General way to pass data to UIViewControllers when using a UITabController - ios

I still haven't grasped this transfer with the structure below. I have read many posts, and have seen the same unanswered post by others, but no resolution.
I will try to simplify the question to make it easier for all.
The structure of the project is:
UITabbar with tab1 and tab2
Tab1 has a Nav controller-->ViewController1
Tab2 has a Nav controller -->ViewController2
In viewcontroller1 (tab1) I have object X.
In ViewCOntroller2 (tab2) I want to display object X.
Don't worry about displaying, that's the easy part.
Question: How do you pass object X from tab1 to tab2. (what is the general pattern).
If you want to do it using prepareForSegue, is this ok, or is there a better way.
If using prepareForSegue, where do you drag the segue to?
The tabbarcontroller
OR*****
2. to the second VC
Hopefully this is clear enough. With this in mind how would you perform the transfer?
Using the segue 1:
I tried doing this:
//(From View controller 1)
- (void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender
{
if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:#"CreateObjectXToDisplayObjectX"])
ViewController2* vc2 = [[ViewController2 alloc] init];
UITabBarController* tbc = [segue destinationViewController];
vc2 = (ViewController2 *)[[tbc customizableViewControllers] objectAtIndex:1];
//Crash here with with [MainNavigationControllerDesign setViewController1Delegate:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1064ef70'
vc2.viewController1Delegate=self;
vc2.objectXAtViewController2 = _objectXFromViewController1;
}
}
So, how is this Object X transfer accomplished?
Thank you in advance

You don't want to use segues in this way. Segues always instantiate new controllers when you go to them, but you already have these controllers embedded in the tab bar controller. If you were setting this up in code, I would say use a delegate, but if you set this up in IB, it's hard to do that. From VC2, you can get a reference to VC1's navigation controller with self.tabBarController.viewControllers[0]. VC1 will be that navigation controller's topViewController, so, putting that together, and adding a cast, you can access VC1 like this:
ViewController1 *vc1 = (ViewController1 *)[self.tabBarController.viewControllers[0] topViewController];
Once you have that reference, you can access any of vc1's properties. Don't forget to import ViewController1.h into ViewController2's .m file.

Related

Go to another Viewcontroller

In my app, I need to go to another UIViewController with a button click, but when I did it in the new UIViewController it displays only what I set programmatically.
I used:
NewSubject *NewS = [[NewSubject alloc] initWithNibName:nil bundle:nil];
[self presentViewController:NewS animated:YES completion:nil];
"NewSubject" is the UIViewController I need to go too, however I want the computer to display also the stuff I set by the Storyboard.
Have you set in the Storyboard, in the NewSubject View Controller, in the third tab (Show Identity Inspector) the StoryBoard ID?
You should set it to some name, such as "NewSubject" and use it as follow:
NewSubject *NewS = [self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:#"NewSubject"];
[self.navigationController pushViewController:NewS animated:YES];
I want the computer to display also the stuff I set by the Storyboard.
If you're using a storyboard, -initWithNibName:bundle: is the wrong method to use. You can use UIStoryboard's -instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier: method to create a new view controller that's defined in a storyboard, but the more typical approach is to have your button trigger a segue between the two view controllers.
Try this:
While editing your storyboard, control-drag from your button to the new view controller. A popup menu should appear that lets you choose how you want to transition between the view controllers -- push (push the new controller onto the top of the navigation stack), modal (present the view controller modally), etc. Pick the appropriate one.
In simple cases, you're done -- there's no need to write any code just to get the transition to happen. The segue takes care of creating the new view controller and performing the transition for you. However, you often want to pass some data from the existing view controller to the new one. If that's the case, implement -prepareForSegue:sender: in the existing view controller -- this method gives you a chance to pass whatever data you need. It'll look something like this:
- (void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender
{
// It doesn't hurt to check that it's the segue that you expect
if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:#"MySegueIdentifier"]) {
NewViewController *newVC = segue.destinationViewController;
// This is your chance to set properties or call methods to pass data to the new view controller
newVC.foo = self.foo;
newVC.bar = self.bar;
}
}

How can I present a 'standalone' View Controller ('forgetting' the previous one)

