Get launch orientation of iPad app

Question

In my iPad app, I need to run some layout code to set the proper layout depending on the orientation. By default, the layout is configured for the landscape orientation, so in the case that the app starts in portrait mode, I need to take extra action to configure the views properly for display in portrait.

In my -application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method, I check the orientation using [[UIDevice currentDevice] orientation]. The problem here is that it always returns portrait even if the app is starting in landscape. Is there any way around this?

Answer 1

This is expected behavior. Quoth the UIViewController documentation:

Note: At launch time, applications should always set up their interface in a portrait orientation. After the application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method returns, the application uses the view controller rotation mechanism described above to rotate the views to the appropriate orientation prior to showing the window.

In other words, as far as the device is concerned the orientation is portrait while the application is launching. At some point after application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: it will detect the different orientation and call your shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation: method and then your other view rotation methods, which you should handle as normal.

Answer 2

This is the best way to check for orientation on launch. First, create a new method in your AppDelegate that checks the orientation:

-(void)checkLaunchOrientation:(id)sender{       UIInterfaceOrientation orientation = [UIApplication sharedApplication].statusBarOrientation;          BOOL isLandscape = UIDeviceOrientationIsLandscape(self.viewController.interfaceOrientation);       if (UIInterfaceOrientationIsLandscape(orientation) || isLandscape) {        //do stuff here      } } 

At the end of -application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: run

        [self performSelectorOnMainThread:@selector(checkLaunchOrientation:) withObject:nil waitUntilDone:NO];