How to Render large size documents in iOS?

Question

I am working on a Reader Project, currently I am parsing the XML file and converted as an attributed string and I render it in CoreText (Used apple Sample Code).

The XML file size is above 6 MB. The texts are rendered correctly, but I can't render the images and Tables (like html tables).

At the same time I need to manage the performance. I have tried UITextView also, but it only displays quarter amount of texts only, after that the text disappears.

Is there any other technology to render texts, images, and tables?

P.S - The Client doesn't want UIWebView.

Answer 1

When working on such large files, you may display data in several times. Here are several solutions:

• Paginate your display by page : split your file into 10 parts (let's say, that's an example) and display with first part in a UITextView. Add two UIButton instances so that the reader can switch page. On page change, load the first/next part into your UITextView. This will not be particularly unfamiliar to users because you're reproducing the natural way they read an e-book. To determine in how many parts you should split your data, keep in eye that the user doesn't want to switch page continuously, you must adjust this with attention.

• Paginate your display "smoothly": you paginate by page as explained above, but you will always deal with two UITextView embedded in a ScrollView. In the same manner than iOS reuses cells in a UITableView and load cell data on-demand (lazy-loading), implement this reusable mechanism with two UITextView instances - to go quickly, you can try implementing the mechanism with a standard UITableView.

Hope this helps!