UICollectionView with a sticky header

Question

I found a blog on how to make sticky headers and it works great. Only thing is I don't think it takes into account the sectionInserts.

This is how its intended to look:

I have my inserts:

collectionViewFlowLayout.sectionInset = UIEdgeInsetsMake(16, 16, 16, 16);

With the sticky header, it is moved down by 16 pixles:

I tried tinking with the original code and I think the issue is with the last part:

layoutAttributes.frame = (CGRect){
    .origin = CGPointMake(origin.x, origin.y),
    .size = layoutAttributes.frame.size

If i change it to origin.y - 16, the header will start in the right location but when pushed up, 16 pixels of the head go off screen:

I'm not sure how to get it to take into account sectionInsects. Can anybody help?

Here is the code in full from the blog:

- (NSArray *) layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:(CGRect)rect {

    NSMutableArray *answer = [[super layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:rect] mutableCopy];
    UICollectionView * const cv = self.collectionView;
    CGPoint const contentOffset = cv.contentOffset;

    NSMutableIndexSet *missingSections = [NSMutableIndexSet indexSet];
    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {
        if (layoutAttributes.representedElementCategory == UICollectionElementCategoryCell) {
            [missingSections addIndex:layoutAttributes.indexPath.section];
        }
    }
    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {
        if ([layoutAttributes.representedElementKind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {
            [missingSections removeIndex:layoutAttributes.indexPath.section];
        }
    }

    [missingSections enumerateIndexesUsingBlock:^(NSUInteger idx, BOOL *stop) {

        NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:idx];

        UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader atIndexPath:indexPath];

        [answer addObject:layoutAttributes];
    }];

    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {

        if ([layoutAttributes.representedElementKind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {

            NSInteger section = layoutAttributes.indexPath.section;
            NSInteger numberOfItemsInSection = [cv numberOfItemsInSection:section];

            NSIndexPath *firstCellIndexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:section];
            NSIndexPath *lastCellIndexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:MAX(0, (numberOfItemsInSection - 1)) inSection:section];

            UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *firstCellAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForItemAtIndexPath:firstCellIndexPath];
            UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *lastCellAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForItemAtIndexPath:lastCellIndexPath];

            CGFloat headerHeight = CGRectGetHeight(layoutAttributes.frame);
            CGPoint origin = layoutAttributes.frame.origin;
            origin.y = MIN(
                MAX(
                    contentOffset.y,
                    (CGRectGetMinY(firstCellAttrs.frame) - headerHeight)
                ),
                (CGRectGetMaxY(lastCellAttrs.frame) - headerHeight)
            );

            layoutAttributes.zIndex = 1024;
            layoutAttributes.frame = (CGRect){
                .origin = origin,
                .size = layoutAttributes.frame.size
            };
        }
    }

    return answer;
}

Answer 1

This is really a good solution and works perfectly. However, since we have to return YES from shouldINvalidateLayoutForBoundsChange, this basically calls prepareLayout every time the view scrolls. Now, IF your prepareLayout has the responsibility of creating the layout attributes, which is quite common, this will immensely affect the scroll performance.

One solution, which worked for me, is to not create the layout attributes in prepareLayout but instead do it in a separate method which you call explicitly before calling invalidateLayout. UICollectionView calls prepareLayout as and when it feels it needs to know about the layout and hence this solution will take care of those cases also.

Answer 2

Fix by Todd Laney to handle Horizontal and Vertical scrolling and to take into account the sectionInsets:

https://gist.github.com/evadne/4544569

@implementation StickyHeaderFlowLayout

- (NSArray *) layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:(CGRect)rect {

    NSMutableArray *answer = [[super layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:rect] mutableCopy];

    NSMutableIndexSet *missingSections = [NSMutableIndexSet indexSet];
    for (NSUInteger idx=0; idx<[answer count]; idx++) {
        UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes = answer[idx];

        if (layoutAttributes.representedElementCategory == UICollectionElementCategoryCell) {
            [missingSections addIndex:layoutAttributes.indexPath.section];  // remember that we need to layout header for this section
        }
        if ([layoutAttributes.representedElementKind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {
            [answer removeObjectAtIndex:idx];  // remove layout of header done by our super, we will do it right later
            idx--;
        }
    }

    // layout all headers needed for the rect using self code
    [missingSections enumerateIndexesUsingBlock:^(NSUInteger idx, BOOL *stop) {
        NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:idx];
        UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader atIndexPath:indexPath];
        if (layoutAttributes != nil) {
            [answer addObject:layoutAttributes];
        }
    }];

    return answer;
}

- (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *)layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:(NSString *)kind atIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *attributes = [super layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:kind atIndexPath:indexPath];
    if ([kind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {
        UICollectionView * const cv = self.collectionView;
        CGPoint const contentOffset = cv.contentOffset;
        CGPoint nextHeaderOrigin = CGPointMake(INFINITY, INFINITY);

        if (indexPath.section+1 < [cv numberOfSections]) {
            UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *nextHeaderAttributes = [super layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:kind atIndexPath:[NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:indexPath.section+1]];
            nextHeaderOrigin = nextHeaderAttributes.frame.origin;
        }

