Section 9 · Time, Motion & Interaction

Auto Layout

Definition

A rule applied to a frame that positions its children automatically according to direction, spacing, padding, and alignment, resizing as content changes.

Why it matters

Auto layout replaces manual nudging with a maintained relationship. When content changes — and it will — the layout updates instead of breaking.

Example

A list where adding an item pushes the others down and preserves consistent spacing.

Teaching note

Its value is invisible until something changes. Demonstrating by editing content in a manually positioned layout versus an auto layout one makes the case in seconds.