Does presentModalViewController: add the view controller to the stack? - objective-c

Question

I have a main navigation controller with a root view controller. In the root view controller, on the push of a button I present second view controller like this:
SecondVC *secondVC = [[SecondVC alloc] initWithNibName:#"SecondVC" bundle:nil];
[self.navigationController presentModalViewController:secondVC animated:YES];
In the second view controller, on the push of an other button, I want to present a third view controller (this time from a Storyboard):
ThirdVC *thirdVC = [[UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:#"Settings" bundle:nil] instantiateInitialViewController];
[self.navigationController presentModalViewController:thirdVC animated:YES];
However this doesn't do anything. I debugged and it turned out, that self.navigationController is nil.
Shouldn't it be the main navigation controller? Or doesn't presentModalViewController: add the view controller to the stack? Do I always have to put a view controller in a navigation controller before presenting id modally?

Answer 1

The new view controller SecondVC is being presented modally, and it's not added to the view controller stack of the navigationController. You need to create a new UINavigationController, and put SecondVC inside the navController before presenting it modally.

Answer 2

You'll need to add something like:
UINavigationController *navControl = [[UINavigationController alloc] initWithRootViewController:secondVC];
[self addChildViewController:navController];
[self.navigationController presentModalViewController:secondVC animated:<#(BOOL)#>]

Answer 3

your view controller while being presented is not inside a navigation controller. And will not have access to the presenting controllers navigation controller.
Furthermore if you push or pop stack items on the navigation controller beneath the modal view controller you will likely not notice anything.
If you want to put the controller in the stack you can alternatively show the view controller yourself.
[self.view addSubView:myViewController.view]
myViewController.view.frame = self.view.bounds;
and to dismiss the view controller you would simply remove it from its superview.
the drawback here is that some of the did and will appear methods are not called on the view controller. Therefore you may want to call them yourself.
But the principal is much the same. And you can easily simulate the presenting animation with the animation system.
Give it a starting point below your form, then start your animation block and put the view.frame to superview.bounds also giving it an animation time. I find that 2 seconds is ok. sometimes less.
at this point the presented view is inside the controller which is on the stack. Now while you cant directly modify the navigation controller within the presented view controller you could set a delegate that tells the original your intentions and therefore the presenting view controller (the one on the navigation stack) can push or pop the view controllers as requested. And the presented view controller will be pushed along with it.
Another positive point is that you can do much like other apps do, and present a semi modal view. With a partially transparent background. this way you can show things happening behind the view even tho they dont directly manipulate it.