Let my UISearchBar get focus automatically when the view is loaded - ios

Question

Here is my view with UISearchBar in my navigationbar:
I want it get focussed automatically when my view is loaded. I tried a few ways based on this question. But none is working. I have to click the searchbar to make it focussed.
This is one of my code:
override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
super.viewDidAppear(animated)
self.searchController.isActive = true
DispatchQueue.main.async { [unowned self] in
self.searchController.searchBar.becomeFirstResponder()
}
}
Somebody mentioned the searchController should be active after becomeFirstResponder. I tried this:
override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
super.viewDidAppear(animated)
DispatchQueue.main.async { [unowned self] in
self.searchController.searchBar.becomeFirstResponder()
self.searchController.isActive = true
}
}
The keybord did come out this time. But I can't key in anything in my search bar.
Any idea? Thanks.

Answer 1

I follow the suggestion and recreate my project. It works then. My code:
class SearchViewController: UIViewController, UITableViewDataSource, UITableViewDelegate, UISearchResultsUpdating, UISearchControllerDelegate, UISearchBarDelegate {
......
override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
super.viewDidAppear(animated)
searchController.isActive = true
}
func didPresentSearchController(_ searchController: UISearchController) {
DispatchQueue.main.async { [unowned self] in
self.searchController.searchBar.becomeFirstResponder()
}
}
Has to put becomeFirstRespnder in main queue, otherwise the keyboard will not be shown automatically.

Answer 2

I could focus the search bar whenever it is appear with the following code. Hope if would be helped.
And I have compared calling the become first responder inside viewWillAppear and viewDidAppear, it only worked when you call it inside viewWillAppear. But I am not quite understand why this happened. That maybe the reason why you can't type anything inside your searchbar.
PS: I think your DispatchQueue.main.async is not necessary inside viewDidAppear. It always be called in the main queue.
//
// TestSearchbarFocus.swift
// SwiftPlayground
//
// Created by Enix Yu on 31/10/2016.
// Copyright © 2016 RobotBros. All rights reserved.
//
import UIKit
class TestSearchbarFocus: UITableViewController, UISearchResultsUpdating {
var searchController : UISearchController!
let data = ["ABC", "BBC", "CCD", "Enix", "Peter", "Earth"]
var displayData = [String]()
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
searchController = UISearchController(searchResultsController: nil)
searchController.searchResultsUpdater = self
searchController.dimsBackgroundDuringPresentation = false
searchController.hidesNavigationBarDuringPresentation = false
definesPresentationContext = true
navigationItem.titleView = searchController.searchBar
}
override func viewWillAppear(animated: Bool) {
super.viewWillAppear(animated)
searchController.active = true
searchController.searchBar.becomeFirstResponder()
}
func filterDataForSearchText(text: String){
displayData = data.filter({
(item) -> Bool in
item.lowercaseString.containsString(text.lowercaseString)
})
tableView.reloadData()
}
func updateSearchResultsForSearchController(searchController: UISearchController) {
filterDataForSearchText(searchController.searchBar.text!)
}
// MARK : UITableViewDataSource/Delegate
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
if searchController.active && searchController.searchBar.text != "" {
return displayData.count
}
return data.count
}
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier("cell", forIndexPath: indexPath)
if searchController.active && searchController.searchBar.text != "" {
cell.textLabel?.text = displayData[indexPath.row]
} else {
cell.textLabel?.text = data[indexPath.row]
}
return cell
}
}
PS: I am using swift 2 + Xcode 7.3.1