CODEWITHSUNDEEP
iphonexcodetabbarxcode4.2uinavigationcontroller
Silvertiger
Silvertiger

Reputation: 1680

XCode TabBar app - multiple views?

I have been working to create an app with tabs at the bottom, but with the ability to switch views with my own links on the nib's that the tabBar app displays.

I have been trying to find an example of this but xcode 4.2 (whether on ios5.0 or earlier) does not create a mainwindow.xib, so i have had to find a way to create this programmataiically as follows:

#import "AppDelegate.h"

#import "HomeViewController.h"
#import "ViewListViewController.h"
#import "ShareViewController.h"
#import "FriendsViewController.h"
#import "SettingsViewController.h"

@implementation AppDelegate

@synthesize window = _window;
@synthesize tabBarController = _tabBarController;

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
    self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds]];
    // Override point for customization after application launch.
    UIViewController *homeViewController = [[HomeViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"HomeViewController" bundle:nil];
    UIViewController *viewListViewController = [[ViewListViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"ViewListViewController" bundle:nil];
    UIViewController *shareViewController = [[ShareViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"ShareViewController" bundle:nil];
    UIViewController *friendsViewController = [[FriendsViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"FriendsViewController" bundle:nil];
    UIViewController *settingsViewController = [[SettingsViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"SettingsViewController" bundle:nil];
    self.tabBarController = [[UITabBarController alloc] init];
    [self.tabBarController setDelegate:self];
    self.tabBarController.viewControllers = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:homeViewController, viewListViewController, shareViewController, friendsViewController, settingsViewController, nil];
    self.window.rootViewController = self.tabBarController;
    [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
    return YES;
}

This code in my AppDelegate.m works fine and i can switch between the tabs perfectly. The issue I am having is that I will be adding graphics to the pages and using them as buttons to switch between views for adding/editing/deleting data from a database (separate issue I will have to learn to do next).

Most examples i have found start the app with either a tabBar, or a uiNavigation with UIViews to switch between. I have yet to find an example that will clearly show how to do what I am looking to do. Is my approach wrong to create the tabBar application as my base template for this, or can this be done? Each tab may have multiple views that perform functions, but I need to be able to create and switch between them within the tabBar framework.

thanks in advance,

Silver Tiger

-UPDATE:-

AFter reading up a bit I am now thinking that aUINavigationController is not what I am looking for. What I need is a way for a custom button that I create to allow me to switch views, as the buttons I will be using in my content will be either graphics or transparent on top of a graphic background. Is it possible to use custom buttons to push new views while still keeping the tabBar visible at all times? My structure would be as below

Home
  Add
  Edit
  delete

ViewList - Single page to view list

Share - Single page to send emails / invites

Friends
  Add
  Edit
  Delete

Settings - Single page for app settings/preferences

so essentially i'd only really have 2 of the tabs where i would be pushing new views but the UINavigationController doesn't seem to fit the method i am using since i am not using a single bar up top to switch views.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 3566

Answers (1)

Mundi
Mundi

Reputation: 80271

Both UINavigationController and UITabBarController are controllers of view controllers. In this function, they work the same way. But there are some differences. Use this as a guide:

UINavigationController: Here you usually have a navigation bar at the top. You "push" other view controllers onto a "stack" and the navigation controller takes care of all the buttons on top to go back and forth as well as the animations, etc. Often, but not always, this is implemented with table views.

UITabBarController: Here you have the tab bar at the bottom at all times, so this should only make sense if there are things the user would typically have to access regardless of where she is in the view hierarchy. Look at the Alarm Clock app for a typical example.

Combination: If you want to combine the two, you start with the tab bar controller. You can then assign separate navigation controllers to one or more tab bar items. The navigation controllers in turn manage their view controllers. Make sure your UI does not get too cluttered with navigation controls at the top and bottom of the screen. Look at the iTunes App for a typical example.

BTW, you can always make these controls disappear, if one view needs more space (e.g. in the iPod app the tab bar gets replaced by a toolbar when going to "Now Playing").

Upvotes: 1

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