Programmatically populate UITableViewCells - Swift - ios

Question

I am working on a IOS Swift based project that uses a few classes to customize the UITableView and the UITableViewCell. Now one of my Cells inside the UITableView has an inner UITableView. I was wondering if it is possible when inside the cellForRowAtIndexPath, that I could also populate cells programmatically in that same process.
EX:
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier(cellIdentifier, forIndexPath: indexPath) as! CustomTableViewCell
...... do stuff
cell.detailview.uitableview <!-- populate the cells here?
.......
return cell
}
Suggestions?

Answer 1

Assuming three different types of cells:
class NormalTableViewCell: UITableViewCell: This is used for the "regular" cells of your outer (main) table view.
class TableContainingTableviewCell : UITableViewCell: This is used for the "special" cells of your outer (main) table view, that contain a table view (inner) within themselves.
class InnerTableViewCell : UITableViewCell: This is used for the cells of your inner table views (those contained in cells of class TableContainingTableviewCell).
(Replace each by your actual class names).
, you can use this code:
override func viewDidLoad()
{
super.viewDidLoad()
// This can also be done in storyboard with prototype cells:
self.tableView.registerClass(NormalTableViewCell.class, forCellReuseIdentifier: normalCellIdentifier)
self.tableView.registerClass(TableContainingTableViewCell.class, forCellReuseIdentifier: specialCellIdentifier)
}
override func tableView(tableView: UITableView,
cellForRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath
) -> UITableViewCell
{
if tableView == self.tableView {
// [A] OUTER TABLE VIEW
if indexPath == index path of table-containing cell {
// (A.1) TABLE-CONTAINING CELL
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier(specialCellIdentifier, forIndexPath: indexPath) as! TableContainingTableViewCell
// (...configure cell...)
// Setup and refresh inner table view:
cell.contentView.tableView.dataSource = self
// This is needed for dequeueing to succeed:
cell.contentView.tableView.registerClass(InnerTableViewCell.class, forCellReuseIdentifier: innerCellIdentifier)
cell.contentView.tableView.reloadData()
// ^ THIS TRIGGERS A CALL TO THIS FUNCTION, ON THE
// INNER TABLE VIEW (PATH [B] BELOW)
return cell
}
else {
// (A.2) NORMAL CELL
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier(normalCellIdentifier, forIndexPath: indexPath) as! NormalTableViewCell
// (configure cell)
return cell
}
}
else {
// [B] INNER TABLE VIEW
let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier(innerCellIdentifier, forIndexPath: indexPath) as! InnerTableViewCell
// (configure cell)
return cell
}
}
...but I would strongly argue against having a table view embedded inside a another table view's cell. At the very least, make sure the inner table view does not need to scroll (i.e., the containing cell is high enough to show all rows and the table itself has scroll disabled).