Dismiss the keyboard with MULTIPLE UITextFields?

Question

Is it possible to dismiss the keyboard when you have MULTIPLE UITextFields ? If so how ?

As a side note, do I have to dismiss the keyboard for Each and Every field or can it be done globally ? Oh and it would be super cool if I don't have to touch the DONE button, I'd ideally like a solution that where the user touches anything BUT the field in question and the keyboard automagically disappears...

Oh and if you'd be so kind step by step instructions.

---

I should have added that I have a method already to resign the keyboard....

However, it only runs when my form is submitted! (see method below)

My question is how to the keyboard to hide/dismiss without having to jump thru so many damned hoops! You'd figure after 6 years, a mature operating system would have a way to GLOBALLY hide the keyboard....NOT!

Ok, enough whining....

- (void)hideKeyboard {

[self.dancePlace resignFirstResponder];
[self.danceGate resignFirstResponder];
[self.danceTerminal resignFirstResponder];
[self.danceText resignFirstResponder];
[self.danceDate resignFirstResponder];
[self.danceStyle resignFirstResponder];
[self.danceTimeOut resignFirstResponder];

}

And this is called when my button is submitted....

- (IBAction)addListingPressed:(id)sender {

// NSLog(@"BUTTON PRESSED");

[self hideKeyboard];
[self valuesAdded];

}

My question, assuming anyone can answer this...and I suspect not, is there a way to globally hide the keyboard if the following conditions are MET: 1.) the user taps OUT of any one of the existing fields, 2.) presses anywhere else on the screen. 3.) Is no more than a line or two in the existing viewcontroller.m file. 4.) I don't have to add a confusing button on the viewcontroller. (any time I have to add outlets, the damned thing is crashing on me...and then nastiness happens, and really...remember I am JUST a beginner, and its very confusing to read that I have to place this here and that there...oy. Simple folks, simple. I'm not looking for elegant solution, just so that it works.

Answer 1

I have a super class that all my view controllers inherit from. In that class I have this code.

MySuperViewController.h

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface MySuperViewController : UIViewController
@property(strong, nonatomic) UITapGestureRecognizer *backgroundTapGestureRecognizer;
@end

MySuperViewController.m

- (void)viewDidLoad{
    //add a tap gesture recognizer to capture all tap events
    //this will include tap events when a user clicks off of a textfield
    self.backgroundTapGestureRecognizer = [[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(onBackgroundTap:)];
    self.backgroundTapGestureRecognizer.numberOfTapsRequired = 1;
    self.backgroundTapGestureRecognizer.cancelsTouchesInView = NO;
    [self.view addGestureRecognizer:self.backgroundTapGestureRecognizer];
}
- (void)onBackgroundTap:(id)sender{ 
    //when the tap gesture recognizer gets an event, it calls endEditing on the view controller's view
    //this should dismiss the keyboard
    [[self view] endEditing:YES];
}

I have the UITapGestureRecognizer as a public property, so I can override it if I need to.

subclass

MyViewController.h

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "MySuperViewController.h"    


@interface MyViewController : MySuperViewController<UIGestureRecognizerDelegate>
@end

MyViewController.m

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view.

    //You don't always want the keyboard to be dismissed, so you tie into the gesture recognizer's delegate method 
    //By doing this, you can stop the endEditing call from being made
    [self.backgroundTapGestureRecognizer setDelegate:self];
}

- (BOOL)gestureRecognizer:(UIGestureRecognizer *)gestureRecognizer shouldReceiveTouch:(UITouch *)touch
{
    //touch.view is the view that recieved the touch
    //if this view is another textfield or maybe a button, you can return NO and the endEditing call won't be made
    if (touch.view == self.myViewThatShouldNotBeBlocked) {
        return NO;
    }

    //if you want the gesture recognizer to accept the event, return yest
    return YES;
}

I uploaded an example project to github. https://github.com/JeffRegan/KeyboardBeGone