Unable to present a UISearchController

Question

I have the following view hierarchy:

                         UINavigationController
                                  ||
                                  \/
           LibraryTableViewController: UITableViewController
                                  ||
                                  \/
       AlbumsCollectionViewController: UICollectionViewController
                                  ||
                                  \/
             SongsTableViewController: UITableViewController

I want to have a search bar in AlbumsCollectionViewController and a different one in SongsTableViewController that is shown in the navigationItem.titleView.

I have managed to add a working search bar in AlbumsCollectionViewController as follows:

class AlbumsCollectionViewController: UICollectionViewController, UICollectionViewDelegateFlowLayout, UISearchControllerDelegate, UISearchResultsUpdating, UISearchBarDelegate {

    var searchController : UISearchController!

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        initSearchBar()
        initNavigationBar()
    }

    private func initSearchBar() {
        self.searchController = UISearchController(searchResultsController:  nil)

        self.searchController.searchResultsUpdater = self
        self.searchController.delegate = self
        self.searchController.searchBar.delegate = self

        self.searchController.hidesNavigationBarDuringPresentation = false
        self.searchController.dimsBackgroundDuringPresentation = false

        searchController.searchResultsController?.view.isHidden = false
        searchController.hidesNavigationBarDuringPresentation = false

        self.extendedLayoutIncludesOpaqueBars = true
        self.definesPresentationContext = true

        searchController.searchBar.backgroundColor = UIColor.black
        UIBarButtonItem.appearance(whenContainedInInstancesOf: [UISearchBar.self]).setTitleTextAttributes([NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor : UIColor.white], for: .normal)

        self.navigationItem.titleView = searchController.searchBar

        navigationItem.titleView?.isHidden = true
    }

    private func initNavigationBar() {
        searchButton.tintColor = UIColor.white
        settingsButton.tintColor = UIColor.white
        backButton.tintColor = UIColor.white
        self.navigationItem.title = "Artists"
        self.navigationController?.navigationBar.titleTextAttributes = [NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor : UIColor.white]
    }


    @IBAction func SearchButtonTapped(_ sender: Any) {
        showSearchBar()
    }


    private func showSearchBar(){
        navigationItem.titleView?.isHidden = false
        searchController.isActive = true
    }
}

Note that the search bar is hidden on ViewDidLoad() and is presented when a button is pressed as shown in SearchButtonTapped method.

Now, I am trying to do the same in SongsTableViewController however, the search bar is not showing when tapping the the button (i.e. calling SearchButtonTapped) and I am getting the following message:

Warning: Attempt to present <UISearchController: 0x7f8158812b50> on <MyProject.AlbumsCollectionViewController: 0x7f81588023c0> whose view is not in the window hierarchy!

If I commented the line searchController.isActive = true then the search bar will show, however, it wont be active even if I tapped on it.

Edit

Sorry if I haven't been clear. I have a separate UISearchController in SongsTableViewController. I meant I am using the same logic in both controllers

Also Note if I pushed SongsTableViewController from the navigation controller (i.e the view hierarchy only has 2 controllers (UINavigationController => SongsTableViewController) the search bar works fine

This is most of the Code of SongsTableViewController (omitted non relevant stuff)

import UIKit
import os.log
import MediaPlayer

class SongsTableViewController: UITableViewController, UISearchControllerDelegate, UISearchResultsUpdating, UISearchBarDelegate ,PlayerDelegate, NowPlayingDelegate, SongCellDelegate, SongsOptionsDelegate {

    // MARK: properties

    var playerManager: PlayerManager? = nil
    var dataManager: DataManager? = nil

    var tabVC: TabBarController?
    var selectedSong: Song?

    lazy var optionsTransitionDelegate = PresentationManager()
    lazy var playlistTransitionDelegate = PresentationManager()

    var searchController : UISearchController!

    @IBOutlet var backgroundView: UIView!
    @IBOutlet weak var searchButton: UIBarButtonItem!
    @IBOutlet weak var settingsButton: UIBarButtonItem!

    var albumID: String?
    var artistID: String?
    var playlist: Playlist?

    var songs = [Song]()
    var songIndexMap = [String: Int]()
    var filteredSongs = [Song]()


    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        self.dataManager = DataManager.getInstance()
        self.playerManager = PlayerManager.getInstance()

        playlistTransitionDelegate.screenRatio = 2.0 / 3.0

        if(self.albumID != nil) {
            self.songs = SQLiteManager.getAlbumSongs(albumID: self.albumID!)
        } else if(self.artistID != nil) {
            self.songs = SQLiteManager.getArtistSongs(artistID: self.artistID!)
        } else if (self.playlist != nil) {
            self.songs = SQLiteManager.getPlaylistSongs(playlist: self.playlist!)
        } else {
            dataManager?.songsTableViewController = self
        }

        for i in 0..<songs.count {
            songIndexMap[songs[i].id] = i
        }

        initSearchBar()
        initNavigationBar()

        if(songs.count == 0 && (!fullListOfSongs() || fullListOfSongs() && dataManager?.getFullSongsCount() == 0)){
            tableView.backgroundView = backgroundView
        }
        tableView.tableFooterView = UIView()

        tabVC = tabBarController as? TabBarController
        tabVC?.nowPlayingViewController?.delegate = self


    }



    private func shouldAutorotate() -> Bool {
        return false
    }

    override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
        super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
    }

