Question

I have a very simple RootView Controller ->Detail View Controller, to display a list of core data object and show details on a selected object in the DetailViewController.
The DetailViewController is a UITableView with custom UITableViewCell that has a UITextField to allow user edits.
I am able to display the table, able to edit the text field and so on. However, I am not sure how to actually update the manage object once the user chooses the Done button or cancel the changes upon a Cancel button action.
I understand I can probably achieve this by using a EditViewController, that can be used to edit one property at a time. But, I am interested in a solution where I could support inline editing in the DetailViewController. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Thanks,

Custom UITableView Cell code

- (id)initWithStyle:(UITableViewCellStyle)style reuseIdentifier:(NSString *)reuseIdentifier
{
    self = [super initWithStyle:style reuseIdentifier:reuseIdentifier];
    if (self) {
        self.selectionStyle = UITableViewCellSelectionStyleNone;

        _textField = [[UITextField alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectZero];
        [_textField setTextAlignment:UITextAlignmentLeft];
        [_textField setReturnKeyType:UIReturnKeyDone];
        [_textField setClearButtonMode:UITextFieldViewModeWhileEditing];
        [_textField setDelegate:self];
        [[self contentView] addSubview:_textField];
    }
    return self;
}

- (void)setSelected:(BOOL)selected animated:(BOOL)animated
{
    [super setSelected:selected animated:animated];

    // Configure the view for the selected state
}

-(void) layoutSubviews {
    [super layoutSubviews];
    CGRect contentRect = [self.contentView bounds];

    // In this example we will never be editing, but this illustrates the appropriate pattern

    if ([self isEditing]) {
        self.textLabel.frame = CGRectZero;
        self.textField.frame = CGRectMake(contentRect.origin.x + kCellLeftOffset, kCellTopOffset, contentRect.size.width - kCellLeftOffset, kCellHeight);
    }
    else {
        CGRect frame = CGRectMake(contentRect.origin.x + kCellLeftOffset, kCellTopOffset, 90, kCellHeight);
        CGRect textFrame = CGRectMake(frame.origin.x + frame.size.width + kCellLeftOffset, kCellTopOffset, 180, kCellHeight);

        self.textLabel.frame = frame;
        self.textField.frame = textFrame;
    }
}

- (void)setEditing:(BOOL)editing animated:(BOOL)animated {
    [super setEditing:editing animated:animated];
    if (!editing)
        [_textField resignFirstResponder];
}

-(BOOL) textFieldShouldBeginEditing:(UITextField *)textField {
    return [self isEditing];
}

Answer 1

The text editing should really be handled in a controller rather than a view. Your custom cell is a view, the appropriate place to put the text field delegate methods would be the detail view controller.

Here is your solution:

Pass the managedObjectModel of your root view controller to your detail view controller as a property. Do the same with the managed object to be edited.

In the delegate methods of your text field, update the object’s properties as appropriate

- (void)textFieldDidEndEditing:(UITextField *)textField {
   self.managedObject.textAttribute = textField.text;
}

Finally, in your handlers of the Done and Cancel buttons, save or discard the changes:

-(void)cancel {
   [self.managedObjectContext rollback];
   [self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];  // or pop
}

-(void)done {
   [self.managedObjectContext save:nil]; // better use proper error handling
   [self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];  // or pop
}