Loading iOS view dynamically from xib file

Question

Ive been searching for a while for a simple example on how to reuse views from xib files in my storyboard but all i find was outdated or dosen't solve my problem the situation is that I has simple:

I have a viewController in my storyboard
I dragged to it two view from the library
I had created a myCustomView.xib and myCustomView.swift file (they are empty now)
I have I button on viewController (so the tree (two view and one button) are setting together on the viewController in the storyboard)
the question is: I want one view to be loaded dynamically on app launch and the other one to be loaded on button click
an other question: how can I connect myCustomView to that viewController

thank you

Luca Davanzo · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-11 12:34:04Z

4

I've implemented an extension for UIView:

extension UIView {

    static func createInstance<T: UIView>(ofType type: T.Type) -> T {
        let className = NSStringFromClass(type).components(separatedBy: ".").last
        return Bundle.main.loadNibNamed(className!, owner: self, options: nil)![0] as! T
    }

}

In this way, wherever you can load your custom view in this way:

func override viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    let customView = UIView.createInstance(ofType: CustomView.self) 
    self.view.addSubview(customView)
}

answered May 11, 2017 at 12:34

Luca Davanzo

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4 Comments

Siempay Over a year ago

If I had a button on myCustomView! where would I put the handler of the button? on myCustomView or on the viewController that instantiate the view

Luca Davanzo Over a year ago

In your customView, of course. Then you have several way to "notify" related view controller.

Paulo Mattos Over a year ago

Nice answer, but is the type parameter really necessary? Can't your infer that from the generic argument T? Maybe using T.self?

Siempay Over a year ago

I cant get it to run this line let customView = UIView.createInstance(ofType: CustomView.self) says Cannot convert type UIView! to expected argument type UIView.Type

Phani Sai · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-11 12:17:50Z

1

Add bellow code in your custom view class

class MyCustomView: UIView {


   @IBOutlet var contentView: UIView! // take view outlet

    override init(frame: CGRect) {
        super.init(frame: frame)
        xibSetup()
    }

    required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
        super.init(coder: aDecoder)
        xibSetup()
    }


    func xibSetup() {
        contentView = loadViewFromNib()

        // use bounds not frame or it'll be offset
        contentView!.frame = bounds

        //Make the view stretch with containing view
        contentView!.autoresizingMask = [UIViewAutoresizing.flexibleWidth, UIViewAutoresizing.flexibleHeight]

        // Adding custom subview on top of our view (over any custom drawing > see note below)
        addSubview(contentView!)
        layoutIfNeeded()
    }

    override func layoutIfNeeded() {
        super.layoutIfNeeded()
        print("layoutIfNeeded")


    }

    func loadViewFromNib() -> UIView! {
        let bundle = Bundle(for: type(of: self))
        let nib = UINib(nibName: String(describing: type(of: self)), bundle: bundle)
        let view = nib.instantiate(withOwner: self, options: nil)[0] as! UIView
        return view
    }
}

Add this class as superclass view in storyboard.

answered May 11, 2017 at 12:17

Phani Sai

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2 Comments

Siempay Over a year ago

I see this is the myCustomView.swift, what if I want to instantiate this view somewhere in a viewController what do I have to do?

Alex Delgado Over a year ago

This works completely well! Of course, you will need to link correctly your nib first, but I was having troubles to set this part. Thanks!

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