How to create a UITableViewCell with a transparent background

Question

Hi,

I'm trying to set the background color of a UITableViewCell to transparent. But nothing seems to work. I have some images/buttons inside the tableViewCell and I would like to make the white grouptableview background dissapear to get a 'floating' effect for the images and buttons (as if they were not inside the tableview).

Any idea how this could be accomplished?

Answer 1

viewCell.contentView.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];

Answer 2

Start with these articles to get the background correctly setup:

http://howtomakeiphoneapps.com/2009/03/how-to-add-a-nice-background-image-to-your-grouped-table-view/

http://pessoal.org/blog/2009/02/25/customizing-the-background-border-colors-of-a-uitableview/

Then try all the following lines:

[[cell contentView] setBbackgroundColor:[UIColor clearColor]];
[[cell backgroundView] setBbackgroundColor:[UIColor clearColor]];
[cell setBbackgroundColor:[UIColor clearColor]];

There is more than just one view hiding in a UITableViewCell. This should make all of the ones in your way clear.

Answer 3

If both the other options didn't work try this

UIView *backView = [[[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectZero] autorelease];
backView.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
cell.backgroundView = backView;

Answer 4

I had a problem where my custom tableviewcell backgroundimage was overlaid with a white label background, i tried everything and finally setting background to clear color in the viewWillAppear did the trick.

      - (void)viewWillAppear:(BOOL)animated
    {
[super viewWillAppear:animated];
    self.tableView.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor]; // if this is not here, cell background image is covered with a white rectangle :S
    }

and in the rowForCellAtIndexPath I set the background image:

 if(!cell) {
 cell = [[[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithFrame: ...
 UIImageView *cellBG = [[UIImageView alloc] initWithImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"cellbg.jpg"]];
 [cell setBackgroundView:cellBG];
 [cellBG release];
}

Answer 5

You can look at a short tutorial I wrote about Creating Unique Looking Table with Custom Cells that may provide some insight.

John

iPhoneDevTips

Answer 6

This is actually answered in the docs of UITableViewCell. So while you do have to setup transparency on your controls, the actual cell background color must be set per below.

"Note: If you want to change the background color of a cell (by setting the background color of a cell via the backgroundColor property declared by UIView) you must do it in the tableView:willDisplayCell:forRowAtIndexPath: method of the delegate and not in tableView:cellForRowAtIndexPath: of the data source. Changes to the background colors of cells in a group-style table view has an effect in iOS 3.0 that is different than previous versions of the operating system. It now affects the area inside the rounded rectangle instead of the area outside of it."

EDIT: adding link

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/uikit/reference/UITableViewCell_Class/Reference/Reference.html