Open Radar

 
Summary:

When binding items of an IBOutletCollection NSArray within a xib file, if you bind a view A before a view B in Interface Builder, then A always ends up prior to B in the NSArray when accessed programmatically. This is not the case for IBOutletCollections bound within storyboard files, for which this order is unreliable.

Steps to Reproduce:

1) Test the behaviour for xib files (correct)
- create an application with a single view controller and an IBOutletCollection(Label) array
- use a xib to layout the view controller. Drop two labels 'A' and 'B' and bind them to the outlet collection, 'A' first, then 'B'
- log the collection contents in -viewDidLoad
- run the application several times, cleaning your project and removing the app between runs. 'A' will always appear before 'B' in your logs, even after several runs

2) Test the behaviour for storyboard files (incorrect)
- create an application using storyboards
- drop a view controller onto the storyboard, and add corresponding source files exposing an IBOutletCollection(Label)
- drop and bind two labels 'A' and 'B' onto the view controller in the storyboard file and bind them to the outlet collection, 'A' first, then 'B'
- log the collection contents in -viewDidLoad
- run the application several times, cleaning your project and removing the app between runs. 'A' will sometimes appear before 'B' in your logs, sometimes after

Expected Results:

For 2), 'A' always appears before 'B' in the logs (the order in which outlets were bound in the storyboard), in agreement with the predictable behaviour exhibited by 1)

Actual Results:

The order of the outlets in the collection is unreliable when accessed programmatically

Regression:

-

Notes:

Tested with Xcode 4.4 - iOS 5.1 and Xcode 4.5 DP4 - iOS 6