cause issues. Try deleting all constraints from your view controller and adding them again.
Check Version Issues: Ensure that you are using a compatible version of Xcode. Sometimes, problems with auto layout constraints can be version-specific. Updating Xcode to the latest stable version might resolve the issue.
Clean and Build Project: Perform a "Clean Build Folder" in Xcode (from the menu "Product" > "Clean Build Folder") before rebuilding your project. This can resolve any temporary build-related issues that may be affecting Interface Builder.
Delete Derived Data: Go to Finder > Go > Go to Folder... and paste ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices. Delete any simulator folder AND restart Xcode. This can sometimes resolve issues when the autolayout cache becomes corrupted.
Create a New Storyboard File: Create a new storyboard file, copy over all the existing views and their constraints from the original storyboard. Then try setting the minimum size constraints again. This can help isolate the issue if there is some underlying corruption in the original storyboard file.
Reset Constraints for Specific Views: Select only the view whose size constraints you want to adjust. Go to the "Editor" menu > "Delete All Constraints..." and then add the minimum size constraints again. This can help avoid conflicts with other constraints.
Delete '-info.plist' Temporarily: Rename your 'Info.plist' file to 'Info.plist.bak', clean and build your project. Xcode will generate a new temporary 'Info.plist' file. Sometimes, a issue with a single key in Info.plist can affect autolayout. After testing this, you can revert the name of your Info.plist file.

These additional steps should give you some more options to solve the issue. If none of these work, it might be helpful to provide more detailed screenshots or code snippets of your project.

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Answer 1

DTS Engineer OP

Apple

Sep ’24

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Recommended

Thanks for the post. If the constraints are grayed out, here are some recommendations that have resolved similar issues for others in no particular order I have been gathering:

Size Classes: Make sure that the constraints you're trying to edit are not disabled for specific size classes. Select the affected constraints, then go to the "Attributes Inspector." Check the "Active when:" section and ensure the constraints are active for the current size class or for all size classes.
Containing View's Content Mode: If the view whose size you want to constrain has its "Content Mode" setting to "Scale Aspect Fit," "Scale Aspect Fill," or "Redraw," it may be overriding the size constraints. Change the "Content Mode" to "Redraw" and see if it enables the constraints.
Window Shape: If your window is not a standard rectangular shape (e.g., circle, square), it might have limitations in restricting its size due to its geometry.
Gestures or Programmatic Changes: If you have any gestures or code that directly adjusts the window's size, it might be disabling the size constraints set in Interface Builder. Check your code and disable any size-manipulating routines temporarily to see if it enables the constraints.
Higher Priority Constraints: There might be other constraints with higher priority that are overriding your minimum size constraints. Check the "Priority" in the "Attributes Inspector" for all constraints and adjust them as needed.
MacOS or iOS Specifics: Ensure the behavior you are observing is consistent with the platform guidelines for MacOS or iOS.
Launch Conditions: In the General tab of your target settings > App, check under "Bundled Resources" for any "Launch Conditions" described by NSSizeConstraint. If there are conflicts, the launch conditions might be disabling constraints.
Autolayout Issues: Sometimes, corruption in Autolayout can cause issues. Try deleting all constraints from your view controller and adding them again.
Check Version Issues: Ensure that you are using a compatible version of Xcode. Sometimes, problems with auto layout constraints can be version-specific. Updating Xcode to the latest stable version might resolve the issue.
Clean and Build Project: Perform a "Clean Build Folder" in Xcode (from the menu "Product" > "Clean Build Folder") before rebuilding your project. This can resolve any temporary build-related issues that may be affecting Interface Builder.
Delete Derived Data: Go to Finder > Go > Go to Folder... and paste ~/Library/Developer/CoreSimulator/Devices. Delete any simulator folder AND restart Xcode. This can sometimes resolve issues when the autolayout cache becomes corrupted.
Create a New Storyboard File: Create a new storyboard file, copy over all the existing views and their constraints from the original storyboard. Then try setting the minimum size constraints again. This can help isolate the issue if there is some underlying corruption in the original storyboard file.
Reset Constraints for Specific Views: Select only the view whose size constraints you want to adjust. Go to the "Editor" menu > "Delete All Constraints..." and then add the minimum size constraints again. This can help avoid conflicts with other constraints.
Delete '-info.plist' Temporarily: Rename your 'Info.plist' file to 'Info.plist.bak', clean and build your project. Xcode will generate a new temporary 'Info.plist' file. Sometimes, a issue with a single key in Info.plist can affect autolayout. After testing this, you can revert the name of your Info.plist file.

These additional steps should give you some more options to solve the issue. If none of these work, it might be helpful to provide more detailed screenshots or code snippets of your project.

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