UIButton touch up inside event only fired if done in title - objective-c

Question

I am customizing a UITableViewCell with several subviews:
- (id)initWithStyle:(UITableViewCellStyle)style reuseIdentifier:(NSString *)reuseIdentifier {
self = [super initWithStyle:style reuseIdentifier:reuseIdentifier];
if (self) {
_mainView = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0f, 0.0f, 320.0f, 40.0f)];
_hiddenOptionsView = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0f, 0.0f, 320.0f, 40.0f)];
_menuView = [[CellMenuView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0f, 0.0f, 320.0f, 20.0f)];
[self addSubview:_menuView];
[self addSubview:_hiddenOptionsView];
[self addSubview:_mainView];
}
return self;
}
The class CellMenuView is a UIView subclass which has two UIButtons with their counterpart target actions setup on initialization:
- (id)initWithFrame:(CGRect)frame {
self = [super initWithFrame:frame];
if (self) {
UIImageView *background = [[UIImageView alloc] initWithFrame:frame];
[background setImage:[UIImage imageNamed:#"cell_menu_bg.png"]];
[self addSubview:background];
CGFloat buttonX = frame.origin.x;
CGFloat buttonY = frame.origin.y + 3.0f;
CGFloat buttonWidth = frame.size.width / 2.0f;
CGFloat buttonHeight = 10.0f;
_editButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
_editButton.frame = CGRectMake(buttonX, buttonY, buttonWidth, buttonHeight);
_editButton.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
_editButton.titleLabel.shadowColor = [UIColor blackColor];
_editButton.titleLabel.shadowOffset = CGSizeMake(0.0f, -1.5f);
_editButton.titleLabel.font = [UIFont boldSystemFontOfSize:22.0f];
[_editButton setTitle:#"Edit" forState:UIControlStateNormal];
[_editButton setTitleColor:[UIColor whiteColor] forState:UIControlStateNormal];
[_editButton addTarget:self action:#selector(editButton:) forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];
[self addSubview:_editButton];
_fireButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
_fireButton.frame = CGRectMake(buttonWidth, buttonY, buttonWidth, buttonHeight);
_fireButton.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
_fireButton.titleLabel.shadowColor = [UIColor blackColor];
_fireButton.titleLabel.shadowOffset = CGSizeMake(0.0f, -1.5f);
_fireButton.titleLabel.font = [UIFont boldSystemFontOfSize:22.0f];
[_fireButton setTitle:#"Fire" forState:UIControlStateNormal];
[_fireButton setTitleColor:[UIColor whiteColor] forState:UIControlStateNormal];
[_fireButton addTarget:self action:#selector(fireButton:) forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];
[self addSubview:_fireButton];
return self;
}
}
I have implemented the target action methods but they aren't being executed. Instead, didSelectRowAtIndexPath: takes precedence over the touch up events inside buttons every time I pressed one of them.
The only way I have been able to fire the events on buttons is making sure that one of the letters in UIButton's title is touched (using the simulator, of course).
I must say that _menuView is hidden behind the other subviews and shown below the cell when a custom accessory button in cell is pressed. It appears by modifying the Y origin and disappears by setting it to 0.0f again.
I think it may be related to the view hierarchy, because I haven't had any problems in the past by adding buttons directly to the cell. But I'm just guessing here.
How can I make the events on buttons take precedence over the didSelectRowAtIndexPath: method?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Implement
- (NSIndexPath *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView willSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
And return nil for the indexPath you don't want selected; this will prevent didSelectRowAtIndexPath from being called on that cell, and (hopefully), your custom action will be called.
Update: After implementing this myself (adding borders to the buttons), this is what I have.
The code to achieve this (which is different than yours), is as follows:
CellMenuView.m
self.backgroundColor = [UIColor blackColor];
_editButton.layer.borderColor = [UIColor whiteColor].CGColor;
_editButton.layer.borderWidth = 2;
_fireButton.layer.borderColor = [UIColor whiteColor].CGColor;
_fireButton.layer.borderWidth = 2;
UITableViewCell subclass
// Change in height to make it taller
_menuView = [[TestBtn alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0f, 20.0f, 320.0f, 60.0f)];
UITableViewController subclass
self.tableView.rowHeight = 100;
After testing, mine works as expected. If I click within the white squares, the button action is performed as normal, and didSelectRowAtIndexPath is not called. didSelectRowAtIndexPath is only called when I click outside of the buttons.
I think the issue here might be your button heights/frames, as well as your row height. Add borders to your buttons, to check its clickable area, and increase the height of the button to increase the clickable area.