Checking when a TabBar item is clicked - Objective C

Question

I have a ViewController with 2 sub containers. The first sub container points to a ViewController with a TabBar inside it. The second sub container is a ViewController that contains a collection view. Now my issue is trying to access the first sub containers TabBar so that when an Item is clicked, I can know which item is clicked and process my data.

The main ViewController has a class. All the other sub containers for that ViewController also have a class. Here is the .h for my sub container with the Tab Bar:

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>


@interface home_tab : UIViewController <UITabBarControllerDelegate>{

}
@end

.m:

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
}
-(void) tabBarController:(UITabBarController *)tabBarController didSelectViewController:(UIViewController *)viewController
{
    NSLog(@"working");

}

Now when clicking on the Tab Bar that is populated, didSelectViewController is never called.

I am using storyboard.

Suggestions and thoughts?

Answer 1

I think you have a couple problems atleast from what I can see here,

1. You are using a TabBar inside of a ViewController, not a UITabBarController, thus you need to use UITabBarDelegate not UITabBarControllerDelegate. You will have to manage the view controllers or whatever view you will want to be loaded on your own most likely with the delegate callback:

   -(void)tabBar:(UITabBar *)tabBar didSelectItem:(UITabBarItem *)item;

Also you dont have a UITabBar defined in your controller, therefore your ViewController has no idea you have a UITabBar in your Storyboard. You need something like this:

    @interface ViewController : UIViewController <UITabBarDelegate>

    @property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UITabBar *tabBar;

    @end

Then you will need to Control drag from the ViewController to your UITabBar and back to connect the Delegate in your Storyboard.

Id recommend using a UITabBarController so you dont have to manage the views yourself depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Try this on your viewDidLoad

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    [[self tabBarController]setDelegate:self];
    // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
}

It's just an suggestion :)

Answer 3

[[self tabBarController]selectedIndex] This will return the index of the selected tab.

Answer 4

the didSelectViewController method is part of the UITabBarControllerDelegate Protocol and is called on the UITabBarController's delegate. Did you set the delegate of the tab bar controller to the current instance of your subcontainer? Inside ViewDidLoad: do something like this:

[self.tabBarController setDelegate:self];

You can also set a delegate on the UITabBar rather than the controller, and the UITabBarDelegate Protocol contains a method tabBar:didSelectItem: that would be called.