Programatically adding views to the view controller's view using AutoLayout - ios

Question

I have a view controller which I have created using code (no interface builder or storyboard). I am trying to programatically add few views (buttons and image views) and I am using Masonry for AutoLayout.
I have the following code
- (instancetype)init {
self = [super init];
if (self) {
self.view.backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor;
self.progress = 0.f;
self.shouldRecord = YES;
[self createMainUI];
[self addActions];
}
return self;
}
- (void)createMainUI {
self.backButton = [self.view createAndAddSubView:UIButton.class];
[self.backButton setImage:[TeamieUIGlobals defaultPicForPurpose:#"close" withSize:25.f] forState:UIControlStateNormal];
[self.backButton addTarget:self action:#selector(dismissViewController) forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];
self.micNormalImageView = [self.view createAndAddSubView:UIImageView.class];
self.dynamicProgress = [self.view createAndAddSubView:TMEProgressImageView.class];
self.dynamicProgress.image = IMAGE_MIC_WAVE;
self.dynamicProgress.progress = 0;
self.dynamicProgress.hasGrayscaleBackground = NO;
self.dynamicProgress.verticalProgress = YES;
self.recordButton = [self.view createAndAddSubView:UIButton.class];
self.recordButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeRoundedRect];
self.recordButton.backgroundColor = UIColor.redColor;
self.recordButton.layer.cornerRadius = 50.f;
self.recordButton.titleLabel.font = [TeamieGlobals appFontFor:#"regularFontWithSize13"];
[self.recordButton setTitle:#"Record" forState:UIControlStateNormal];
[self.recordButton setTitleColor:UIColor.whiteColor forState:UIControlStateNormal];
[self.backButton mas_makeConstraints:^(MASConstraintMaker *make){
make.width.height.equalTo(#25);
make.left.top.equalTo(#10);
}];
[self.micNormalImageView mas_makeConstraints:^(MASConstraintMaker *make){
make.width.equalTo(#204);
make.height.equalTo(#295);
make.center.equalTo(self.view);
}];
[self.dynamicProgress mas_makeConstraints:^(MASConstraintMaker *make){
make.width.equalTo(#204);
make.height.equalTo(#295);
make.center.equalTo(self.view);
}];
[self.recordButton mas_makeConstraints:^(MASConstraintMaker *make){
make.width.height.equalTo(#100);
make.centerX.equalTo(self.view);
make.bottom.equalTo(self.view.mas_bottom).with.offset(15.f);
}];
}
This is what createAndAddSubView does
- (id)createAndAddSubView:(Class)modelClass {
id temporaryView = [modelClass new];
[self insertSubview:(UIView *)temporaryView atIndex:0];
return temporaryView;
}
The only view which appears on the view in the simulator is the backButton and no other view appears.
Also, the last 2 constraints added to the recordButton crashes the app and the error is "couldn't find a common superview for <UIButton: 0x7ff2eb15f110; frame = (0 0; 0 0); opaque = NO; layer = <CALayer: 0x7ff2eb118c60>> and <UIView: 0x7ff2e8f4bf20; frame = (0 0; 320 568); autoresize = W+H; layer = <CALayer: 0x7ff2e8fdf220>>"
but when I pin the button, there is no error but still it is not visible on the view. Any idea why the views aren't appearing, something wrong with the code?

Answer 1

- (id)createAndAddSubView:(Class)modelClass {
id temporaryView = [modelClass new];
[self insertSubview:(UIView *)temporaryView atIndex:self.subviews.count];
return temporaryView;
}
Problem is with the atIndex:0 it should be self.subviews.count

Answer 2

I think the problem could be the index at which you are inserting the subviews on parent view. Substitute [[self subviews] count] in place of index '0' as-
- (id)createAndAddSubView:(Class)modelClass {
id temporaryView = [modelClass new];
[self insertSubview:(UIView *)temporaryView atIndex:[[self subviews] count]];
return temporaryView;
}

Answer 3

There are several concerns about the code presented above:
1. Apologise if missed this, however I dont see a code to set the frames of each sub view.
2. This is incorrect.
self.recordButton = [self.view createAndAddSubView:UIButton.class];
self.recordButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeRoundedRect];
3. You are adding each sub view on top of previously added subviews.
Please check all these aspects and I think your code should work.