How to have the iOS SearchBar Keyboard Search Button Perform an Action

Question

I have a simple application which has a Table View (TV1) which gets populated by the user selecting a navigation bar button item to Add Entry (VC1). Within the Add Entry, when the user presses the Name field, they're taken to another Table View (TV2) which serves the purpose of allowing the user to select a previously entered name or create a new name.

TV2 is a Table View Controller with a Search Bar at the top.

Right now, existing names are available and show to the user. However, if the user "searches" for a name that does not exist, they should have the option to Create that name right now. If a search does not exist, I have a button which the user can tap which will create the user. That's simple. However, it's another tap.

Is there a way I can get the Search button of the Keyboard to perform the same functionality of the create button (i.e. Save the new user and dismiss TV1) which would then allow me to remove the Create button in the middle of the table view?

Answer 1

try this:

searchBar.delegate = delegateInstance;

//delegateInstance.m
- (void)searchBarSearchButtonClicked:(UISearchBar *)searchBar{
   //perform the same functionality of the create button 
}

Answer 2

You can catch the event fired by tapping the search button this way :

UISearchDisplayController has a UISearchBar, you can set a delegate for search bar and implement -searchBarSearchButtonClicked:.

From now, you should be able to call the same treatment that you do on create button. Found this answer on this post. Hope that helps !

Answer 3

I don't think you can find a right keyboard ReturnKeyType for "Create" or "Add" to let user know the return key of the keyboard will create a user. =)

Anyway, I guess what you want is if you click "search" button second time with no search result displayed on the tableview then you want to create a user with new search text on the search bar. Did I understand right? If so, I think I already answered your question.

In UISearchBarDelegate, – searchBarSearchButtonClicked:, Check if you don't have any search results and have any text in the search bar, then you can create a user.