Resizing UINavigationController? - objective-c

Question

I want my navigationcontroller to only take half of the screen. Is this possible? In IB, when I drag, it forces me to fill up my entire screen, I can't resize it. If it's not possible, is there an alternative?
Thanks.

Answer 1

You can but you can only do it within iOS 5 because when I tried to do any type of direct view manipulation within a UINavigation controller than pushed or popped another view controller. The navigation controller would not display them.
Here's what you need to do.
-(void)viewDidLoad {
UINavigationController * navController = [[UINavigationController alloc] initWithRootViewController:[[UIViewController alloc] initWithNibName:nil bundle:nil]];
//Used to recieve callbacks (like shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:)
[self addChildViewController:navController];
//View manipulation
navController.view.frame = CGRectInset(navController.view.frame, 20, 20);
[self.view addSubview:navController.view];
//Calls all the standard methods (viewDidLoad,viewDidUnload,etc.)
[navController didMoveToParentViewController:self];
}
Also if your a registered developer there is a really good video on view controller containers, that might be helpful to you, from last years WWDC.

Answer 2

Based off what you have written I am assuming you have a #property in your header file. Something like:
#property (nonatomic, strong) IBOutlet UINavigationController *navController;
Then have this IBOutlet connected to your navigationController in your xib file. In that same xib file have a view that is connected to the file owner. Set this view's dimensions in interface builder so in your case to fill only half the screen. Then you will add the navController as this view's subview. If you also have a viewController already added in the xib file in the navController then in viewDidLoad do:
-(void)viewDidLoad {
[self addChildViewController:self.navController];
[self.view addSubview:self.navController.view];
[self.navController didMoveToParentViewController:self];
}
Otherwise if you are programmatically setting the rootviewcontroller do:
-(void)viewDidLoad {
self.navController = [[UINavigationController alloc] initWithRootViewController:yourViewController];
[self addChildViewController:self.navController];
[self.view addSubview:self.navController.view];
[self.navController didMoveToParentViewController:self];
}
You have to add self.navController as a childViewController so that it will take on the dimensions of the view it is being added into. Adding it as a subview is not enough to make the view resize. Hope this helps!