Xcode 14: Fixing the Premature InputAccessoryView Issue and Ensuring Smooth Push Animations
Problem: In Xcode 14, a common issue arises where your custom inputAccessoryView appears prematurely, leading to a broken push animation on screen transitions. This happens because the inputAccessoryView is being displayed even before the view controller's transition animation has completed.
Scenario: Imagine you're building an app with a chat feature. You implement a custom inputAccessoryView for composing messages. When you navigate to the chat screen using a push animation, you'd expect the view to smoothly slide in. However, the inputAccessoryView appears prematurely, causing the chat view to awkwardly "jump" into place instead of sliding smoothly.
Code Example (Swift):
class ChatViewController: UIViewController {
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// Set up inputAccessoryView
let inputAccessoryView = UIView()
inputAccessoryView.backgroundColor = .lightGray
self.inputAccessoryView = inputAccessoryView
}
}
Analysis and Solutions:
The issue arises due to the timing of the inputAccessoryView being set. It's being set in viewDidLoad, which is executed before the push animation completes. To fix this, we need to delay setting the inputAccessoryView until the transition animation is finished.
Solution 1: Using viewDidAppear
A simple fix is to set the inputAccessoryView in viewDidAppear instead of viewDidLoad. This ensures the view is set after the transition animation has completed.
class ChatViewController: UIViewController {
override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
super.viewDidAppear(animated)
// Set up inputAccessoryView
let inputAccessoryView = UIView()
inputAccessoryView.backgroundColor = .lightGray
self.inputAccessoryView = inputAccessoryView
}
}
Solution 2: Using Transition Completion Block
For more control, you can use the transition completion block provided by the navigation controller's pushViewController method. This block is executed once the transition animation is complete.
class ChatViewController: UIViewController {
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// ...
}
// Push the chat view controller with completion block
let chatViewController = ChatViewController()
self.navigationController?.pushViewController(chatViewController, animated: true) {
chatViewController.inputAccessoryView = UIView()
chatViewController.inputAccessoryView?.backgroundColor = .lightGray
}
}
Additional Considerations:
- Keyboard Animations: Make sure your
inputAccessoryViewalso handles keyboard animations gracefully. You can usekeyboardWillShowandkeyboardWillHidenotifications to adjust the position of your view accordingly. - User Experience: Consider the visual flow and user experience when the
inputAccessoryViewappears. Make sure it's smoothly integrated into the transition and doesn't disrupt the user's flow.
Conclusion:
By carefully considering the timing of setting your inputAccessoryView, you can avoid the premature display issue and ensure smooth push animations in your Xcode 14 projects. Choose the solution that best suits your needs and remember to always prioritize user experience and a seamless app flow.
