Subview vs childViewController

Question

This is a general question but I'll ask it using a specific example to avoid confusion:

I'm developing an app that has a UIPickerView among other things on a single screen. I was wondering if it's appropriate the make a custom PickerViewController class to control my UIPickerView and then add my PickerViewController as a childVC...

OR should I just create an instance of UIPickerView in my existing VC and control it from there?

When should I do either of these options and what are the advantages of them?

Appreciate the help amigos.

Answer 1

If the UIPickerView is simoultaneously on the screen along with other UI elements, then you should just add it as a subview. The concept of a view controller is for when you start managing a completely different UI/window/set of elements (however you call it). If the picker view closely belongs to the functionality of the other elements, you should not create a separate view controller for it.

Answer 2

iOS 5.0 introduced the notion of child view controllers. Originally, any view controller except for UINavigationController and UITabBarController had to be modal and full screen. In iOS 5.0, you can now have several UIViewControllers present on one screen. This means that one UIViewController can have many children (UIViewController), where each child is responsible for controlling more specific views and models.