Creating custom tabs in IOS? - ios

Question

I am trying to create custom-tabs in my IOS app. I have followed this simple guide http://kurrytran.blogspot.se/2011/10/ios-5-tutorial-creating-custom-tab-bar.html Each tab should have 2 background pictures, one when being selected and one being unselected. My porblem is, in my real project I also have navigation controllers between my Tab bar controller and view controllers which seems to mess everything up. Simply nothing happens, all my tabs are black without any content in them. What shall I do to make it work ?
This is put in firstviewCotroller.m
- (void)viewDidLoad
{
UIImage *selectedImage0 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"HomeDB.png"];
UIImage *unselectedImage0 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"HomeLB.png"];
UIImage *selectedImage1 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"ScheduleDB.png"];
UIImage *unselectedImage1 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"ScheduleLB.png"];
UIImage *selectedImage2 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsDB.png"];
UIImage *unselectedImage2 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsLB.png"];
UIImage *selectedImage3 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"InformationDB.png"];
UIImage *unselectedImage3 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"InformationLB.png"];
UIImage *selectedImage4 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"MoreDB.png"];
UIImage *unselectedImage4 = [UIImage imageNamed:#"MoreLB.png"];
UITabBar *tabBar = self.tabBarController.tabBar;
UITabBarItem *item0 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:0];
UITabBarItem *item1 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:1];
UITabBarItem *item2 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:2];
UITabBarItem *item3 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:3];
UITabBarItem *item4 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:4];
[item0 setFinishedSelectedImage:selectedImage0 withFinishedUnselectedImage:unselectedImage0];
[item1 setFinishedSelectedImage:selectedImage1 withFinishedUnselectedImage:unselectedImage1];
[item2 setFinishedSelectedImage:selectedImage2 withFinishedUnselectedImage:unselectedImage2];
[item3 setFinishedSelectedImage:selectedImage3 withFinishedUnselectedImage:unselectedImage3];
[item4 setFinishedSelectedImage:selectedImage4 withFinishedUnselectedImage:unselectedImage4];
[super viewDidLoad];
}

Answer 1

Would it not be better to put the UINavigationControllers in each tab separately within your MainWindow.xib then in your App delegate use your above code to change the tab bar items in your App Delegate.
I'm doing the following in the "didFinishLaunchingWithOptions" method in my App Delegate.
UITabBar *tabBar = self.tabBarController.tabBar;
UITabBarItem *item0 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:0];
UITabBarItem *item1 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:1];
UITabBarItem *item2 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:2];
[item0 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"tab-1-selected.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"tab-1.png"]];
[item1 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"tab-2.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"tab-2.png"]];
[item2 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"tab-3-selected.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"tab-3.png"]];

Answer 2

Thanx for your answer AndyDev! This is my code below....
My AppleDelegate.h file:
#interface AppDelegate : UIResponder <UIApplicationDelegate>{
UITabBarController *tabBarController;
}
#property (strong, nonatomic) UIWindow *window;
#property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet UITabBarController *tabBarController;
#end
My AppleDelegate.m file:
#import "AppDelegate.h"
#implementation AppDelegate
#synthesize tabBarController;
#synthesize window = _window;
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
UITabBar *tabBar = self.tabBarController.tabBar;
UITabBarItem *item0 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:0];
UITabBarItem *item1 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:1];
UITabBarItem *item2 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:2];
UITabBarItem *item3 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:3];
UITabBarItem *item4 = [tabBar.items objectAtIndex:4];
[item0 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsDB.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsLB.png"]];
[item1 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsDB.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsLB.png"]];
[item2 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsDB.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsLB.png"]];
[item3 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsDB.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsLB.png"]];
[item4 setFinishedSelectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsDB.png"] withFinishedUnselectedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"BuildingsLB.png"]];
return YES;
}
I am probably doing something wrong. I never tried to customized anything before in IOS and this is my first project I am developing in IOS. Do I need any code in each ViewController.m file aswell? Nothing happens atleast with this code....