Segmented control to toggle through multiple tableviews - ios

What I’m basically trying to is to implement the control segment/tableview as in Mailbox (see it around 2:00: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG-h8pDXfoE&feature=youtu.be&t=2m)
I am using Core Data in one UITableViewController hooked up to a UITableView.
When user toggles the UISegmentedControl, the TableView is reloaded with a different set of NSPredicate, and UITableViewRowAnimationRight/Left, kind of makes it appear that that a different table view slides in and replaces the old one.
As the number of cells increase, the performance of this design decrease dramatically, and it could also look much better.
I can see a few different ways of going about it, but I figured I'd ask you guys for some pointers to head me in the right direction:
What is the best way to have a segmented control to toggle through multiple tableviews? Should these tableviews be connected to the same data source/delegate?

Take a look at this pod: https://github.com/xmartlabs/XLMailBoxContainer. It makes the UI animation among the view controllers. These view controller can extend UITableViewController or any other view controller.
UITableViewCell swipe animation can be accomplished using https://github.com/alikaragoz/MCSwipeTableViewCell.
I hope this could help you!

It really depends how different each of these table views is. If they are quite similar, it's probably easiest to just share the delegate and data source and have some conditional code.
In fact you can just have a single table view, but have different cells / configuration depending on your current context.
Could be as simple as having adding some conditions to
-(UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath;
Another approach would be to use view controller containment. You would create a UITableViewController for each and then have parent view controller with segmented control which swaps child view controller accordingly.
As for the animation and performance, I can't really see any problem. You can get the animations without much effort if you use NSFetchedResultsController, see an example here: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/CoreData/Reference/NSFetchedResultsControllerDelegate_Protocol/Reference/Reference.html.

See SBSegmentedViewController. I wrote it for exactly what you're trying to do.

Related

iOS UI - App Store Explore section Transition

I was wondering if this nice master-detail transition where you click on the tableView cell and it expand to disclose the detail , with the cell's label being the navigation bar title is an interface which is part of the SDK object library or it is a customised one?
This is a custom transition between ViewControllers.
There's a nice example of a few transitions (including this one) in this library.
Of course you'll need to add the tableview etc' but this is a great place to start.
I've tried few things but so far this is the best option I could think of.
Animating the frames of all the visible cells and making use of childViewController is how I achieved it.
Animation test project
https://github.com/armaluca/iOS-App-Store-Explore-Section-Animation
Would be nice to know any other possible solution and ultimately to know how Apple did it!
It is custom implementation.There is no API in UIKit/UITableView which implements this behaviour. Only animation to present a cell is there(which I think is used here).
This behaviour can be implemented like-
Add sections(News, Productivity, etc) in table with zero cells(numberOfRowsInSection: = 0 for all sections). Then on tapping any section just reload that section(reloadSections:withRowAnimation:) by adding a cell to it(numberOfRowsInSection: = 1) and animation(maybe UITableViewRowAnimationMiddle). Scroll that section/row to top in same animation loop(UI update cycle).

Need Suggestion to Swipe through Views

I have a UITableView on didSelectrowAtIndex it pushes to a viewController which shows the detail on UIScrollView which is vertically scrollable.
Now I need that If I tap on any row it would be pushed to the same viewController and shows the detail of selected row,Additionally I need to have the Swipe Functionality to see the data for all rows in tableview instead of go back & select another row.
I know it can be achieved by UIPageControl or [scrollView setPagingEnabled:YES];,But I am wondering If there is any better approach to do the same or I should go with any of these two,If yes then Which one is better?
Please Help Guys.....Any Help would be much appreciated.
Thanks in Advance....:)
Of course, there are plenty of approaches to achieve what you want. You should keep in mind that UIPageControl has limitation on number of items (dots) displayed (over 20 items would overlap). Also, it would be appropriate to have next/previous buttons for the users preferring tapping buttons instead of swiping/panning. I prefer using UISwipeGestureRecognizers and buttons on toolbar for navigating between items.
The key, in my opinion, is to control how many UIKit controls are held in memory at the same time. However you implement this, you want to make sure that you have solution that holds UIKit controls for the currently visible child element only, or perhaps the previous and next ones, too, but not for the full array (especially if you're dealing with UIImageView objects).
One control to consider is UIPageViewController. At first blush, it might look complicated, but in reality it's quite simple and offers a nice way to swipe between various "pages" while not holding all of the pages in memory at the same time. See View Controller Catalog for iOS: Page View Controller.
If you decide to implement a scroll view with paging enabled, I'd suggest specifying the delegate and implementing the UIScrollViewDelegate methods to add and remove subviews as appropriate. This is historically what I've done, but I now lean towards page view controllers.
There are also a ton of third-party implementation of "infinite scrollers", which implement this sort of functionality, though I can't vouch for any particular one.

When to use UICollectionView instead of UITableView?

