cannot set background color of UITableViewCell in iOS6?

Question

I started testing my app under simulator, because I don't have any iOS 6 device and stumbled upon weird problem. I cannot set backgroundColor property of UITableViewCell. If I st this:

cell.contentView.backgroundColor = [UIColor redColor];

it is working only for iOS 6, when I use this:

cell.backgroundColor = [UIColor redColor];

or this

[cell setBackgroundColor:[UIColor redColor]];

it is working only for iOS7.

When I use both cell.contentView and cell.backgroundColor it's working for both iOS... shouldn't it be one answer for such a 'easy' property? Or maybe it's some simulator bug?

UPDATE: If it changes anything in the same tableview and cells I cannot set accessoryType neither via StoryBoard nor code...

UPDATE2: for some reason setting tableview style to plain deleted all my changes, but grouped showed as expected...

Answer 1

In iOS6 you need to change the cell's backgroundColor in willDisplayCell. This works in iOS7 as well, precluding the need for version-specific code.

- (void) tableView:(UITableView *)tableView willDisplayCell:(UITableViewCell *)cell forRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    [cell setBackgroundColor:[UIColor redColor]];
}

Answer 2

I don't see the problem in setting the background for the contentView AND directly to the cell. iOS 7 has change a lot this class. If you need to be compatible with old systems then you need to do this type of things.

So yes, you should use both:

cell.contentView.backgroundColor
cell.backgroundColor