How to place UIBarButtonItem on the right side of a UIToolbar?

Question

I have designed a view with a toolbar that appears modally in Interface Builder. I have a UIBarButtonItem that is on the left hand side, which I would like to appear on the right hand side of the toolbar. How can I do this in IB, or via code?

Answer 1

Here's how to do it in code if anyone comes across this post:

UIBarButtonItem *leftButton = [[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Item" style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:@selector(btnItem1Pressed:)] autorelease];

UIBarButtonItem *flex = [[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFlexibleSpace target:self action:nil] autorelease];

UIBarButtonItem *rightButton = [[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Item" style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:@selector(btnItem2Pressed:)] autorelease];


self.toolbarItems = [NSArray arrayWithObjects: leftButton, flex, rightButton, nil];

Answer 2

Insert an item which has identifier being "flexible space".

_{(source: xanga.com)}

Answer 3

- one item in the right like this

UIBarButtonItem *flexible = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFlexibleSpace target:self action:nil];

UIBarButtonItem *item1 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item1” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];

self.toolbarItems = [NSArray arrayWithObjects: flexible, item1, nil];

-two items left and right like this

UIBarButtonItem *flexible = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFlexibleSpace target:self action:nil];

UIBarButtonItem *item1 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item1” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];
UIBarButtonItem *item2 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item2” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];

self.toolbarItems = [NSArray arrayWithObjects: item1, flexible, item2, nil];

-three items like this

UIBarButtonItem *flexible = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFlexibleSpace target:self action:nil];

UIBarButtonItem *item1 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item1” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];
UIBarButtonItem *item2 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item2” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];
UIBarButtonItem *item3 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item3” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];

self.toolbarItems = [NSArray arrayWithObjects: item1, flexible, item2, flexible, item3, nil];

-four items like this

UIBarButtonItem *flexible = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFlexibleSpace target:self action:nil];

UIBarButtonItem *item1 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item1” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];
UIBarButtonItem *item2 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item2” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];
UIBarButtonItem *item3 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item3” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];
UIBarButtonItem *item4 = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"item4” style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:nil];

self.toolbarItems = [NSArray arrayWithObjects: item1, flexible, item2, item3, flexible, item4, nil];

so when you want to add a space you must add the flexible bar button.

Answer 4

Swift Code:

func addDoneButton() -> UIToolbar {
    let toolbar = UIToolbar()
    let flexButton = UIBarButtonItem(barButtonSystemItem: UIBarButtonSystemItem.FlexibleSpace, target: nil, action: nil)
    let doneButton = UIBarButtonItem(title: "Done", style: .Plain, target: self, action: Selector("donePressed"))
    toolbar.setItems([flexButton, doneButton], animated: true)
    toolbar.sizeToFit()
    return toolbar
}

Answer 5

Swift 3.x or above:

internal var textFieldHandlerToolBar: UIToolbar = {
        let tb = UIToolbar.init(frame: CGRect.init(origin: .zero, size: CGSize.init(width: UIScreen.screenSize().width, height: 44.0)))
        let flexibleButton = UIBarButtonItem(barButtonSystemItem: UIBarButtonSystemItem.flexibleSpace, target: nil, action: nil)
        let doneBarButton = UIBarButtonItem.init(title: "Done", style: UIBarButtonItemStyle.done, target: self, action: #selector(actionDonePickerSelection))
        tb.setItems([flexibleButton, doneBarButton], animated: false)
        return tb
    }()

Output:

Answer 6

If you can get away with this not being a UIBarButtonItem (for example, an info button), what I do is change the layer of the button to always be in front of the Toolbar. This way, when I drag the button over the toolbar in IB it doesn't automatically suck it in and over to the left side.