Handling a tableview with static cells and another searchResultsTableView

0
votes

Originally, I have a main table view controller with a tableview of static cells laid out using Storyboards. Subsequently, I added a SearchDisplayController to this UITableViewController. In my tableview data source delegate methods such as numberOfSectionsInTableView: and numberOfRowsInSection, I am differentiating between my own tableview (with the static cells) and the searchResultsTableView of the search display controller by checking the following:

if (tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView)
{
   // logic for searchResultsTableView;
}
else
{
  // logic for my main tableView
}

As far as I know, this seems to be the right approach. But when I tried the following for the cellForRowAtIndexPath method, I am getting a crash with the message Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException', reason: 'UITableView dataSource must return a cell from tableView:cellForRowAtIndexPath:'

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    if (tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView)
    {
        // Just want to use a default cell. There seems to be no good way of specifying a prototype cell for this in the storyboard.
        static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Cell";
        UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        if ( cell == nil ) {
            cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        }
        return cell;
    }
    else
    {
         // how to handle this case?
         return nil;
    }
}

Previously, without the search display controller, I didn't have to implement this method as my cells are static. I guess my question is, how should I handle a hybrid case (in cellForRowAtIndexPath as well as specifying both kinds of cells in the same storyboard), where I have a search display controller tableview with dynamic cells and a tableview with static cells? I would imagine such a scenario to be not uncommon.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT:

While calling the super method in the else clause as suggested by the first commenter seemed to fix the crash, I am encountering yet another issue which I feel is somehow due to inherent issues of the tableViewController being a delegate of both a static tableview and a non-static one (the search display results table view).

The new issue: My static tableview has 2 static cells. When I populate my search results tableview with more than 2 rows, I get a NSRangeException', reason: -[__NSArrayI objectAtIndex:]: index 2 beyond bounds [0 .. 1].

It seems like the searchResultsTableView derived the number of rows from my main static tableview somehow (results were consistent when I added a 3rd static cell) even though the delegate method: numberOfRowsInSection was being fired for the case of searchResultsTableView, and returning the right number.

Any workarounds on making static tableviews play nice with search display tableviews? I am thinking of converting my main static tableview to one with dynamic cells.. Any other suggestions are welcome, thanks!

4
iphoneiosobjective-cuitableviewios5
I'm not sure, but have you tried return [super tableView:tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath]? – maroux
You do it the same way as you do when tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView returns true. You need to create yourself some cells, either in IB or programmatically, and create and return the appropriate one for your needs, probably based on the indexPath. – Remover
Calling the super method works. Thanks! – Ken Toh
I'm not sure why calling super would work, but you're not supposed to implement the table view data source methods at all for a static table view (their cells should be populated through IBOutlets). I would think the correct approach would be to get rid of the else clause all together. – rdelmar
@rdelmar,you might have a point. The super method solved the initial crash but I am encountering new problems which I suspect might be due to the tableviewcontroller being a delegate of both a static tableview and a non-static one. I have updated my question with the new issues. Anyway, cellForRowAtIndexPath must return a UITableViewCell, so I am not sure how to just get rid of the else clause. Mmm any other ideas? – Ken Toh

4 Answers

1
votes

My workaround in the end was to convert the static tableview into one with dynamic cells. It isn't pretty but it works.

0
votes

I faced this problem too. So my decision was create some class with protocol, and then just assign it as DataSource to UISearchDisplayViewController.

0
votes

You don't need to change your static cells for dynamic cells. You can do the following:

if (tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView)
{
   // logic for searchResultsTableView;
}
else
{
   UITableViewCell *cell = [super tableView:tableView
                       cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
   return cell;

}
0
votes
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    if (tableView == self.searchDisplayController.searchResultsTableView)
    {
        // Just want to use a default cell. There seems to be no good way of specifying a prototype cell for this in the storyboard.
        static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Cell";
        UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        if ( cell == nil ) {
            cell = [[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
        }
        return cell;
    }
    else
    {
          UITableViewCell *cell = [super tableView:tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
         return cell;
    }
}

this would work fine for your problem.