    // MARK: - Table view data source

    override func numberOfSections(in tableView: UITableView) -> Int {
        return 1
    }

    override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, heightForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGFloat {
        return Util.SONG_CELL_HEIGHT
    }

    override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
        if(isFiltering()) {
            return self.filteredSongs.count
        } else if (fullListOfSongs()) {
            return dataManager!.getFullSongsCount()
        }
        return self.songs.count
    }

    override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
        let cellIdentifier = "SongTableViewCell"
        guard let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: cellIdentifier, for: indexPath) as? SongCell  else {
            fatalError("The dequeued cell is not an instance of SongCell.")
        }
        var song: Song?
        if(fullListOfSongs()) {
            if(isFiltering()){
                song = self.filteredSongs[indexPath.row]
            } else {
                song = dataManager?.getSong(index: indexPath.row)
            }
        } else {
            if(isFiltering()){
                song = self.filteredSongs[indexPath.row]
            } else {
                song = self.songs[indexPath.row]
            }
        }

        cell.setAttributes(song: song!)
        cell.delegate = self

        cell.preservesSuperviewLayoutMargins = false
        return cell
    }

    override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAt indexPath: IndexPath){
        self.tableView.deselectRow(at: indexPath, animated: false)
    }



    // MARK: - Search Bar

    func updateSearchResults(for searchController: UISearchController) {
        if (!searchController.isActive) {
            hideSearchBar()
            tableView.reloadData()
        }

        if(isSearchBarEmpty()) {
            return
        }

        filterSongs(filter: searchController.searchBar.text!)
        tableView.reloadData()
    }

    private func filterSongs(filter: String) {
        if(self.albumID != nil) {
            self.filteredSongs = SQLiteManager.getAlbumSongs(albumID: self.albumID!, filter: filter)
        } else if(self.artistID != nil) {
            self.filteredSongs = SQLiteManager.getArtistSongs(artistID: self.artistID!, filter: filter)
        } else if(self.playlist != nil) {
            self.filteredSongs = SQLiteManager.getPlaylistSongs(playlist: self.playlist!, filter: filter)
        }else {
            self.filteredSongs = SQLiteManager.getSongs(filter: filter)
        }
    }

    func searchBar(_ searchBar: UISearchBar, textDidChange searchText: String) {
        if searchText == "" {
            tableView.reloadData()
        }
    }


    private func initSearchBar() {
        self.searchController = UISearchController(searchResultsController:  nil)

        self.searchController.searchResultsUpdater = self
        self.searchController.delegate = self
        self.searchController.searchBar.delegate = self

        self.searchController.hidesNavigationBarDuringPresentation = false
        self.searchController.dimsBackgroundDuringPresentation = false

        searchController.searchResultsController?.view.isHidden = false
        searchController.hidesNavigationBarDuringPresentation = false

        self.extendedLayoutIncludesOpaqueBars = true
        self.definesPresentationContext = true

        searchController.searchBar.backgroundColor = UIColor.black
        UIBarButtonItem.appearance(whenContainedInInstancesOf: [UISearchBar.self]).setTitleTextAttributes([NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor : UIColor.white], for: .normal)

        self.navigationItem.titleView = searchController.searchBar

        navigationItem.titleView?.isHidden = true
    }


    private func initNavigationBar() {
        searchButton.tintColor = UIColor.white
        if (fullListOfSongs()) {
            searchButton.isEnabled = false
            dataManager?.buttons.append(searchButton)
        }
        settingsButton.tintColor = UIColor.white
        self.navigationItem.title = "Songs"
        self.navigationController?.navigationBar.titleTextAttributes = [NSAttributedStringKey.foregroundColor : UIColor.white]
    }


    @IBAction func SearchButtonTapped(_ sender: Any) {
        showSearchBar()
    }


    private func showSearchBar(){
        self.navigationItem.titleView?.isHidden = false
        self.searchController.isActive = true

        DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.2) {
            self.searchController.searchBar.becomeFirstResponder()
        }

        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![0].isEnabled = false
        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![0].image = nil
        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![1].isEnabled = false
        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![1].image = nil
    }

    private func hideSearchBar() {
        navigationItem.titleView?.isHidden = true

        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![0].isEnabled = true
        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![0].image = UIImage(named: "settings")
        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![1].isEnabled = true
        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems![1].image = UIImage(named: "search")

    }

    func isFiltering() -> Bool {
        if(searchController == nil){
            return false
        }
        return searchController.isActive && !isSearchBarEmpty()
    }

    private func isSearchBarEmpty() -> Bool {
        return searchController.searchBar.text?.isEmpty ?? true
    }

    private func fullListOfSongs() -> Bool {
        return self.playlist == nil && self.albumID == nil && self.artistID == nil
    }

}

Answer 1

This worked when I tested. I believe the problem is in SongsTableViewController: self.definesPresentationContext = false. This should be true for the pushed View Controller. (see docs here)

For SongsTableViewController (pushed view controller) add the following:

override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillAppear(animated)
    self.definesPresentationContext = true
}

And add this to AlbumsCollectionViewController (initial view controller):

override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
    self.definesPresentationContext = false
}

Answer 2

When you are on SongsTableViewController, your AlbumsCollectionViewController is not in the window hierarchy.

What I can understand, you are calling showSearchBar method of AlbumsCollectionViewController from SongsTableViewController. And since you navigated from AlbumsCollectionViewController to SongsTableViewController, your AlbumsCollectionViewController is not in the window hierarchy hence wont able to present the search controller.

To fix try adding a separate searchbar controller in SongsTableViewController just as you previously did in AlbumsCollectionViewController.

Alternatively you can create a seperate viewcontroller, implement search functionality and then present it from both of your controllers.