Question

I am using Three20 so I can create an experience that is similar to MFMailComposer with the ability to have more control over how messages and emails are sent. I have taken a look at the three20 TTCatalog MessageController demo app, but it also has the same issue I am running into. When you choose a contact from the specified DataSource and click Send in both the TTCatalog app as well as my app the To field has a value I do not know how to work with. I did some logging within my app within the MessageWillSend method and this is what happens when I choose one contact, do not enter a subject, or a message in the body.

“To: (\n \”<TTTableSubtitleItem: 0x618ee30>\”\n)”,
“Subject: “,
“(null) (null)”

The Subject and body are fine (the correct text is displayed when I actually enter values), but how do I extract the value that is in the To: field?

I am using the datasource described here: How to use Three20 TTMessageController? so in this case the To field should contain the chosen mobile number.

I am using Xcode 4.

Answer 1

This could be potentially dangerous, but you could monkey patch TTMessageControllers – (void)send method, to use TTTableSubtitleItem.text instead of the object itself, to set recipients.

- (void)send {
    NSMutableArray* fields = [[_fields mutableCopy] autorelease];
    for (int i = 0; i < fields.count; ++i) {
        id field = [fields objectAtIndex:i];
        if ([field isKindOfClass:[TTMessageRecipientField class]]) {
            TTPickerTextField* textField = [_fieldViews objectAtIndex:i];
            //Here is the important part
            NSMutableArray *recipients = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
            for (id textItem in textField.cells) {
                [recipients addObject:[textItem text]];
            }
            [(TTMessageRecipientField*)field setRecipients:recipients];
            [recipients release];

        } else if ([field isKindOfClass:[TTMessageTextField class]]) {
            UITextField* textField = [_fieldViews objectAtIndex:i];
            [(TTMessageTextField*)field setText:textField.text];
        }
    }

    TTMessageTextField* bodyField = [[[TTMessageTextField alloc] initWithTitle:nil
                                                                      required:NO] autorelease];
    bodyField.text = _textEditor.text;
    [fields addObject:bodyField];

    [self showActivityView:YES];

    [self messageWillSend:fields];

    if ([_delegate respondsToSelector:@selector(composeController:didSendFields:)]) {
        [_delegate composeController:self didSendFields:fields];
    }

    [self messageDidSend];
}