I found that UICollectionView is like an upgraded version of UITableView introduced in iOS6, but when should I choose UICollectionView instead of UITableView?
There are still Apps using UITableView, if UICollectionView can do anything UITableView can do , why people still use UITableView? Is there a difference as far as performance is concerned?
Thanks!
That depends on the requirements. How the application flows determines which type of UI to integrate into the application.
People mainly use the UICollectionview for creating types of UIs with multiple images shown in a grid. This would have complex logic using UITableView, but with UICollectionview, it would be easy.
When using UICollectionview, you don't need to set buttons with tags or other things by getting selected items values. You can simply get -(void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didSelectItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath and in UITableViewDelegate:
`-(void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath`
You get the selected row instead of the item, so for creating grid or modified items, using UICollectionview is best.
For the listing details of each item, people use UITableView because it shows more info on each item.
Apple Docs:
UICollectionView Class Reference
The UICollectionView class manages an ordered collection of data items and presents them using customizable layouts. Collection views provide the same general function as table views except that a collection view is able to support more than just single-column layouts. Collection views support customizable layouts that can be used to implement multi-column grids, tiled layouts, circular layouts, and many more. You can even change the layout of a collection view dynamically if you want.
UITableView Class Reference
A table view displays a list of items in a single column. UITableView is a subclass of UIScrollView, which allows users to scroll through the table, although UITableView allows vertical scrolling only. The cells comprising the individual items of the table are UITableViewCell objects; UITableView uses these objects to draw the visible rows of the table. Cells have content—titles and images—and can have, near the right edge, accessory views. Standard accessory views are disclosure indicators or detail disclosure buttons; the former leads to the next level in a data hierarchy and the latter leads to a detailed view of a selected item. Accessory views can also be framework controls, such as switches and sliders, or can be custom views. Table views can enter an editing mode where users can insert, delete, and reorder rows of the table.
Here's my criteria:
If a UITableView can do it, use it
If a UITableView needs lots of code to do it or can't do it at all, use UICollectionView.
You have to consider the restrictions on UITableView before making a decision: It's a single column. And you can only customize the cells, but not section backgrounds and such. So if you have a straight-up list of things with no extra frills - that looks like a bog standard iOS view, basically - then use UITableview. If you have custom insets, or a border around each section, use UICollectionView.
I'm actually considering UICollectionView for all things simply because it's very expensive when you start developing your view as a table view, then later find out it can't do that one thing that you need it to do. 1st hand experience ;)
Edit after even more experience with the two: Disregard that last paragraph. UICollectionView requires a lot of boilerplate code to make it work like a UITableView. Use UICollectionView only when really needed. ;)
For simple lists and forwards/backwards navigtaion, use UITableView.
If you need a high degree of customisability, use UICollectionView.
Generally speaking, in software development, it's best to choose the approach which represents "The Simplest Possible Thing".
EDIT: As of iOS 14, UICollectionView can now do lists as well and is now the recommended approach. See this session from WWDC20 for more information and implementation details: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2020/10026/
According to my point of view main difference between collectionView and tableView is that
TABLEVIEW --> show list of items in only one column.
COLLECTION-VIEW -->show list of items in multiple column.
Hope it will help you.
If you choose UITableView for iPhone, make sure you have considered your iPad strategy first. If you want an iPad-specific layout, you may want that single-column layout to become a grid.
Although it's not required, I always use a collectionview. That way I can easily adapt how my collections are presented for differing resolutions. A plus is that it's ready to quickly add new types of cells when refactoring in the future.
I see no point of tableviews. It's very simple to use a collection view to represent a table. IMO.
From my personal experience the two elements should only be compared loosly.
TableView
A TableView is a UI element designed for showing data in a list format. There is certain functionality that comes as standard with a UITableView, such as:
Accessory View
Cell Selection Style
Editting Style (Delete and edit buttons).
The above elements enhance the usability of data when displaying and interacting in a list format. Such as viewing emails.
CollectionView
A CollectionView is a UI element designed for showing content using a custom layout (usually anything that isn't a list). CollectionViews improve functionality of displaying data in completely bespoke layout styles and also dynamically changing layouts on the fly. Some examples are:
Horizonal Lists
Photo Galleries
Thumbnail views
Carousels
Dials
Laying out elements on a map
etc.
CollectionViews also allow for multiple selections.
Conclusion
As you can see from the above, both have completely different use cases and are designed for enhancing the development and usability of their own specific data sets.
If you are looking at displaying anything in a list style with the followin interactions:
- Adding
- Deleting
- Re-ordering
Then a UITableView will simplify this process by providing the support straight out of the box.
Anything else, you should leverage the benefits of CollectionView as you have more flexibility.
Its totally dependent on how your data to be shown.
As mentioned by many above, if you require only single set of data and that too not complex, go for UITableView else use UICollectionView.
UICollectionView is customization friendly.
If you are dealing with multiple cell heights or so, then go for UICollectionView.
Both are depends on the requirements. Table Views also have support for a variety of editing scenarios. This support has not been implemented in the Collection View classes.
If you are converting from a Table View that relies on these methods, expect to do a little extra heavy lifting in the Collection View.
Collection View section headers can be placed anywhere within the view.
and UITableView don't need to set buttons with tags or other things by getting selected items values.
In practice, everyone uses UICollectionView that I've come across, when they only need a UITableView. "It's one-dimensional. It goes up and down. Why are you adding unnecessary delegate methods for layout AND data?". I once spent an extra 2 hours helping a startup find out why their UICollectionViewCell got squished because the owner, who didn't read the Animations manual, nor HIG, nor the UICollectionView guide, decided to use it and add variable heights and anims. Needless to say, he gave himself a headache and much lost time on a non-business-critical issue he could have avoided by simply using a table cell, since there's no extra layout delegate + Nib.
Let me get this straight, I am all for UICollectionView's when your data and display need it. They're very powerful. But in practice, most people I've seen have been using them on lists.
This brings up another flaw. They're also used on short, constant lists that won't change, ever. In this case, just make a Xib. Or write a custom view that stacks them. Why? Because you don't need the memory management for 5 sets of labels with a button or switch. If they might change, then yes, use a list. If you want physics, then UICollectionView works well with a some cool effects. But do you really need to add 5 delegate methods and a layout system for 5 labels that will never move?
Also, I'm not forgetting that iOS has a native stacking view now too. I can never get it to deform how I want, even though I'm quite adept at the 2D and animation systems, so I never use the built-in one.
All I'm saying is, define your requirements. Maybe you don't need either of these, if your UI isn't adding/removing items and refreshing itself. Or maybe you want to write a Card Game and throw them out virtually on a table, then use UICollectionView with a physics system for its layout guide.
Personally I think the UICollectionView can do most of the work which UITableview can do. well, at the same time, it's more complex to use.
I suggest you use UICollectionView as TableView just in case your manager change requirements in the future.
Based on our need we are choosing TableView or CollectionView.
Example:
For phone contacts tableView is best option.
For photo gallery, collection view will be best option.
I had this issue in my current project. Which to use. In my case it was simple really. I needed both. I needed my view to look like UITableView and also to change its change / layout. So, UICollectionView was used. I also use UITableView everywhere I don't need any extra customisation. Since UiTableView comes with a default layout that includes images and text - I use it for simplicity.
Based on our requirement we choose UITableView or UICollection view.
If we want to display images or items in grid type or if we need more customisability we use UICollectionview.
For listing each item with details and subdetails we use UITableView.
UICollectionView:
The UICollectionView class manages an ordered collection of data items and presents them using customizable layouts. Collection views provide the same general function as table views except that a collection view is able to support more than just single-column layouts.
UITableView: A table view displays a list of items in a single column. UITableView is a subclass of UIScrollView, which allows users to scroll through the table, although UITableView allows vertical scrolling only.
As per my view for Grid View display use UI Collection View.All other list view use UITable View

