Edit NSManagedObject in a UITextField inside a UITableViewCell - ios

Question

I have a very simple RootView Controller ->Detail View Controller, to display a list of core data object and show details on a selected object in the DetailViewController.
The DetailViewController is a UITableView with custom UITableViewCell that has a UITextField to allow user edits.
I am able to display the table, able to edit the text field and so on. However, I am not sure how to actually update the manage object once the user chooses the Done button or cancel the changes upon a Cancel button action.
I understand I can probably achieve this by using a EditViewController, that can be used to edit one property at a time. But, I am interested in a solution where I could support inline editing in the DetailViewController. Any suggestions would be very helpful.
Thanks,
Custom UITableView Cell code
- (id)initWithStyle:(UITableViewCellStyle)style reuseIdentifier:(NSString *)reuseIdentifier
{
self = [super initWithStyle:style reuseIdentifier:reuseIdentifier];
if (self) {
self.selectionStyle = UITableViewCellSelectionStyleNone;
_textField = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectZero];
[_textField setTextAlignment:UITextAlignmentLeft];
[_textField setReturnKeyType:UIReturnKeyDone];
[_textField setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
[_textField setDelegate:self];
[[self contentView] addSubview:_textField];
}
return self;
}
- (void)setSelected:(BOOL)selected animated:(BOOL)animated
{
[super setSelected:selected animated:animated];
// Configure the view for the selected state
}
-(void) layoutSubviews {
[super layoutSubviews];
CGRect contentRect = [self.contentView bounds];
// In this example we will never be editing, but this illustrates the appropriate pattern
if ([self isEditing]) {
self.textLabel.frame = CGRectZero;
self.textField.frame = CGRectMake(contentRect.origin.x + kCellLeftOffset, kCellTopOffset, contentRect.size.width - kCellLeftOffset, kCellHeight);
}
else {
CGRect frame = CGRectMake(contentRect.origin.x + kCellLeftOffset, kCellTopOffset, 90, kCellHeight);
CGRect textFrame = CGRectMake(frame.origin.x + frame.size.width + kCellLeftOffset, kCellTopOffset, 180, kCellHeight);
self.textLabel.frame = frame;
self.textField.frame = textFrame;
}
}
- (void)setEditing:(BOOL)editing animated:(BOOL)animated {
[super setEditing:editing animated:animated];
if (!editing)
[_textField resignFirstResponder];
}
-(BOOL) textFieldShouldBeginEditing:(UITextField *)textField {
return [self isEditing];
}

Answer 1

The text editing should really be handled in a controller rather than a view. Your custom cell is a view, the appropriate place to put the text field delegate methods would be the detail view controller.
Here is your solution:
Pass the managedObjectModel of your root view controller to your detail view controller as a property. Do the same with the managed object to be edited.
In the delegate methods of your text field, update the object's properties as appropriate
- (void)textFieldDidEndEditing:(UITextField *)textField {
self.managedObject.textAttribute = textField.text;
}
Finally, in your handlers of the Done and Cancel buttons, save or discard the changes:
-(void)cancel {
[self.managedObjectContext rollback];
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES]; // or pop
}
-(void)done {
[self.managedObjectContext save:nil]; // better use proper error handling
[self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES]; // or pop
}