I have a regular UINavigationController with a couple of views attached, which are working perfectly fine. Its RootViewController has a custom Menu-button on the top left, at the same place as the "Back"-button is on the attached views. When clicking this menu-button, the menu appears and presents five options.
Obviously, by clicking one of these option, you would be presented with the ViewController for that option.
I want to completely 'forget' the current ViewController, and move on to this new controller. Usually, I would do something like [self presentViewController....]; or [self.navigationController push..];, but in these methods the current ViewController will, I think, always exists 'below' the new presenting viewController (as you would return to this instantiation if using [self dismissViewController..];, I don't want this).
In the presenting ViewController there will be a menu-option to return back to the original controller, but I still want this to be a clean instantiation of it, and not just popping. By thinking ahead in time, I figured I would potentially create an infinite number of ViewControllers on top of each other by using the methods I know of this way.
I entered the world of iOS after the era of ARC began, so I have no clue how to release or deallocate such views, which I assume has relevance here.
The second View Controller is also supposed to be a root in a UINavigationController, and I'm not sure if it's best to use the same UINavigationController, or if I should present a new one, and dismiss the old. Essentially, I would like to replace the Navigation Controller's rootViewController from the rootViewController, but I don't see how that would be possible. Or possibly push to ViewController2, and then popping the rootViewController out of the hierarchy, leaving the new ViewController as the root, but then I assume I'd have problems with the navigational back-button(if it's even possible).
I figured it's just as easy to let ViewController2 be root at its own NavigationController, and presenting this NavigationController from ViewController1. The problem is, I want to completely remove everything that has to do with ViewController1 and its NavigationController from memory after presenting ViewController2, but I have no idea how.
I'm open to other solutions to my situation, but I'd also like an answer to how I can completely 'forget' a view after presenting another on general basis.
If you want to "forget" controllers, you can just replace the window's root view controller with a new one. The original one will be deallocated if you don't have any other strong pointers to it. I'm not sure I understand all of what you're trying to do, but for example, if you want controller 1 and controller 2 to both be root view controllers of a navigation controller, and you don't want controller 1 around when you switch to 2, then do something like this from controller one:
SecondViewController *second = [[SecondViewController alloc] initWithNibName:#"SecondViewController" bundle:nil];
UINavigationController *nav = [[UINavigationController alloc] initWithRootViewController:second];
self.view.window.rootViewController = nav;
This will switch out the controllers, and controller 1 and its navigation controller will be deallocated (assuming that the only thing with a strong pointer to the navigation controller was the window, through its rootViewController property).
Create a menu UIViewController and add it as a root to the UINavigationController on launch. Add 1st UIViewController as a child controller to menu UIViewController when viewDidLoad of menu controller is called. When you click menu to show 2nd UIViewController, remove the 1st UIViewController from menu view controller and add 2nd UIViewController to child of the menu view controller. You can put NSLog in both, 1st and 2nd view controller's dealloc method to check if its released or not. Logic is like this
//inside menuvc class
#interface MenuVC{
UIViewController * currentVC; // current child controller to menuVC
}
-(void)viewDidLoad{
[self addChildController:firstVC]; //to add view controller 1 intially
currentVC = firstVC;
}
-(void)add2ndChildController{
[currentVC removeFromParentViewController];
[self addChildController:secondVC]; //to add view controller 2 when needed
currentVC = secondVC;
}
// dealloc of 1st vc
-(void)dealloc{
NSLog(#"first vc released");
}
I just wrote some sample logic of what I explained before, you have to generalize this logic if you feel its right for you. Hope it helps :)

instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier and pass data

I am using Storyboard in my app and I want to pass data from one view to another view.
Instead of using segues I am using instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier. In this case I am instantiate from my first TableViewController to a NavigationController which has a second TableViewController attached because I need the navigation in the second TableViewController. Now I want to pass data from my first TableviewController, depending which row was clicked, to my second TableviewController. In this case newTopViewController would be my NavigationController but my problem is now how to pass data from firstTableViewController to the secondTableviewController.
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
NSString *identifier = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#Top", [menuArray objectAtIndex:indexPath.row]];
UIViewController *newTopViewController = [self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:identifier];
}
If you instantiate a navigationController, you can use the viewControllers property to get the inner viewController of the navigation controller.
Something like this:
UINavigationController *navigationController = [self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:identifier];
MBFancyViewController *viewController = navigationController.viewControllers[0];
// setup "inner" view controller
viewController.foo = bar;
[self presentViewController:navigationController animated:YES completion:nil];
newTopViewController.anyVariableToShow= anyVariableToSend;
I do this pretty often on a few of my apps...
//Create new VC
CookViewController *detailViewController = [self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:#"CookVC"];
//Set recipe
[detailViewController setRecipe:recipe];
//Pop over VC (can be pushed with a nav controller)
[self presentPopupViewController:detailViewController animationType:MJPopupViewAnimationFade];
If you aren't using a navigation controller or segues, then I think you need to reconsider your app design.
Actually it's not just a data pass problem as this is a program control and data transfer question together.
Even you would have to rethink about your app's concept, as you'd like to use storyboard without the meaning of storyboard, it's up to you and I hope you have good reason to do what you do.
So when you decided not to use segue you lost the new and comfortable way of instantiating a new controller and transferring data with it and you have to do the transfer of control and the data in two distinct steps. When you instantiate another scene in storyboard (like you do with instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:) you just instantiated a new controller and transferred the control but not the data. Just think about it as you instantiated a new controller from a xib in an old way (so you have to use initWithCoder: or awakeFromNib in the second view controller as the storyboard will not call initWithName:bundle:), but did not do anything more.
So you will have a new controller (it named in the identity part of the second storyboard) which is hanging in the universe without any relationship or connection with anything else (as the storyboard picture illustrates it nicely) and you could do with it what you'd like.
So you'd like to do something and you need data from the previous storyboard (ViewController). What you need is making available those data to the second storyboard(ViewController), and as you know there are lot of solution for this which were available long time before even storyboard is existed.
So regarding your code, the "data transfer" is depending on your design, whether the two controllers are subclasses of each other or whatsoever...
If you don't like to deal with subclassing and like to decoupling them as much as possible, the best way just make a property of your data in the first controller and refer to them from the second (after importing the first's .h file) and just refer to it in it's viewDidLoad or in initWithCoder: or anywhere where you need them, as
secondViewControllerdata = firstViewControllerdata.thatDataProperty
Of course you can do the same in reverse and make a property of the second controller and refer to it in your first view controller.
You can define some parameter in UIViewController to receive data:
#property (assign) int param1;
#property (retain) NSMutableArray *param2;
and use below to pass the data:
[newTopViewController setParam1:XX];
[newTopViewController setParam2:XX];

