How to disable translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints in Interface Builder .xib file

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When loading a UIView from a nib file, the view usually has translatesAutoresizingMastIntoConstraints set to YES.

As a consequence, you cannot add top level constraints to the view (e.g. width and height).

In the past I have been able to generate a top level view which does allow me to create top level constraints, and sets translatesAutoresizingMastIntoConstraints to NO.

How can I get this behavior when loading a UIView from a nib without subclassing it?

asked 24 secs ago

Senseful

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1 Answer

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This seems to be an undocumented Xcode feature (tested on Xcode 6).

I will use the following terms:

• Static view: the default views which do not allow top level constraints, and have translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints set to YES.


• Constrainable view: a view which allows you to create top level constraints, and has translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints set to NO.

First let's take a look at some of their differences...

Static view

.xib contents:

<view contentMode="scaleToFill" id="bU6-qJ-x7d" userLabel="STATIC">
    <rect key="frame" x="0.0" y="0.0" width="320" height="439"/>
    <autoresizingMask key="autoresizingMask" widthSizable="YES" heightSizable="YES"/>
    <color key="backgroundColor" white="1" alpha="1" colorSpace="custom" customColorSpace="calibratedWhite"/>
    <nil key="simulatedStatusBarMetrics"/>
    <freeformSimulatedSizeMetrics key="simulatedDestinationMetrics"/>
    <point key="canvasLocation" x="687" y="37.5"/>
</view>

More info:

• <UIView: 0x7fec19ccb1b0; frame = (0 0; 320 439); autoresize = W+H; layer = <CALayer: 0x7fec19ccae80>>


• translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints: YES


• Cannot add top level constraints in Interface Builder.

Constrainable view

.xib contents:

<view contentMode="scaleToFill" translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints="NO" id="0G6-nE-8IZ" userLabel="CONSTRAINABLE">
    <rect key="frame" x="0.0" y="0.0" width="320" height="439"/>
    <color key="backgroundColor" white="1" alpha="1" colorSpace="calibratedWhite"/>
    <nil key="simulatedStatusBarMetrics"/>
    <freeformSimulatedSizeMetrics key="simulatedDestinationMetrics"/>
    <point key="canvasLocation" x="687" y="-455.5"/>
</view>

More info:

• <UIView: 0x7f9503eb2ba0; frame = (0 0; 320 439); autoresize = RM+BM; layer = <CALayer: 0x7f9503e9dc80>>


• translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints: NO


• Can add top level constraints in Interface Builder.

Subtle differences:

• The static one has an <autoresizingMask ... element.


• Dragging in a UIView from the Object Library produces a Static view.

1. Drag a UIView into another to create a subview. (If you don't have anything in a nib, you need to temporarily drag a view in there, and delete it at the end of this process).


2. Add a constraint to that view which the view will own (e.g. create a width constraint).


3. Drag the view out of its superview and drop it on the white part of the Interface Builder document.


4. It should now not have a superview and you should be able to create top level constraints on the view.

answered 24 secs ago

Senseful

12.4k

How to disable translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints in Interface Builder .xib file