Array of UIButtons or method UIButton(named: "\(string)") - ios

Question

Is it possible to make an array of UIButtons?
let buttonArray: [UIButton] = [UIButton(Button1)!, UIButton(Button2)!, UIButton(Button3)!]
To reference later as
buttonArray[0].setImage(UIImage, forState: UIControlState.Normal)
Or somehow set a
var button = UIButton.whoseName = "Specific String"
button.setImage(UIImage, forState: UIControlState.Normal)
VC1:
import UIKit
class VC1: UIViewController {
#IBOutlet weak var Card1: UIButton!
#IBOutlet weak var Card2: UIButton!
#IBOutlet weak var Card3: UIButton!
let Cards: [UIImage] = [UIImage(named: "Default")!, UIImage(named: "2s")!,UIImage(named: "2h")!,UIImage(named: "2c")!,UIImage(named: "2d")!,]
// var CardCaller: Array<UIButton> = [Card1, Card2, Card3]
let CardCallers: [UIButton] = [Card1, Card2, Card3] //ERROR: 'VC1.Type' does not have a member named 'Card1'
var caller = ""
var Index2 = Int()
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
}
override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?) {
let KVC = segue.destinationViewController as VC2
KVC.source = segue.identifier!
}
#IBAction func unwind(unwindSegue: UIStoryboardSegue){
//Card1.setImage(Cards[Index2], forState: UIControlState.Normal)
//let button = UIButton(named: "Card1")!
if caller == "Card1" {Card1.setImage(Cards[Index2], forState: UIControlState.Normal)} else if caller == "Card2" {Card2.setImage(Cards[Index2], forState: UIControlState.Normal)} else if caller == "Card3" {Card3.setImage(Cards[Index2], forState: UIControlState.Normal)}
}
#IBAction func text(sender: AnyObject) {
println(caller)
println(Index2)
}
}
The IBOutlets are wired properly to Storyboard buttons; I created them with control/drag to the view controller.

Answer 1

This shouldn't be a problem, but it may have something to do with when you're accessing the buttons. Try creating the array globally and adding the buttons to it once they've loaded:
class VC1: UIViewController {
#IBOutlet weak var Card1: UIButton!
#IBOutlet weak var Card2: UIButton!
#IBOutlet weak var Card3: UIButton!
var CardCallers: [UIButton] = [UIButton]() // Empty UIButton array
override func viewDidLoad() {
self.CardCallers = [self.Card1, self.Card2, self.Card3] // Buttons have now loaded in the view
}
}

Answer 2

You can.
Two ways to do it:
var buttonsArray: Array<UIButton> = [button1, button2]
Or
#IBOutlet var buttonsArray: Array<UIButton> = []
For the later one, it can be filled from the storyboard as an IBOutletCollection
Please note that views can be assigned to an IBOutlet and an IBOutletCollection at the same time.