Implementing a custom table section header via Storyboard and new Xib

Question

Here is what I have done:

I created a custom xib file that has a small UIView used for a custom table section header. I classed the custom xib file.

I want to add this to a tableView as the header. I have looked at a few resources, but they seem to be either outdated or missing information.

Looking in the documentation, I see a reference to adding a custom header with the following instructions:

To make the table view aware of your header or footer view, you need to register it. You do this using the registerNib:forCellReuseIdentifier: or registerClass:forCellReuseIdentifier: method of UITableView.

When I added a tableView to my storyboard view, it was easy to assign it a reuse identifier within XCode. I was even able to create a custom cell xib file and it also had a spot for a reuse identifier within XCode.

When I created the custom UIView for the section header, it did not have an entry for reuse identifier. Without this, I have no idea how to use registerNib:forCellReuseIdentifier.

More information: I have a storyboard scene that has a tableView inside. The tableView is of a custom class that is linked and the tableView object has an outlet in the parent view's ViewController file.

The parent ViewController is both the UITableViewDataSourceDelegate and UITableViewDelegate. Again, I was able to implement the custom cells with no issue. I can't even modify the header in any way besides the title.

I tried calling the method [[self tableHeaderView] setBackgroundColor:[UIColor clearColor]]; from the custom tableView class and nothing happens. I tried using this method in the parent ViewController class by using the outlet name like so: [[self.tableOutlet tableHeaderView] setBackgroundColor:[UIColor clearColor]];

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: (Can't change background to transparent)

- (UIView *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView viewForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section {

    HeaderView *headerView = [self.TableView dequeueReusableHeaderFooterViewWithIdentifier:@"tableHeader"];

    // Set Background color
    [[headerView contentView] setBackgroundColor:[UIColor clearColor]];

    // Set Text
    headerView.headerLabel.text = [self.sectionArray objectAtIndex:section];

    return headerView;
}

Answer 1

You don't need to set the identifier in the xib -- you just need to use the same identifier when you register, and when you dequeue the header view. In the viewDidLoad method, I registered the view like this:

[self.tableView registerNib:[UINib nibWithNibName:@"Header1" bundle:nil] forHeaderFooterViewReuseIdentifier:@"header1"];

Then, in the delegate methods:

-(UIView *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView viewForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section {
    UIView *headerView = [self.tableView dequeueReusableHeaderFooterViewWithIdentifier:@"header1"];
    return headerView;
}

-(CGFloat)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView heightForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section {
    return 100;
}