How to center align the cells of a UICollectionView?

Question

I am currently using UICollectionView for the user interface grid, and it works fine. However, I\'d like to be enable horizontal scrolling. The grid supports 8

Answer 1

Swift 2.0 Works fine for me!

 func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, insetForSectionAtIndex section: Int) -> UIEdgeInsets {
        let edgeInsets = (screenWight - (CGFloat(elements.count) * 50) - (CGFloat(elements.count) * 10)) / 2
        return UIEdgeInsetsMake(0, edgeInsets, 0, 0);
    }

Where: screenWight: basically its my collection's width (full screen width) - I made constants: let screenWight:CGFloat = UIScreen.mainScreen().bounds.width because self.view.bounds shows every-time 600 - coz of SizeClasses elements - array of cells 50 - my manual cell width 10 - my distance between cells

Answer 2

My solution for static sized collection view cells which need to have padding on left and right-

func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, 
layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, 
insetForSectionAtIndex section: Int) -> UIEdgeInsets {

    let flowLayout = (collectionViewLayout as! UICollectionViewFlowLayout)
    let cellSpacing = flowLayout.minimumInteritemSpacing
    let cellWidth = flowLayout.itemSize.width
    let cellCount = CGFloat(collectionView.numberOfItemsInSection(section))

    let collectionViewWidth = collectionView.bounds.size.width

    let totalCellWidth = cellCount * cellWidth
    let totalCellSpacing = cellSpacing * (cellCount - 1)

    let totalCellsWidth = totalCellWidth + totalCellSpacing

    let edgeInsets = (collectionViewWidth - totalCellsWidth) / 2.0

    return edgeInsets > 0 ? UIEdgeInsetsMake(0, edgeInsets, 0, edgeInsets) : UIEdgeInsetsMake(0, cellSpacing, 0, cellSpacing)
}

Answer 3

Similar to other answers, this is a dynamic answer that should work for static sized cells. The one modification I made is that I put the padding on both sides. If I didn't do this, I experienced problems.

---

Objective-C

- (UIEdgeInsets)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView layout:(UICollectionViewFlowLayout*)collectionViewLayout insetForSectionAtIndex:(NSInteger)section {

    NSInteger numberOfItems = [collectionView numberOfItemsInSection:section];
    CGFloat combinedItemWidth = (numberOfItems * collectionViewLayout.itemSize.width) + ((numberOfItems - 1) * collectionViewLayout.minimumInteritemSpacing);
    CGFloat padding = (collectionView.frame.size.width - combinedItemWidth) / 2;

    return UIEdgeInsetsMake(0, padding, 0, padding);
}

Swift

func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, insetForSectionAt section: Int) -> UIEdgeInsets {
    let flowLayout = collectionViewLayout as! UICollectionViewFlowLayout
    let numberOfItems = CGFloat(collectionView.numberOfItems(inSection: section))
    let combinedItemWidth = (numberOfItems * flowLayout.itemSize.width) + ((numberOfItems - 1)  * flowLayout.minimumInteritemSpacing)
    let padding = (collectionView.frame.width - combinedItemWidth) / 2
    return UIEdgeInsets(top: 0, left: padding, bottom: 0, right: padding)
}

---

Also, if you are still are experiencing problems, make sure that you set both the minimumInteritemSpacing and minimumLineSpacing to the same values since these values seem to be interrelated.

UICollectionViewFlowLayout *flowLayout = (UICollectionViewFlowLayout *)self.collectionView.collectionViewLayout;
flowLayout.minimumInteritemSpacing = 20.0;
flowLayout.minimumLineSpacing = 20.0;

Answer 4

This is how i obtained a collection view that was center aligned with a fixed Interitem spacing

#define maxInteritemSpacing 6
#define minLineSpacing 3

@interface MyFlowLayout()<UICollectionViewDelegateFlowLayout>

@end

@implementation MyFlowLayout

- (instancetype)init
{
    self = [super init];
    if (self) {
        self.minimumInteritemSpacing = 3;
        self.minimumLineSpacing = minLineSpacing;
        self.scrollDirection = UICollectionViewScrollDirectionVertical;
    }
    return self;
}

- (NSArray *) layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:(CGRect)rect {
    NSArray *answer = [super layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:rect];

    if (answer.count > 0) {
        NSMutableArray<NSMutableArray<UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *> *> *rows = [NSMutableArray array];
        CGFloat maxY = -1.0f;
        NSInteger currentRow = 0;

        //add first item to row and set its maxY
        [rows addObject:[@[answer[0]] mutableCopy]];
        maxY = CGRectGetMaxY(((UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *)answer[0]).frame);

        for(int i = 1; i < [answer count]; ++i) {
            //handle maximum spacing
            UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *currentLayoutAttributes = answer[i];
            UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *prevLayoutAttributes = answer[i - 1];
            NSInteger maximumSpacing = maxInteritemSpacing;
            NSInteger origin = CGRectGetMaxX(prevLayoutAttributes.frame);

            if(origin + maximumSpacing + currentLayoutAttributes.frame.size.width < self.collectionViewContentSize.width) {
                CGRect frame = currentLayoutAttributes.frame;
                frame.origin.x = origin + maximumSpacing;
                currentLayoutAttributes.frame = frame;
            }

            //handle center align
            CGFloat currentY = currentLayoutAttributes.frame.origin.y;
            if (currentY >= maxY) {
                [self shiftRowToCenterForCurrentRow:rows[currentRow]];

