iphone - Custom UITableViewCell Not Using .xib (Most Likely Because of Flaw in init Method)

Question

I subclassed the UITableViewCell in order to customize it, but I think I'm missing something because: 1) It's not working and 2) There are a couple of things I'm confused on. Along with customizing the look of the .xib file, I also changed the backgroundView, and that part is working fine. The part that I least understand/am most confused about is the init method, so I posted that here. If it turns out that is correct, please tell me so I can post more code that may be the cause.

This is the init method, which I customized. I'm sort of confused around the "style" idea and I think I'm just returning a normal UITableViewCell with a different backgroundView. I mean, there's nothing in there that refers to the .xib or does anything but change the .backgroundView from the self:

- (id)initWithStyle:(UITableViewCellStyle)style reuseIdentifier:(NSString *)reuseIdentifier wait: (float) wait fadeOut: (float) fadeOut fadeIn: (float) fadeIn playFor: (float) playFor
{
    self = [super initWithStyle:style reuseIdentifier:reuseIdentifier];
    if (self) {
        CueLoadingView* lview = [[CueLoadingView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 320, 53)];
        self.backgroundView = lview;

        [self setWait:wait]; // in turn edits the lview through the backgrounView pointer
        [self setFadeOut:fadeOut];
        [self setFadeIn:fadeIn];
        [self setPlayFor:playFor];
    }
    return self;
}

Other than the .xib and several setters and getters, this is the only real part of my code, that relates to retrieving a cell.

Additional Information:

1) This is my .xib, which is linked to the class.

2) This is the code that calls/creates the UITableView (the delegate/view controller):

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    static NSString *simpleTableIdentifier = @"CueTableCell";

    CueTableCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:simpleTableIdentifier];

    if (cell == nil) {
        cell = [[CueTableCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleDefault reuseIdentifier:simpleTableIdentifier wait:5.0 fadeOut:1.0 fadeIn:1.0 playFor:10.0];
        [cell updateBarAt:15];
    }

    return cell;
}

Answer 1

The easiest way (available since iOS 5.0) to create a custom table view cell in a nib file is to use registerNib:forCellReuseIdentifier: in the table view controller. The big advantage is that dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier: then automatically instantiates a cell from the nib file if necessary. You don't need the if (cell == nil) ... part anymore.

In viewDidLoad of the table view controller you add

[self.tableView registerNib:[UINib nibWithNibName:@"CueTableCell" bundle:nil] forCellReuseIdentifier:@"CueTableCell"];

and in cellForRowAtIndexPath you just do

CueTableCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:@"CueTableCell"];
// setup cell
return cell;

Cells loaded from a nib file are instantiated using initWithCoder, you can override that in your subclass if necessary. For modifications to the UI elements, you should override awakeFromNib (don't forget to call "super").