UILabel not showing in UICollectionView - ios

Question

I have a UILabel withing a UICollectionViewCell object.
#interface TideDataTableCell : UICollectionViewCell
#property (strong, nonatomic) NSString* dayString;
#property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UILabel *dayLabel;
#end
The label is synthesized in the m file for the cell object. When I try to assign the text property though, the label object is always null. Even creating a new label and assigning it to the cell dayLabel does not work! The code below is just the straight assignment to the label as nothing seems to work...
- (UICollectionViewCell *)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
static NSString *CellIdentifier = #"Main Tide Data Table Cell";
TideDataTableCell* tideDayDataCell = [self.tideDataTable dequeueReusableCellWithReuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier forIndexPath:indexPath];
tidalDate* tideDate = self.tidalDates[indexPath.row];
self.tideDataTable.backgroundColor = [UIColor lightGrayColor];
tideDayDataCell.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
tideDayDataCell.dayLabel.textColor = [UIColor blackColor];
tideDayDataCell.dayLabel.text = tideDate.dateString;
return tideDayDataCell;
}
Why does this not work?! I have checked that the label in the UICollectionViewCell is connected to the dayLabel in the cells h file (above)

Answer 1

You need to register your cell on the viewDidLoad of TideDataTableCell like this:
UINib *cellNibName = [UINib nibWithNibName:#"cellNibName" bundle:nil];
[self.collectionView registerNib:cellNibName forCellWithReuseIdentifier:#"cellIdentifier"];
Then, at cellForItemAtIndexPath you have to get the cell and use it:
- (UICollectionViewCell *)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
static NSString *CellIdentifier = #"cellIdentifier";
TideDataTableCell* tideDayDataCell = [self.tideDataTable dequeueReusableCellWithReuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier forIndexPath:indexPath];
tidalDate* tideDate = self.tidalDates[indexPath.row];
self.tideDataTable.backgroundColor = [UIColor lightGrayColor];
tideDayDataCell.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
tideDayDataCell.dayLabel.textColor = [UIColor blackColor];
tideDayDataCell.dayLabel.text = tideDate.dateString;
return tideDayDataCell;
}
Don't forget to set the reuse identifier in the xib file.