Get launch orientation of iPad app

Question

In my iPad app, I need to run some layout code to set the proper layout depending on the orientation. By default, the layout is configured for the landscape orientation, so

Answer 1

It's not true that you can't figure out the launch orientation, it is true that it's a pain in the rear to do so.

here's what you need to do.

your first UIViewController needs to have some special logic to nab the information you'd like.
you might even want to create a UIStartupController just for these purposes if it's that important to your flow.
in the case of my project, we already had such a startup controller present.

all you need is the following code

-(id) initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil {
  self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
  if (self) {
    self.launchOrientation = UIDeviceOrientationUnknown;
  }
  return self;
}

-(void) willRotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)toInterfaceOrientation
                                duration:(NSTimeInterval)duration
{
  [super willRotateToInterfaceOrientation:toInterfaceOrientation duration:duration];

  if (self.launchOrientation == UIDeviceOrientationUnknown && duration > 0)
    self.launchOrientation = UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait;
  else
    self.launchOrientation = toInterfaceOrientation;
}

basically, if we're not launching in UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait, the first rotation callback sequence will actually reveal the launch orientation.
if launched in UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait, then we need to check that the first rotation's duration is non zero, and then we know that it was launched from portrait.