Use stock keyboard as template for custom iOS 8 keyboard - ios

I was wondering if it is possible to get the stock Apple keyboard design as a file to make a own custom keyboard with only slight changes to the original one.
I would like to only change one Key and was hoping that I don't have to build the whole design myself and try to imitate the original design.
Thanks in advance

I built a custom keyboard with the same look as the system keyboard (except it has only one "letter" key!): https://github.com/acoomans/ACKeyboard
I'm sure you can start from there and adapt it to your need. Good luck!

There is another custom keyboard with all the keys here. Looks like the might be a bit hacked together but could be another good place to start. https://github.com/archagon/tasty-imitation-keyboard

Related

Customising the Decimal pad in my app

Swift...
So I've got an existing app and I'm working on its appearance. The current task is customising the decimal pad that pops up when the user hits a textField.
I've looked around on how to make it but it always seems that you have to go into the iPhone/ipad settings and add the custom keyboard.
eg. This StackOverFlow Question
and they all seem to point to this same tutorial..
iOS 8: Creating a Custom Keyboard
My problem is that I don't want the user to have to go into settings.
So the question is....IS THIS POSSIBLE?
The following pic is what I want to use. I have made this in an XIB file through adding a target keyboard which makes the new folder with KeyboardViewController.swift , info.plist and NumPad.xib. Though i think I'm on the wrong track, can someone point me the right way please.
Also anyone know the exact dimensions this view should be.. assuming what I'm asking is in fact possible. Let me know if I'm not being clear enough!
NumPad.xib(pic)
Many many thanks,
Steve
SOLUTION: Thanks to Andrea for correcting my search keywords. It led me to this Stack Question which hopefully sends some others to the correct end of the internet that have mistakes custom keyboard with custom input views!
Sure it is possible without going into settings, but they are called custom input views.
You should look into inputViews here what Apple says about them Custom views for data input.
Basically when the user press a text field instead of loading the usual keyboard it loads an inputView that you specify, pay attention that custom keyboard term is misleading. If you google for tutorial you'll find most probably link like the ones that you found.
For a practical example check this tutorial or this, is a little bit old, but the principle are still the same

How to make Custom GIF Keyboard in ios

I have one doubt that how exactly GIF images loaded into Custom keyboard and user can send it. I am new in iOS so want some link which i can refer and will be helpful for me.
Read Apple docs for this, especially this one https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/General/Conceptual/ExtensibilityPG/Keyboard.html is a good strating point
You can set any UIView as the view for the keyboard layout, so an UIImageView is suitable for your purpose. The real difficulty in custom keyboarding is the management of events. As you are new to iOS dev, I would like to encourage you to try much simpler things first.

The Correct Way to do Custom Keyboards in iOS?

I am looking to implement a custom toolbar that sits above my keyboard for a text field with some custom values. I've found a ton of tutorials online but this question is for asking what's the best way to do this.
This tutorial here http://blog.carbonfive.com/2012/03/12/customizing-the-ios-keyboard/ provides the most common way I can see across many tutorials, with creating a new subclass of UIView and using delegates to get that information across.
That's the commonality. However, I came across this tutorial which in the view controller itself just creates the toolbar, assigns it to the textField inputAccessory and it's good to go. In fact, I tried out the code and without any effort, I have now a custom keyboard.
http://easyplace.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/adding-custom-buttons-to-ios-keyboard/
This just seems a bit too easy to me though and I'd think the proper, Apple recommended way would be to create that UIView subclass and use delegates so that the view controller with the text fields acts as that delegate.
I'm specifically targeting iOS 7 in my app.
What are people's thoughts on this? If the second easier link is supported and is likely to pass Apple's guidelines, it's a good starting point but if delegates are the way to go, I'd rather look into that from the start.
Your thoughts will be appreciated.
There is no 'Apple Approved' way to do this, and its hard to believe anything you do here would get your app rejected. The custom keyboard you reference in your post has the iOS6 look and will appear outdated in an iOS6 app. I'll mention some iOS7 suggestions shortly, but the constant danger of mimicking what the System looks like today is guaranteed to look outdated later. In Mac/Cocoa development, Apple use to say at the WWDC that if you did something custom, make it look custom, don't take a standard Apple widget and try to duplicate it. But that advice is mostly ignored.
For iOS 7, you can create buttons that appear just like the system ones do (not pressed), but of course when someone presses them, they won't act like system buttons (i.e. animate up and "balloon" out.
I'm currently using a fantastic add-on keyboard, my fork of KOKeyboard (which uses the buttons above). This is such a cool addition. While the buttons look like iPad buttons, each one has 5 keys in it. By dragging to a corner you select one of the four, and tapping in the middle gives you that key. This might be overkill for your app, but it really helped me with mine. It looks like this:
(the Key / Value is in the under laying view.) The center control lets you move the cursor - its like a joy stick - and can be used to both move and select text. Amazing class, I wish I'd invented it!
Also, for any solution, you want to use a UIToolbar as the view holding the keys, for the reason that it supports blur of the view it overlays, just like the keyboard does. You can use the UIToolbar with no bar button items in it (if you want), and just add subviews. This is a "trick" I learned here, as there is no other way to get blur!
David's KOKeyboard (er…, the one he used - see David's comment below) looks nice. I suspect that he is using the official Apple mechanism:
inputAccessoryView
Typically, you'd set that value on a UITextView, but it can be any class that allows itself to become the first responder.
The provided view will be placed above the default apple keyboard.
It is correct that there is no official mechanism (and it is suggested against) to modify any system provided keyboard. You can add to it, as above. You can also entirely replace it for with your own mechanism. Apply will forgo the keyboard setting on your view and use a custom input mechanism if you set
inputView
set it to any view - Apple will still manage its appearance and dismissal as it does the custom keyboards.
Edit: Of course, iOS 8.x added significant access to keyboards. (not mentioned here)