        CGRect frame = attributes.frame;
        if (self.scrollDirection == UICollectionViewScrollDirectionVertical) {
            frame.origin.y = MIN(MAX(contentOffset.y, frame.origin.y), nextHeaderOrigin.y - CGRectGetHeight(frame));
        }
        else { // UICollectionViewScrollDirectionHorizontal
            frame.origin.x = MIN(MAX(contentOffset.x, frame.origin.x), nextHeaderOrigin.x - CGRectGetWidth(frame));
        }
        attributes.zIndex = 1024;
        attributes.frame = frame;
    }
    return attributes;
}

- (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *)initialLayoutAttributesForAppearingSupplementaryElementOfKind:(NSString *)kind atIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *attributes = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:kind atIndexPath:indexPath];
    return attributes;
}
- (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *)finalLayoutAttributesForDisappearingSupplementaryElementOfKind:(NSString *)kind atIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *attributes = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:kind atIndexPath:indexPath];
    return attributes;
}

- (BOOL) shouldInvalidateLayoutForBoundsChange:(CGRect)newBound {
    return YES;
}

@end

Answer 3

Simplest solution for iOS 9 + as it doesn't need of writing subclass of UICollectionViewFlowLayout.

In viewDidLoad of viewController with collectionView use following code:

let layout = collectionView.collectionViewLayout as? UICollectionViewFlowLayout // casting is required because UICollectionViewLayout doesn't offer header pin. Its feature of UICollectionViewFlowLayout
layout?.sectionHeadersPinToVisibleBounds = true

Answer 4

This code works for me

    -(NSArray *)layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:(CGRect)rect {
        NSMutableArray *answer = [[super layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:rect] mutableCopy];
        UICollectionView * const cv = self.collectionView;
        //CLS_LOG(@"Number of sections = %d", [cv numberOfSections]);
        CGPoint const contentOffset = cv.contentOffset;

    //CLS_LOG(@"Adding missing sections");
    NSMutableIndexSet *missingSections = [NSMutableIndexSet indexSet];
    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {
        if (layoutAttributes.representedElementCategory == UICollectionElementCategoryCell) {
            [missingSections addIndex:layoutAttributes.indexPath.section];
        }
    }
    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {
        if ([layoutAttributes.representedElementKind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {
            [missingSections removeIndex:layoutAttributes.indexPath.section];
        }
    }

    [missingSections enumerateIndexesUsingBlock:^(NSUInteger idx, BOOL *stop) {

        NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:idx];

        UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader atIndexPath:indexPath];

        [answer addObject:layoutAttributes];

    }];

    NSInteger numberOfSections = [cv numberOfSections];

    //CLS_LOG(@"For loop");
    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {

        if ([layoutAttributes.representedElementKind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {

            NSInteger section = layoutAttributes.indexPath.section;
            //CLS_LOG(@"Customizing layout attribute for header in section %d with number of items = %d", section, [cv numberOfItemsInSection:section]);

            if (section < numberOfSections) {
                NSInteger numberOfItemsInSection = [cv numberOfItemsInSection:section];

                NSIndexPath *firstObjectIndexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:section];
                NSIndexPath *lastObjectIndexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:MAX(0, (numberOfItemsInSection - 1)) inSection:section];

                BOOL cellsExist;
                UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *firstObjectAttrs;
                UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *lastObjectAttrs;

                if (numberOfItemsInSection > 0) { // use cell data if items exist
                    cellsExist = YES;
                    firstObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForItemAtIndexPath:firstObjectIndexPath];
                    lastObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForItemAtIndexPath:lastObjectIndexPath];
                } else { // else use the header and footer
                    cellsExist = NO;
                    firstObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader
                                                                            atIndexPath:firstObjectIndexPath];
                    lastObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionFooter
                                                                           atIndexPath:lastObjectIndexPath];

                }

                CGFloat topHeaderHeight = (cellsExist) ? CGRectGetHeight(layoutAttributes.frame) : 0;
                CGFloat bottomHeaderHeight = CGRectGetHeight(layoutAttributes.frame);
                CGRect frameWithEdgeInsets = UIEdgeInsetsInsetRect(layoutAttributes.frame,
                                                                   cv.contentInset);

                CGPoint origin = frameWithEdgeInsets.origin;

                origin.y = MIN(
                               MAX(
                                   contentOffset.y + cv.contentInset.top,
                                   (CGRectGetMinY(firstObjectAttrs.frame) - topHeaderHeight)
                                   ),
                               (CGRectGetMaxY(lastObjectAttrs.frame) - bottomHeaderHeight)
                               );

                layoutAttributes.zIndex = 1024;
                layoutAttributes.frame = (CGRect){
                    .origin = origin,
                    .size = layoutAttributes.frame.size
                };
            }
        }

    }

    return answer;

}

- (BOOL) shouldInvalidateLayoutForBoundsChange:(CGRect)newBound {
    return YES;
}

Try this guys...

