Why doesn't initWithNibName work for my UIViewController subclass?

Question

I have subclassed UIViewController into a new class, PageViewController (I'm writing a simple book app). I want to add a new view loaded from a nib file and am using the following code. It works.

PageViewController *viewController1 = [[UIViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"Page1" bundle:nil];
[viewController1.view setUserInteractionEnabled:YES];
[self.view addSubview:viewController1.view];

However, the first line is wrong because I should be calling alloc on PageViewController. When I correct it (below), the code compiles but the xib file doesn't load and the view is just transparent.

    PageViewController *viewController1 = [[PageViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"Page1" bundle:nil];
[viewController1.view setUserInteractionEnabled:YES];
[self.view addSubview:viewController1.view];

The PageViewController initWithNibName method has been uncommented and is just the default, setting self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil].

What I have tried: In the Page1 nib file, I have tried changing the File Owner class between PageViewController and UIViewController. Yes, I remembered to connect it back to the view outlet afterwards.

Help, please! I am stumped.

Answer 1

Have you overridden the loadView method in PageViewController? What if you NSLog the viewController1.view ?

Indeed, in Interface Builder, you have to set the file's owner to PageViewController, and connect it's view to the view you have in Interface Builder.

Answer 2

Just I had the same problem and your advice above let me fix it after only having failed for 30 minutes! Thanks so much! I changed the class of my nib from NSObject to the correct class. Then in 'Connections Inspector' did a drag from 'view' to 'Files Owner'. Thanks again!