Custom navigation bar back button with only image

Question

I want to show custom navigation bar back button. I want to show only image on it. I want to use this button in whole app also dont want to create this button in each file. How can i??

Here is my code:

// Set the custom back button
        UIImage *buttonImage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"back_arrow.png"];

        //create the button and assign the image
        UIButton *button = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
        [button setImage:buttonImage forState:UIControlStateNormal];

        //set the frame of the button to the size of the image (see note below)
        button.frame = CGRectMake(0, 0, buttonImage.size.width, buttonImage.size.height);

        [button addTarget:self action:@selector(popViewControllerAnimated:) forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];

        //create a UIBarButtonItem with the button as a custom view
        UIBarButtonItem *customBarItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithCustomView:button];
        self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = customBarItem;

but this is showing on current page only.

Another code:

[[UIBarButtonItem appearance] setBackButtonBackgroundImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"back_arrow.png"] forState:UIControlStateNormal barMetrics:UIBarMetricsDefault];

Using this code back button image is showing in whole app. But the text "Back" is also showing. How can i solve this problem.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I've used a category in the past to do this.

Create a category on UIBarButtonItem called +projectButtons (or something).

Then you can have a function like...

+ (UIBarButtonItem)backArrowButtonWithTarget:(id)target action:(SEL)action
{
    UIImage *buttonImage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"back_arrow.png"];

    //create the button and assign the image
    UIButton *button = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [button setImage:buttonImage forState:UIControlStateNormal];

    //set the frame of the button to the size of the image (see note below)
    button.frame = CGRectMake(0, 0, buttonImage.size.width, buttonImage.size.height);

    [button addTarget:target action:action forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];

    //create a UIBarButtonItem with the button as a custom view
    UIBarButtonItem *customBarItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithCustomView:button];
    return customBarItem;
}

Then add it to you navigation bar like so...

self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = [UIBarButtonItem backArrowButtonWithTarget:self action:@selector(popViewControllerAnimated:)];

This means you only need one line of code to create it but you still get the customisation of the target and action in each VC that you use it in. If you decide to change the look of the button then it's all done in one place.