How can I pass value between NavigationController and ViewController with StoryBoard?

I have a problem,
The following is my StoryBoard,
the first Controller is a TabBarController,
and it relation with A (ViewController).
A is a ViewController,
B is a NavigationController, A change page to B by modal segue
C is a ViewController, C will change to another page by push so I need a NavigationController
OK, I want to pass value from A to C,
now I can pass value from A to B by prepareForSegue,
However, because B and C have relationship but not segue,
So I can't pass value from B to C by prepareForSegue!!!
How can I pass value between NavigationController and ViewController with StoryBoard?
The Storyboard image is a little misleading here.
When you segue to B, actually you are segueing to the B/C combo as NavControllers always have at least one viewController in their stack (which is their topViewController and their [viewControllers objectAtIndex:0]).
So you do have a relationship directly from A to C.
How you access that controller depends on whether your segue is modal or push. In your case it is modal, but I will describe both so you can see the difference.
In either case, to pass data to C, you need to declare a property in it's header file
#interface CviewController: UIViewContrller
#property (assign) int dataFromA;
#end
push segue
In a push segue, it is actually C that is the destinationViewController, not B. In fact the push segue is governed by B, which is the UINavigationController for both A and C. The code behind the push segue is of the form
[self.navigationController pushViewController:otherViewController];
In AviewController's prepareForSegue:
- (void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender
{
CviewController* controller = segue.destinationViewController;
[controller setDataFromA:self.data];
}
It is possible in the storyboard to make a push segue line between two viewControllers that do not share a common UINavigationController. However when you run this you will get a crash error:
'Could not find a navigation controller for segue 'pushC'. Push segues can only be used when the source controller is managed by an instance of UINavigationController.'
Behind every good push segue lies a Navigation Controller.
modal segue
The code hiding behind a modal Segue is the UIViewController method
- (void)presentViewController:(UIViewController *)viewControllerToPresent
In a modal segue to a NavController/ViewController combo, the destination viewController is whatever the segue line points to. If it points to a viewController, that is the segue.destinationController (and the UINavigationController will be ignored, which is not what you want here); if it points to a UINavigationController, as in this case, that will be it's destinationController. But it is still straightforward to access the viewController, as it will be the navigation Controller's topViewController.
In AviewController's prepareForSegue:
- (void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender
{
CviewController* controller =
(CviewController*)[[segue destinationViewController] topViewController];
[controller setDataFromA:self.data];
}
Note that in this case we have to use old-style [[message passing] syntax]. If we use modern.property.syntax we get a compile error. That's because the program does not know the type of desinationViewController, and refuses to accept topViewController as a property of an unknown type. But it is happy to [send [real messages]] to an unknown type. We also have to (typecast*) to avoid compiler warnings.

Passing data from a View to another view inside a tabcontroller

I am having issues passing data from a View to another view that has a relationship with a Tab Controller. I got it to work from one view to another view...
if I set the segue from the mainView directly to the secondView, it works! however if i set the segue to go to the tab bar controller (which will call the secondView), it does`t...
-(void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender(id)sender {
secondView *secView = [segue destinationViewController]
secView.ext = #".com";
}
If I had to guess I would say that destinationViewController is the problem.. as the destination view controller is the tab bar controller and not the secondView
Look at what you wrote, and look at your code -- you've essentially answered your own question. You've connected the segue to something other than an instance of secondView. Then, you get the segue's destinationViewController (which you know is a tab controller) and treat it as though it were a secondView.
You don't say how it fails, but I wouldn't be surprised if you get an error to the effect that UITabBarController doesn't have a -setExt: method.
You can do 2 things:
Create a Tab Bar Controller class, add a property inside it, assign it a value in prepareForSegue, then use [self.tabBarController] in secondView.m to access it, or
Change your secondView *secView = [segue destinationViewController] line to:
secondView *secView = [[[segue destinationViewController] viewControllers] objectAtIndex:0]

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