Create Custom Dynamic Prototype Cells programmatically - ios

Question

I am having an issue trying to create Dynamic Prototype Cells programmatically. This is my first time trying this approach. I have always created them through storyboard.
I have my ViewController.swift file which contains the following
var noteListTableView: UITableView = UITableView()
noteListTableView.frame.origin.x = 0.0
noteListTableView.frame.origin.y = kNAV_BAR_HEIGHT
noteListTableView.frame.size.width = kDEVICE_WIDTH
noteListTableView.frame.size.height = kDEVICE_HEIGHT - kNAV_BAR_HEIGHT
noteListTableView.dataSource = self
noteListTableView.delegate = self
self.view.addSubview(noteListTableView)
Also in the file, I have included the appropriate TableView delegate and Data source functions
func tableView(tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
return GlobalDataController.notesDB.count
}
func tableView(tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
var aNote: NoteItem = GlobalDataController.notesDB[indexPath.row] as NoteItem
if var cell: NoteListTVCell = noteListTableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier(kReuseCellNoteList) as? NoteListTVCell {
cell.noteTitle.text = "Title"
cell.noteContentSummary.text = "Content Summary"
cell.noteDate.text = "May 20"
return cell
}
else{
var cell: NoteListTVCell = NoteListTVCell(style: UITableViewCellStyle.Default, reuseIdentifier: kReuseCellNoteList)
cell.noteTitle.text = "Title"
cell.noteContentSummary.text = "Content Summary"
cell.noteDate.text = "May 20"
return cell
}
}
(1) The IF-STATEMENT always seems to fail, that is why I added the else statement as per some example I found online for Obj-C.
(2) When the ELSE is triggered, the program always crashes trying to assign the cell.* values, saying it encountered a nil value.
EDIT: NoteListTVCell
class NoteListTVCell: UITableViewCell {
var noteTitle: UILabel!
var noteContentSummary: UILabel!
var noteDate: UILabel!
var cellMargin: CGFloat = kPadding * 3
override func awakeFromNib() {
super.awakeFromNib()
noteTitle = UILabel(frame: CGRect(x: cellMargin, y: kPadding, width: kDEVICE_WIDTH - cellMargin - kPadding, height: 30.0))
noteTitle.backgroundColor = kColorTransparent
noteTitle.font = UIFont(name: kFont02, size: 20.0)
noteTitle.textColor = Scripts.hexColor(0x000000, alpha: 0.8)
noteTitle.text = "Title"
self.addSubview(noteTitle)
/* Note Content Summary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
var noteContentSummaryY: CGFloat = noteTitle.frame.origin.y + noteTitle.frame.size.height
noteContentSummary = UILabel(frame: CGRect(x: cellMargin, y: noteContentSummaryY, width: kDEVICE_WIDTH - cellMargin - kPadding, height: 20.0))
noteContentSummary.backgroundColor = kColorTransparent
noteContentSummary.font = UIFont(name: kFont02, size: 14.0)
noteContentSummary.textColor = Scripts.hexColor(0x000000, alpha: 0.4)
noteContentSummary.text = "This is a summary..."
self.addSubview(noteContentSummary)
/* Note Date
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
noteDate = UILabel(frame: CGRect(x: kDEVICE_WIDTH - 100.0 - kPaddingx2, y: kPadding, width: 100.0, height: 20.0))
noteDate.backgroundColor = kColorTransparent
noteDate.font = UIFont(name: kFont02, size: 10.0)
noteDate.textColor = Scripts.hexColor(kColorThemeBlue, alpha: 1.0)
noteDate.textAlignment = NSTextAlignment.Right
noteDate.text = "May 8, 2:14 AM"
self.addSubview(noteDate)
}
}

Answer 1

You haven't override the init method in your custom cell, but anyway it will call super init method, if you don't provide. Put your cell initialisation code in init method instead of awakeFromNib method.
Try this below.
required init(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
super.init(coder: aDecoder)
}
override init(style: UITableViewCellStyle, reuseIdentifier: String!) {
super.init(style: style, reuseIdentifier: reuseIdentifier)
//Do your cell set up
noteTitle = UILabel(frame: CGRect(x: cellMargin, y: kPadding, width: kDEVICE_WIDTH - cellMargin - kPadding, height: 30.0))
noteTitle.backgroundColor = kColorTransparent
noteTitle.font = UIFont(name: kFont02, size: 20.0)
noteTitle.textColor = Scripts.hexColor(0x000000, alpha: 0.8)
noteTitle.text = "Title"
self.addSubview(noteTitle)
/* Note Content Summary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
var noteContentSummaryY: CGFloat = noteTitle.frame.origin.y + noteTitle.frame.size.height
noteContentSummary = UILabel(frame: CGRect(x: cellMargin, y: noteContentSummaryY, width: kDEVICE_WIDTH - cellMargin - kPadding, height: 20.0))
noteContentSummary.backgroundColor = kColorTransparent
noteContentSummary.font = UIFont(name: kFont02, size: 14.0)
noteContentSummary.textColor = Scripts.hexColor(0x000000, alpha: 0.4)
noteContentSummary.text = "This is a summary..."
self.addSubview(noteContentSummary)
/* Note Date
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
noteDate = UILabel(frame: CGRect(x: kDEVICE_WIDTH - 100.0 - kPaddingx2, y: kPadding, width: 100.0, height: 20.0))
noteDate.backgroundColor = kColorTransparent
noteDate.font = UIFont(name: kFont02, size: 10.0)
noteDate.textColor = Scripts.hexColor(kColorThemeBlue, alpha: 1.0)
noteDate.textAlignment = NSTextAlignment.Right
noteDate.text = "May 8, 2:14 AM"
self.addSubview(noteDate)
}
Do this in viewDidLoad
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
noteListTableView = UITableView(frame: self.view.frame, style: UITableViewStyle.Plain)
noteListTableView.dataSource = self
noteListTableView.delegate = self
self.view.addSubview(noteListTableView)
noteListTableView.registerClass(NoteListTVCellTableViewCell.self, forCellReuseIdentifier: kReuseCellNoteList)
// Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
}

Answer 2

You need to register your custom tableViewCell class in viewDidLoad:
notelistTableView.registerClass(NoteListTVCell.self, forCellReuseIdentifier: kReuseCellNoteList)
Documentation
When designing the prototype in InterfaceBuilder this is done automatically. It is required when you design your cell in code.