uitableview headerViewForSection: always returns nil

Question

I have a table with custom header views that no matter when, or what value I choose for section, I always get nil value. I have another table with the same problem.

Answer 1

It's been awhile since this question was asked and recently I had come across a similar issue and had asked my own question here: UITableView -headerViewForSection returns (null)
I believe I have the answer.

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Prerequisite Steps:

1. Create a UITableViewHeaderFooterView subclass and name it CustomHeaderView
2. Create a view interface nib file for the class (apparently you have named it iPadTableCells here)
3. In the xib, select the View & in it's Identity Inspector
   • Specify the Custom Class as CustomHeaderView
4. Make a property, synthesize and connect it to the xib
   • @property (strong, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIActivityIndicatorView *activityIndicator;

---

Use the following code:

- (UIView*) tableView:(UITableView *)tableView viewForHeaderInSection:(NSInteger)section
{
    static NSString *HeaderIdentifier = @"header";
    CustomHeaderView *header = [tableView dequeueReusableHeaderFooterViewWithIdentifier:HeaderIdentifier];

    if(!header) {
        NSArray* objs = [[NSBundle mainBundle] loadNibNamed:@"iPadTableCells"
                                                      owner:nil
                                                    options:nil];
        header = [objs objectAtIndex: 0];
    }

    [header.activityIndicator startAnimating];
    return header;
}

then you can access it this way:

CustomHeaderView *headerView = (CustomHeaderView*)[tableView headerViewForSection:section];
[headerView.activityIndicator stopAnimating];