Apple Guide FAQ | Problems With Mixin Appearance

What is a mixin?
How do I decide whether to use mixins?
How do I set up and compile a mixin?
How do I control when a mixin mixes into the parent guide?
How do I use elements from the parent guide in a mixin?
Why does GuideMaker refuse to compile my mixin?
Why won't a mixin mix into the parent guide?
Why does the guide look strange when a mixin is active?

Why does the guide look strange when a mixin is active?

If there is an ID conflict between your mixin's resources and the resources of the parent guide, you may see problems at run time ranging from misplaced text (prompts appearing as sequence titles, etc.) to crashes. If this is happening to your guide (and it doesn't happen when you remove the mixin and reopen the parent guide), make sure that in the <mixin> command you either specify the parent guide's SYM file, or specify an appropriate start resource ID, or both.

If you are using a SYM file, make sure you have the correct file and version. You cannot compile a mixin using one version of the parent guide's SYM file and then use the mixin with a different version of the parent guide; you must replace the SYM file and recompile the mixin every time the parent guide is recompiled. (You may want to change the <mixin match> signature every time you recompile the parent guide, in order to avoid accidentally using a mixin with a mismatched parent guide during development and testing.)

If you are specifying a starting resource ID, make sure it's between 2000 and 20,000, and be careful to allow enough room for the parent guide's resources before the mixin's resources start. A parent guide of moderate size might require 2000 IDs; in this case, your mixin's resources should start at ID 4001. If the mixin seems to be conflicting with the parent guide, try increasing the mixin's starting resource ID and recompiling it.

Apple Guide versions before 2.0 have a bug that causes Apple Guide to hang if more than eight mixins are active at a time. If you're using many mixins, make sure to update your version of Apple Guide.