Question

I am overloading the delegate method -tableView:heightForRowAtIndexPath: and using -sizeWithFont:constrainedToSize: to programmatically set the height of the cell, based on the text in that cell:

- (CGFloat) tableView:(UITableView *)tableView heightForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
  switch (indexPath.section) {
    case(kAboutViewOverviewSection): {
      switch (indexPath.row) {
        case(kAboutViewOverviewSectionRow): {
          NSString *text = NSLocalizedString(@"kAboutViewOverviewSectionFieldText", @"");
          CGSize s = [text sizeWithFont:[UIFont systemFontOfSize:14] constrainedToSize:CGSizeMake(280, 500)];
          return s.height + 13;
        }
        default: {
          break;
        }
      }
      break;
    }
    default: {
      break;
    }
  }
  return 44.0;
}

This works when the table is first drawn. However, when I change the orientation of the device, from portrait to landscape, the cell height does not change.

I tried overriding the -shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation: method in my table view controller:

- (BOOL) shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation {
  [self.tableView reloadData];
  return YES;
}

This should reload the table data and (presumably) redraw the table cell views. But this does not have any effect.

Is there a way to force a cell to redraw with a new height, when the device is rotated?

EDIT: I have tried the following, to no effect:

- (void) didRotateFromInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation {
  [self.tableView reloadData];
}

Here is what the application looks like in portrait orientation:

Here is what the application looks like in landscape orientation:

There is a gap between the top and bottom edges of the content.

EDIT 2:

Adjusting the size parameter via the table frame’s width helped fix this display issue:

CGSize s = [text sizeWithFont:[UIFont systemFontOfSize:14] constrainedToSize:CGSizeMake([tableView frame].size.width,500)];

Answer 1

It’s less than optimal, but the simplest solution is to call -reloadData on the table.

A better solution would be to call -beginUpdates, -deleteRowsAtIndexPaths:withRowAnimation:, -insertRowsAtIndexPaths:withRowAnimation:, and -endUpdates or simply -reloadSections:withRowAnimation: if targeting 3.0 only. This will add animation.

Edit: And you will also need a proper tableView:heightForRowAtIndexPath:

- (CGFloat) tableView:(UITableView *)tableView heightForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    CGSize textSize = [[self textForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath] sizeWithFont:[UIFont systemFontOfSize:14] constrainedToSize:CGSizeMake([tableView frame].size.width - 20, 500)];
    return textSize.height + 13.0f;
}

(where textForRowAtIndexPath: is a method that returns the cell’s text)