UICollectionView horizontal paging - can I use Flow Layout?

Question

This is related to but distinct from To use Flow Layout, or to Customize?.

Here is an illustration of what I’m trying to do:

Answer 1

You're right – that's not how a stock horizontally-scrolling collection view lays out cells. I'm afraid that you're going to have to implement your own custom UICollectionViewLayout subclass. Either that, or separate your models into sections.

Answer 2

Swift 4

Code:

public class HorizontalFlowLayout: UICollectionViewLayout {
    var itemSize = CGSize(width: 0, height: 0) {
        didSet {
            invalidateLayout()
        }
    }
    private var cellCount = 0
    private var boundsSize = CGSize(width: 0, height: 0)

    public override func prepare() {
        cellCount = self.collectionView!.numberOfItems(inSection: 0)
        boundsSize = self.collectionView!.bounds.size
    }
    public override var collectionViewContentSize: CGSize {
        let verticalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.height / itemSize.height))
        let horizontalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.width / itemSize.width))

        let itemsPerPage = verticalItemsCount * horizontalItemsCount
    let numberOfItems = cellCount
    let numberOfPages = Int(ceil(Double(numberOfItems) / Double(itemsPerPage)))

        var size = boundsSize
        size.width = CGFloat(numberOfPages) * boundsSize.width
        return size
    }

    public override func layoutAttributesForElements(in rect: CGRect) -> [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]? {
        var allAttributes = [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]()
        for i in 0...(cellCount-1) {
            let indexPath = IndexPath(row: i, section: 0)
            let attr = self.computeLayoutAttributesForCellAt(indexPath: indexPath)
            allAttributes.append(attr)
        }
        return allAttributes
    }

    public override func layoutAttributesForItem(at indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes? {
        return computeLayoutAttributesForCellAt(indexPath: indexPath)
    }

    public override func shouldInvalidateLayout(forBoundsChange newBounds: CGRect) -> Bool {
        return true
    }

    private func computeLayoutAttributesForCellAt(indexPath:IndexPath)
        -> UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes {
            let row = indexPath.row
            let bounds = self.collectionView!.bounds

            let verticalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.height / itemSize.height))
            let horizontalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.width / itemSize.width))
            let itemsPerPage = verticalItemsCount * horizontalItemsCount

            let columnPosition = row % horizontalItemsCount
            let rowPosition = (row/horizontalItemsCount)%verticalItemsCount
            let itemPage = Int(floor(Double(row)/Double(itemsPerPage)))

            let attr = UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes(forCellWith: indexPath)

            var frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 0, height: 0)
            frame.origin.x = CGFloat(itemPage) * bounds.size.width + CGFloat(columnPosition) * itemSize.width
            frame.origin.y = CGFloat(rowPosition) * itemSize.height
            frame.size = itemSize
            attr.frame = frame

            return attr
    }
}

This is the Swift 3 version of @GuilhermeSprint answer

Code:

public class HorizontalCollectionViewLayout : UICollectionViewLayout {
    var itemSize = CGSize(width: 0, height: 0) {
        didSet {
            invalidateLayout()
        }
    }
    private var cellCount = 0
    private var boundsSize = CGSize(width: 0, height: 0)

    public override func prepare() {
        cellCount = self.collectionView!.numberOfItems(inSection: 0)
        boundsSize = self.collectionView!.bounds.size
    }
    public override var collectionViewContentSize: CGSize {
        let verticalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.height / itemSize.height))
        let horizontalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.width / itemSize.width))

        let itemsPerPage = verticalItemsCount * horizontalItemsCount
        let numberOfItems = cellCount
        let numberOfPages = Int(ceil(Double(numberOfItems) / Double(itemsPerPage)))

        var size = boundsSize
        size.width = CGFloat(numberOfPages) * boundsSize.width
        return size
    }

    public override func layoutAttributesForElements(in rect: CGRect) -> [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]? {
        var allAttributes = [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]()
        for i in 0...(cellCount-1) {
            let indexPath = IndexPath(row: i, section: 0)
            let attr = self.computeLayoutAttributesForCellAt(indexPath: indexPath)
            allAttributes.append(attr)
        }
        return allAttributes
    }

    public override func layoutAttributesForItem(at indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes? {
        return computeLayoutAttributesForCellAt(indexPath: indexPath)
    }

    public override func shouldInvalidateLayout(forBoundsChange newBounds: CGRect) -> Bool {
        return true
    }

    private func computeLayoutAttributesForCellAt(indexPath:IndexPath)
        -> UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes {
            let row = indexPath.row
            let bounds = self.collectionView!.bounds

            let verticalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.height / itemSize.height))
            let horizontalItemsCount = Int(floor(boundsSize.width / itemSize.width))
            let itemsPerPage = verticalItemsCount * horizontalItemsCount

            let columnPosition = row % horizontalItemsCount
            let rowPosition = (row/horizontalItemsCount)%verticalItemsCount
            let itemPage = Int(floor(Double(row)/Double(itemsPerPage)))

            let attr = UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes(forCellWith: indexPath)

            var frame = CGRectMake(0, 0, 0, 0)
            frame.origin.x = CGFloat(itemPage) * bounds.size.width + CGFloat(columnPosition) * itemSize.width
            frame.origin.y = CGFloat(rowPosition) * itemSize.height
            frame.size = itemSize
            attr.frame = frame

            return attr
    }
}

Usage:

    // I want to have 4 items in the page / see screenshot below
    let itemWidth = collectionView.frame.width / 2.0
    let itemHeight = collectionView.frame.height / 2.0
    let horizontalCV = HorizontalCollectionViewLayout();
    horizontalCV.itemSize = CGSize(width: itemWidth, height: itemHeight)
    collectionView.collectionViewLayout = horizontalCV

Result

My Delegates extension if you wanna check it also

extension MyViewController : UICollectionViewDelegateFlowLayout, UICollectionViewDataSource{
    // Delegate
    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, didSelectItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) {
        print("Clicked")
    }

    // DataSource
    func numberOfSections(in collectionView: UICollectionView) -> Int {
        return 1
    }

    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell {
        if let cell = collectionView.dequeueReusableCell(withReuseIdentifier: BottomMenuCCell.xib, for: indexPath) as? BottomMenuCCell {
            cell.ibi = bottomMenuButtons[indexPath.row]
            cell.layer.borderWidth = 0
            return cell
        }
        return BaseCollectionCell()
    }
    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, sizeForItemAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGSize {
        return CGSize.init(width: (collectionView.width / 2.0), height: collectionView.height / 2.0)
    }
    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, numberOfItemsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
        return bottomMenuButtons.count
    }

    // removing spacing between items
    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, insetForSectionAt section: Int) -> UIEdgeInsets {
        return UIEdgeInsets(top: 0, left: 0, bottom: 0, right: 0)
    }
    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, minimumInteritemSpacingForSectionAt section: Int) -> CGFloat {
        return 0.0
    }
    func collectionView(_ collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, minimumLineSpacingForSectionAt section: Int) -> CGFloat {
        return 0.0
    }
}