Add controller to UITabBarController without new item appearing in the tab bar

Question

I have an application with UITabBarController as its main controller.

When user taps a button(not in the tab bar, just some other button), I want to add new UIViewController inside my UITabBarController and show it, but I don't want for new UITabBarItem to appear in tab bar. How to achieve such behaviour?

I've tried to set tabBarController.selectedViewController property to a view controller that is not in tabBarController.viewControllers array, but nothing happens. And if I add view controller to tabBarController.viewControllers array new item automatically appears in the tab bar.

Update

Thanks to Levi, I've extended my tab bar controller to handle controllers that not present in .viewControllers.

@interface MainTabBarController : UITabBarController

/** 
 * By setting this property, tab bar controller will display
 * given controller as it was added to the viewControllers and activated
 * but icon will not appear in the tab bar.
 */
@property (strong, nonatomic) UIViewController *foreignController;

@end


#import "MainTabBarController.h"

@implementation MainTabBarController

- (void)tabBar:(UITabBar *)tabBar didSelectItem:(UITabBarItem *)item
{
  self.foreignController = nil;
}

- (void)setForeignController:(UIViewController *)foreignController
{
  if (foreignController) {
    CGFloat reducedHeight = foreignController.view.frame.size.height - self.tabBar.frame.size.height;
    foreignController.view.frame = CGRectMake(0.0f, 0.0f, 320.0f, reducedHeight);

    [self addChildViewController:foreignController];
    [self.view addSubview:foreignController.view];
  } else {
    [_foreignController.view removeFromSuperview];
    [_foreignController removeFromParentViewController];
  }

  _foreignController = foreignController;
}

@end

The code will correctly set "foreign" controller's view size and remove it when user choose item in the tab bar.

Hmmmm...then you either push it (if you have a navigation controller) or add it's view to your visible View Controller's view and add it as child View Controller also — Levi
The later method works for me. Thank you. You might add it as an answer. — lambdas

Levi Levi · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-06T14:11:51

You either push it (if you have a navigation controller) or add it's view to your visible View Controller's view and add it as child View Controller also.

Add controller to UITabBarController without new item appearing in the tab bar

2 Answers