ios - adding text fields to uitableviewcell programmatically not working

Question

Rookie ios question. I am trying to create a sign up form using a table view controller. I am trying add textfields to each cell programmatically in the cellForRowAtIndexPath method but all my text fields seem to getting created on the first cell - one overlapping the other. Here is my code.

Here is how my cells are rendering. I think I am doing something goofy with the part that is reusing the cells. I did check some some other similar threads on stackoverflow but none of them helped. Could you please tell me what i am missing or is this even the way this is supposed to be done. Your inputs are really appreciated.

Thanks, Mike

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath{

UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:@"signUpFields" forIndexPath:indexPath];

// Configure the cell...
if (indexPath.row == 0){
    //self.firstName = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(5, 0, 280, 21)];
    self.firstName = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.firstName.placeholder = @"First Name";
    self.firstName.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.firstName setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.firstName;
    [cell.contentView addSubview:self.firstName];
}

if (indexPath.row == 1){
    self.lastName = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.lastName.placeholder = @"Last Name";
    self.lastName.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.lastName setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.lastName;
    [cell.contentView addSubview:self.lastName];
}

if (indexPath.row == 2){
    self.emailId = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.emailId.placeholder = @"Email Id";
    self.emailId.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.emailId setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.emailId;
    [cell.contentView addSubview:self.emailId];
}

if (indexPath.row == 3){
    self.password = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.password.placeholder = @"Password";
    self.password.secureTextEntry = YES;
    self.password.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.password setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.password;
    [cell.contentView addSubview:self.password];
}

self.firstName.delegate = self;
self.lastName.delegate = self;
self.emailId.delegate = self;
self.password.delegate = self;

[self.signUpTable addSubview:self.firstName];
[self.signUpTable addSubview:self.lastName];
[self.signUpTable addSubview:self.emailId];
[self.signUpTable addSubview:self.password];

cell.selectionStyle = UITableViewCellSelectionStyleNone;
return cell;

}

Answer 1

Try this..

     - (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
    {
        static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Cell";
        UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        if (cell == nil) {
            cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        }

       if (indexPath.row == 0){
    //self.firstName = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(5, 0, 280, 21)];
    self.firstName = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.firstName.placeholder = @"First Name";
    self.firstName.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.firstName setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.firstName;
    [cell addSubview:self.firstName];
}

if (indexPath.row == 1){
    self.lastName = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.lastName.placeholder = @"Last Name";
    self.lastName.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.lastName setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.lastName;
    [cell addSubview:self.lastName];
}

if (indexPath.row == 2){
    self.emailId = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.emailId.placeholder = @"Email Id";
    self.emailId.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.emailId setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.emailId;
    [cell addSubview:self.emailId];
}

if (indexPath.row == 3){
    self.password = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(120, 13, 375, 30)];
    self.password.placeholder = @"Password";
    self.password.secureTextEntry = YES;
    self.password.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    [self.password setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
    //cell.accessoryView = self.password;
    [cell addSubview:self.password];
}

self.firstName.delegate = self;
self.lastName.delegate = self;
self.emailId.delegate = self;
self.password.delegate = self;


cell.selectionStyle = UITableViewCellSelectionStyleNone;

        return cell;
    }

no need to add again text view in table view, this is wrong. Try this, this will work for you but better you should create a custom Cell and use. That is the best way to do it, because you can use whatever you want with Cell.

Answer 2

Don't add them as subviews, set them as the cell's accessory view.

- (UITextField*)getTextField{
    UITextField *tf = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 20, 35)];
    tf.delegate = self;
    tf.textColor        = [UIColor colorWithRed:.231 green:.337 blue:.533 alpha:1];
    tf.autocorrectionType = UITextAutocorrectionTypeNo;
    tf.borderStyle = UITextBorderStyleNone;
    tf.frame = CGRectMake(0, 20, 170, 30);
    tf.clearButtonMode = UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing;
    tf.contentVerticalAlignment = UIControlContentVerticalAlignmentCenter;
    tf.font = [UIFont systemFontOfSize:13];
    return tf;
}

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Cell";

    UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
    if (cell == nil) {
        cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleValue1 reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        cell.textLabel.font = [UIFont systemFontOfSize:13];
        cell.detailTextLabel.font = [UIFont systemFontOfSize:13];
        cell.detailTextLabel.numberOfLines = 2;
    }

    if (indexPath.section == 0) {

        UITextField *tf = (UITextField*)cell.accessoryView;
        cell.selectionStyle = UITableViewCellSelectionStyleNone;
        cell.textLabel.numberOfLines = 2;
        tf                  = [self getTextField];
        cell.accessoryView = cell.editingAccessoryView = tf;
        [((UITextField*)cell.accessoryView) setBorderStyle:self.tableView.editing ? UITextBorderStyleRoundedRect : UITextBorderStyleNone];
        [((UITextField*)cell.accessoryView) setUserInteractionEnabled:self.tableView.editing ? YES : NO];
        [((UITextField*)cell.accessoryView) setTextAlignment:!self.tableView.editing ? UITextAlignmentRight : UITextAlignmentLeft];
        ((UITextField*)cell.accessoryView).tag = indexPath.row;
    }

    return cell;
}

The idea is that the cell is re-drawn each time it appears on screen, coming from off the screen and if you add the text field with addSubview:, it will add it each time as well. You COULD do it, but then you have to clear the cell's contentView of subviews, but that requires extra work, cpu and memory use, and not to say it's the least elegant solution.