An action method is simply a method (see: InstanceMethod) that is attached to a control object, either in InterfaceBuilder or programmatically. When the user interacts with the control, he causes it to invoke the method; hence, the term ‘action method’.
This takes most of the gruntwork out of building a modern GraphicalUserInterface (GUI) application.
Here is a simplified example; if you have a window with a button, and you want to sound a beep every time the user presses the button you would:
Define a method called -beep that beeps when it is called, somewhere in a class. In order for a method to be recognized by InterfaceBuilder as an action, it must take one parameter (an object) and return nothing. Example: -(void) beep: (id) sender;
Create an instance of the class in InterfaceBuilder (as well as the window and the button).
Press the “Control” key and draw a line from the button to the class instance in InterfaceBuilder, indicating a connection between the two.
InterfaceBuilder asks which action you want to connect the button to. Select your -beep method.
That’s all there is to it.
To expand on how IB recognizes methods as actions:
*It looks for IBAction as the return value.
*It looks for a void return value and a single parameter of type id named sender
So if you use IBAction you can statically type your sender parameter.
It seems like there’s more to this… I remember a very explicit listing of exactly what IB looked for, in what order, posted by a membre of the IB team at Apple to a mailing list, but of course, I can’t find it now.