Subtitle in dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier

Question

I have this code

UITableViewCell *cell = [self.tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:@"Cell" forIndexPath:indexPath];
Song *song = [self.music objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];

cell.textLabel.text = song.title;
cell.detailTextLabel.text = song.artist;

return cell;

I don't use Interface Builder. How I can make this cell to have a subtitle? All I get is a standard cell.

Answer 1

There are two approaches:

1. The old style approach is to not register any class, NIB or cell prototype, call dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier without forIndexPath:

   - (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
       UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:@"Cell"];
       if (!cell) {
           cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleSubtitle reuseIdentifier:@"Cell"];
       }
   
       Song *song = self.music[indexPath.row];
       cell.textLabel.text = song.title;
       cell.detailTextLabel.text = song.artist;
   
       return cell;
   }
   

   As we discussed elsewhere, this assumes that you do not register a class for that reuse identifier.

2. The alternative is to register your own class in viewDidLoad:

   [self.tableView registerClass:[MyCell class] forCellReuseIdentifier:@"Cell"];
   

   and then call dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier with forIndexPath option, but lose the code that manually tests if it is nil (because it never will be nil):

   - (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
       MyCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:@"Cell" forIndexPath:indexPath];
   
       Song *song = self.music[indexPath.row];
       cell.textLabel.text = song.title;
       cell.detailTextLabel.text = song.artist;
   
       NSLog(@"title=%@; artist=%@", song.title, song.artist); // for diagnostic reasons, make sure both are not nil
   
       return cell;
   }
   

   This obviously assumes that you've implemented a UITableViewCell subclass that includes the subtitle (note I'm overriding the style):

   @interface MyCell : UITableViewCell
   @end
   
   @implementation MyCell
   
   - (instancetype)initWithStyle:(UITableViewCellStyle)style reuseIdentifier:(NSString *)reuseIdentifier {
       return [super initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleSubtitle reuseIdentifier:reuseIdentifier];
   }
   
   @end
   

Personally, I think designing a cell prototype (which automatically registers the reuse identifier and takes care of all of this other stuff) is much easier. Even the old technique of registering a NIB is easier than the above. But if you want to do it entirely programmatically, those are the two approaches.