Is there a way to 'design' a custom UIView in storyboard, and use in multiple ViewControllers without adding to any specific controller?
ios, uistoryboard, uiview, uiviewcontroller, xcode
Solution
For your UIView, you should be creating a custom UIViewController in your storyboard and instantiate the view controller to access the view:
MyViewController *myViewController = [self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:@"MyViewController"];
// Access the view using "myViewController.view"
This is a very common practice in iOS since storyboards were presented. If you are using multiple storyboards, you should create a new instance of UIStoryBoard with:
UIStoryboard * storyboard = [UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:@"StoryboardName" bundle:nil];
And then instantiate the view controller with this instance of the storyboard.
If you want to solely use a UIView, you should be creating a .xib file, i.e. the olden days format. To create a custom UITableViewCell, I would absolutely use a .xib file. Your last option would be to create a UIView programmatically, which could be called from any place in your application. Depending on the complexity of this view, this may be a valid option.
Problem
I'm in need of a custom `UIView` which is to be used in multiple different `ViewControllers`. Usually when I create a custom `UIView`, I drag an instance of `UIView` into my `ViewController` in storyboard, create a subclass of `UIView`, and point to this subclass in the `Identity Inspector` for the view. From there, I would connect the UI-objects as outlets to the header-file of the subclass. The view I want to make now, is not supposed to be a part of any specific controller, but should be added to any controller that asks for it. A rogue `UIView`. I know I can create the entire `UIView` programmatically, and just create an instance of it, but I'd like to have it (and design it) in my storyboard. In Storyboard, the only objects I'm allowed to drag 'outside a ViewController', are other ViewControllers. I have never used anything other than Storyboard for iOS-developing, but I have come over tutorials which have been using the other mode, from the olden days, which looks like what I need. Is it possible to get something similar into my storyboard? Or would this require its own setup/design? If so, how? I was also thinking of solving this with adding a 'phantom' `UIViewController` containing my custom View; designing it there, but instantiate it from the other controllers, but this sounds so hacky.. I'd like to do this with a `UITableViewCell` as well, but I guess that would have the same solution.