Can I use two xibs with one viewcontroller - re: porting to iPhone 5

Question

I just submitted my first app to the app store (yay it was just approved!). I now want to update it to work with (look nicer on) the larger iPhone 5 screen. I don\'t intend

Answer 1

Code in answer was helpful, but I needed something that worked better for universal apps (iphone/ipad).

In case someone else needs the same thing, here's something to get you started.

Say you built a universal app using the nib/xib naming standards for ios for view controllers that have xibs with the same name:

The two built-in defaults for autoloading xibs when providing no name is passed to initWithNibName:

• ExampleViewController.xib [iphone default when nib named empty for Retina 3.5 Full Screen for classic layouts iphone 4/4s etc...]
• ExampleViewController~ipad.xib [ipad/ipad mini default when nib named empty]

Now say you need custom xibs for the iphone 5/5s in IB using Retina 4 Full Screen option, i.e., you don't want the 3.5 xibs displaying for any 568h devices.

Here's the custom naming convention using a category approach:

• ExampleViewController-568h.xib [iphone non default/custom naming convention when nib name empty for Retina 4 Full Screen (568h)]

Instead of overriding the built-in naming defaults, use a category to help set the right xib for the controller.

https://gist.github.com/scottvrosenthal/4945884

ExampleViewController.m

#import "UIViewController+AppCategories.h"

- (id)initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil
{
    nibNameOrNil = [UIViewController nibNamedForDevice:@"ExampleViewController"];

    self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
    if (self) {

       // Do any additional customization 

    }

    return self;
}

UIViewController+AppCategories.h

#import 

@interface UIViewController (AppCategories)

   + (NSString*)nibNamedForDevice:(NSString*)name;

@end

UIViewController+AppCategories.m

// ExampleViewController.xib [iphone default when nib named empty for Retina 3.5 Full Screen]
// ExampleViewController-568h.xib [iphone custom naming convention when nib named empty for Retina 4 Full Screen (568h)]
// ExampleViewController~ipad.xib [ipad/ipad mini default when nib named empty]

#import "UIViewController+AppCategories.h"

@implementation UIViewController (AppCategories)

+ (NSString*)nibNamedForDevice:(NSString*)name
{

    if (UI_USER_INTERFACE_IDIOM() == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPhone)
    {
        if ([UIScreen mainScreen].bounds.size.height == 568)
        {
            //Check if there's a path extension or not
            if (name.pathExtension.length) {
                name = [name stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString: [NSString stringWithFormat:@".%@", name.pathExtension] withString: [NSString stringWithFormat:@"-568h.%@", name.pathExtension ]
                ];

            } else {
                name = [name stringByAppendingString:@"-568h"];
            }

            // if 568h nib is found
            NSString *nibExists = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:name ofType:@"nib"];
            if (nibExists) {
                return name;
           }

        }
    }

    // just default to ios universal app naming convention for xibs
    return Nil;
}

@end