Embedding UIViewController view inside another UIViewController

In my app, I have a login-register-forgotpasword wireframe. Each step of the process is implemented in a separate UIViewController, all of them inside the same Storyboard, and transitions between each controller are animated. So far so good.
Now we've changed the design, so all views have the same background elements and a header (not exactly a UINavigationBar), and I don't like the feel of the animation to a view that always looks to be actually the same, but just showing a different form. So I'm considering different approaches to, instead of pushing whole controllers, just showing/hiding its views, but staying in the same controller.-
1) My first try was instantiating the controller which view I want to show, and add it to the current view. Something like.-
- (IBAction)btnRegisterPressed:(id)sender {
_viewHome.hidden = YES;
RegisterController *controller = [self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:#"registerNewUser"];
[self.view addSubview:controller.view];
}
This one would be perfect, as I'm using static UITableViews for my forms, so as far as I know I'd need a UITableViewController for each one. But it seems IBOutlets and IBActions got broken. Is this approach possible in some way? If so, it's considered a bad practice?
2) My second option is just creating all the views inside one controller, and properly showing/hiding them. This would one be hard to maintain, and chances are I'd have to forget about static UITableViews.
Could anyone give me some advice of which option would be better, or point me to any other possible approach I'm missing?
Your option #1 is not appropriate as written but close to an approach you should probably consider. You can add nest the views of different UIViewControllers however when you do so you should use the methods described in Managing Child View Controllers in a Custom Container so that the parent controller correctly manages its child controllers.
You can use as many tableviews as you want for the same controller. The delegate methods contains the object that fired the method itself.
Following this approach (which i wouldn't recommend) you can probably tag your tableviews and then do:
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath;
{
if (tableView.tag == 1) {
doStuff;
} else if (tableView.tag == 2) {
doOtherStuff;
}
}
Well, personally, I feel we should keep things simple and straight forward for end user to quickly gel up with your app. Animations plays an important role in this. Tapping on cell of a tableview pushes another table view and there are different UI widgets like chevron that indicates the transition and user is not surprised.
Showing everything on single screen and hiding/unhiding them based on user's action is fine as long as you have proper animation. For instance, you might have seen TableView sections collapsing/expanding on tap.
You need to make a trade off and see what best suits based on your application. Whatever you decide my suggestion would be to add nice animations instead of simple hide/unhide.

iOS: Coding tips to prevent redundancy

I'm making a UITableView that is going to act as a settings view controller. Obviously its going to have a few types of input. One cell might have a slider, one might drill down to another view controller, one with a textbox etc. Is there any way to avoid making umpteen different subclasses for UITableViewCell?
Try this github project: QuickDialog.

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