                //next row
                [rows addObject:[@[currentLayoutAttributes] mutableCopy]];
                currentRow++;
            }
            else {
                //same row
                [rows[currentRow] addObject:currentLayoutAttributes];
            }

            maxY = MAX(CGRectGetMaxY(currentLayoutAttributes.frame), maxY);
        }

        //mark sure to shift 1 row items
        if (currentRow == 0) {
            [self shiftRowToCenterForCurrentRow:rows[currentRow]];
        }
    }

    return answer;
}

- (void)shiftRowToCenterForCurrentRow:(NSMutableArray<UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *> *)currentRow
{
    //shift row to center
    CGFloat endingX = CGRectGetMaxX(currentRow.lastObject.frame);
    CGFloat shiftX = (self.collectionViewContentSize.width - endingX) / 2.f;
    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *attr in currentRow) {
        CGRect shiftedFrame = attr.frame;
        shiftedFrame.origin.x += shiftX;
        attr.frame = shiftedFrame;
    }
}

@end

Answer 5

Here is my solution with a few assumptions:

• there is only one section
• left and right insets are equal
• cell height is the same

Feel free to adjust to meet your needs.

Centered layout with variable cell width:

protocol HACenteredLayoutDelegate: UICollectionViewDataSource {
    func getCollectionView() -> UICollectionView
    func sizeOfCell(at index: IndexPath) -> CGSize
    func contentInsets() -> UIEdgeInsets
}

class HACenteredLayout: UICollectionViewFlowLayout {
    weak var delegate: HACenteredLayoutDelegate?
    private var cache = [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]()
    private var contentSize = CGSize.zero
    override var collectionViewContentSize: CGSize { return self.contentSize }

    required init(delegate: HACenteredLayoutDelegate) {
        self.delegate = delegate
        super.init()
    }

    required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
        super.init(coder: aDecoder)
    }

    override func invalidateLayout() {
        cache.removeAll()
        super.invalidateLayout()
    }

    override func prepare() {
        if cache.isEmpty && self.delegate != nil && self.delegate!.collectionView(self.delegate!.getCollectionView(), numberOfItemsInSection: 0) > 0 {
            let insets = self.delegate?.contentInsets() ?? UIEdgeInsets.zero
            var rows: [(width: CGFloat, count: Int)] = [(0, 0)]
            let viewWidth: CGFloat = UIScreen.main.bounds.width
            var y = insets.top
            var unmodifiedIndexes = [IndexPath]()
            for itemNumber in 0 ..< self.delegate!.collectionView(self.delegate!.getCollectionView(), numberOfItemsInSection: 0) {
                let indexPath = IndexPath(item: itemNumber, section: 0)
                let cellSize = self.delegate!.sizeOfCell(at: indexPath)
                let potentialRowWidth = rows.last!.width + (rows.last!.count > 0 ? self.minimumInteritemSpacing : 0) + cellSize.width + insets.right + insets.left
                if potentialRowWidth > viewWidth {
                    let leftOverSpace = max((viewWidth - rows[rows.count - 1].width)/2, insets.left)
                    for i in unmodifiedIndexes {
                        self.cache[i.item].frame.origin.x += leftOverSpace
                    }
                    unmodifiedIndexes = []
                    rows.append((0, 0))
                    y += cellSize.height + self.minimumLineSpacing
                }
                unmodifiedIndexes.append(indexPath)
                let attribute = UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes(forCellWith: indexPath)
                rows[rows.count - 1].count += 1
                rows[rows.count - 1].width += rows[rows.count - 1].count > 1 ? self.minimumInteritemSpacing : 0
                attribute.frame = CGRect(x: rows[rows.count - 1].width, y: y, width: cellSize.width, height: cellSize.height)
                rows[rows.count - 1].width += cellSize.width
                cache.append(attribute)
            }
            let leftOverSpace = max((viewWidth - rows[rows.count - 1].width)/2, insets.left)
            for i in unmodifiedIndexes {
                self.cache[i.item].frame.origin.x += leftOverSpace
            }
            self.contentSize = CGSize(width: viewWidth, height: y + self.delegate!.sizeOfCell(at: IndexPath(item: 0, section: 0)).height + insets.bottom)
        }
    }

    override func layoutAttributesForElements(in rect: CGRect) -> [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]? {
        var layoutAttributes = [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]()

        for attributes in cache {
            if attributes.frame.intersects(rect) {
                layoutAttributes.append(attributes)
            }
        }
        return layoutAttributes
    }

    override func layoutAttributesForItem(at indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes? {
        if indexPath.item < self.cache.count {
            return self.cache[indexPath.item]
        }
        return nil
    }
}

Result:

Answer 6

It's easy to calculate insets dynamically, this code will always center your cells:

NSInteger const SMEPGiPadViewControllerCellWidth = 332;

...

- (UIEdgeInsets)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView layout:(UICollectionViewLayout*)collectionViewLayout insetForSectionAtIndex:(NSInteger)section
{

    NSInteger numberOfCells = self.view.frame.size.width / SMEPGiPadViewControllerCellWidth;
    NSInteger edgeInsets = (self.view.frame.size.width - (numberOfCells * SMEPGiPadViewControllerCellWidth)) / (numberOfCells + 1);

    return UIEdgeInsetsMake(0, edgeInsets, 0, edgeInsets);
}

- (void)willRotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)toInterfaceOrientation duration:(NSTimeInterval)duration
{
    [super willRotateToInterfaceOrientation:toInterfaceOrientation duration:duration];
    [self.collectionView.collectionViewLayout invalidateLayout];
}