How to: Save order of tabs when customizing tabs in UITabBarController

Question

I am having problems finding any other information than the docs for how to save the tab order for my UITabBarController, so that the user\'s customization is saved for next

Answer 1

This is what did the trick for me, building on the answers from Rickard & Jesper. All of the code goes into the main TabBarController.

import UIKit

class TabBarController: UITabBarController, UITabBarControllerDelegate {

let tabOrderKey = "customTabBarOrder"

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()

    self.delegate = self
    loadCustomTabOrder()
}

func loadCustomTabOrder() {

    let defaults = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults()
    let standardOrderChanged = defaults.boolForKey(tabOrderKey)

    if standardOrderChanged {
        print("Standard Order has changed")

        var VCArray = [UIViewController]()
        var tagNumber = 0

        let tabBar = self as UITabBarController

        if let countVC = tabBar.viewControllers?.count {
            print("\(countVC) VCs in total")
            for var x = 0; x < countVC; x++ {
                tagNumber = defaults.integerForKey("tabPosition\(x)")

                for VC in tabBar.viewControllers! {
                    if tagNumber == VC.tabBarItem.tag {
                        VCArray.append(VC)
                        print("Position \(x): \(VCArray[x].tabBarItem.title!) VC (tag \(tagNumber))")
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        tabBar.viewControllers = VCArray
    }

}

func tabBarController(tabBarController: UITabBarController, didEndCustomizingViewControllers viewControllers: [UIViewController], changed: Bool) {

    print("Change func called")

    if changed {
        print("Order has changed")
        let defaults = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults()

        for var x = 0; x < viewControllers.count; x++ {
            defaults.setInteger(viewControllers[x].tabBarItem.tag, forKey: "tabPosition\(x)")
            print("\(viewControllers[x].tabBarItem.title!) VC (with tag: \(viewControllers[x].tabBarItem.tag)) is now in position \(x)")
        }
        defaults.setBool(true, forKey: tabOrderKey)
    } else {
        print("Nothing has changed")
    }
}

}