Is there ready solution or I need custom UIView?

I'm developing time manager for iOS and need to create something like on picture below. This is list of tasks for week.
Green box represents which day (monday, sunday, etc...)
Black box represents single task
Blue box represents button to add new task
As I understand I need to create custom UIView to implement this design, am I right? Maybe there is ready library which I can to use?
Thank you in advance.
Anatoly.
You only need to add some UIImageview and UIButtons over UIView.
I've not really looked at the collections view stuff in iOS 6 yet, but I would think that might be a good match. ( I think that it's existence is not NDA, but further details would be).
I don't think there is anything to directly support this kind of layout in iOS 5, maybe you could use 6 UITableViews for the central section.
Go for custom. That is best!
Meanwhile have a look here, if you can find something helpful. There are some custom controls with the source code too for cocoa.
http://www.cocoacontrols.com/controls

iOS Interface Builder Custom Styles?

Simple question. Does anyone know why Interface Builder doesn't allow for applying custom styles on UI elements? Why is it only possible to do this programmatically?
I can see how this might be difficult for custom UIView subclasses but the default controls definitely only have a tiny subset of the style options available through IB, such as background color or changing font colors. Why is this the case? Is there any way to approach a concept like application themes through IB?
My personal feeling is that Apple does this right. They provide the elements and styles that fit the HIG. If they start adding other elements/styles then where do the start, and where do they draw the line?
Also, it isn't like Apple actively prevents using custom elements/styles, they just don't include it in the tool set.
The last thing we need is a tool set full of bloat.
You'd really have to ask Apple as to the why. I'd guess that it's some combination of promoting consistent use of standard interface elements and limited development resources.
You can, of course, build interfaces using your own custom subclasses of the standard interface elements in IB. It's a little more work, since you have to change the type of each object you add from UIButton to MyGreenButton or whatever, but it's not difficult.
It's also not hard to imagine coming up with a controller-type class that could connect to all your controls and whatnot to customize their appearance in some consistent, theme-like manner. Add an instance of that to each nib, connect all the controls, and let it do it's thing. You wouldn't see the effect until you actually run the app, of course, but it sounds like you're talking about customizing colors and fonts rather than size.
Unfortunately you are at the mercy of the Almighty Apple Deity..... Bow at their feet and give thanks that you have what they give you..... lol...
Seriously tho. Apple puts in what apple wants and you can request additions, but the IB is fairly minimal in the way of features.
I think this may be by design. Somehow an Elegant Simplicity ?
The ability to customize the controls is given to the programmer however I think they want the controls standardized. I just dont know why they didnt give a little more variety in the controls that are available. Like a few more button styles for the ios devices...
If you find out otherwise I would definitely be all ears.
I think that apple should let you to customize more the controls, for games it takes too much time to make the custom control ( you can make it faster in android as you can configure it in xml)
Btw PaintCode is another option to make your own style for components, it will generate the code but its more like interface builder
http://www.paintcodeapp.com/

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