Answer 5

None of the above worked for me. I was looking for a clean layout that, taking care of my insets, give me a Photo.app style scrolling collection.

I adapted the solution prosed here to take care of edgeInsets settings. For clarity I attach the complete solution here. However, you can get the complete solution from the following gist: #3e1955a4492a897e677f.

@implementation SpringboardLayout

- (id)init
{
    if (self = [super init])
    {
        self.headerReferenceSize = CGSizeMake(0, 50);
        self.footerReferenceSize = CGSizeMake(0, 0);
        self.sectionInset = UIEdgeInsetsMake(10, 10, 80, 10);
        self.scrollDirection = UICollectionViewScrollDirectionVertical;
        self.minimumInteritemSpacing = 10;
        self.minimumLineSpacing = 10;
        if(IS_IPHONE_6 || IS_IPHONE_6PLUS) {
            self.itemSize = CGSizeMake(100, 128);
        } else {
            self.itemSize = CGSizeMake(80, 108);
        }
    }
    return self;
}

- (BOOL) shouldInvalidateLayoutForBoundsChange:(CGRect)newBound {
    return YES;
}

- (NSArray *)layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:(CGRect)rect {

    NSMutableArray *answer = [[super layoutAttributesForElementsInRect:rect] mutableCopy];
    UICollectionView * const cv = self.collectionView;
    CGPoint const contentOffset = cv.contentOffset;

    NSMutableIndexSet *missingSections = [NSMutableIndexSet indexSet];

    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {
        if (layoutAttributes.representedElementCategory == UICollectionElementCategoryCell) {
            [missingSections addIndex:layoutAttributes.indexPath.section];
        } else if ([layoutAttributes.representedElementKind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {
            [missingSections removeIndex:layoutAttributes.indexPath.section];
        }
    }

    [missingSections enumerateIndexesUsingBlock:^(NSUInteger idx, BOOL *stop) {

        NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:idx];

        UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader atIndexPath:indexPath];

        [answer addObject:layoutAttributes];

    }];

    for (UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *layoutAttributes in answer) {

        if ([layoutAttributes.representedElementKind isEqualToString:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader]) {

            NSInteger section = layoutAttributes.indexPath.section;
            NSInteger numberOfItemsInSection = [cv numberOfItemsInSection:section];

            NSIndexPath *firstObjectIndexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:0 inSection:section];
            NSIndexPath *lastObjectIndexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForItem:MAX(0, (numberOfItemsInSection - 1)) inSection:section];

            BOOL cellsExist;
            UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *firstObjectAttrs;
            UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes *lastObjectAttrs;

            if (numberOfItemsInSection > 0) { // use cell data if items exist
                cellsExist = YES;
                firstObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForItemAtIndexPath:firstObjectIndexPath];
                lastObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForItemAtIndexPath:lastObjectIndexPath];
            } else { // else use the header and footer
                cellsExist = NO;
                firstObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader
                                                                        atIndexPath:firstObjectIndexPath];
                lastObjectAttrs = [self layoutAttributesForSupplementaryViewOfKind:UICollectionElementKindSectionFooter
                                                                       atIndexPath:lastObjectIndexPath];

            }

            CGFloat topHeaderHeight = (cellsExist) ? CGRectGetHeight(layoutAttributes.frame) : 0;
            CGFloat bottomHeaderHeight = CGRectGetHeight(layoutAttributes.frame);
            CGRect frameWithEdgeInsets = UIEdgeInsetsInsetRect(layoutAttributes.frame,
                                                               cv.contentInset);

            CGPoint origin = frameWithEdgeInsets.origin;


            origin.y = MIN(MAX(contentOffset.y + cv.contentInset.top,
                               (CGRectGetMinY(firstObjectAttrs.frame) - topHeaderHeight - self.sectionInset.top))
                           ,(CGRectGetMaxY(lastObjectAttrs.frame) - bottomHeaderHeight + self.sectionInset.bottom));
            layoutAttributes.zIndex = 1024;
            layoutAttributes.frame = (CGRect){
                .origin = origin,
                .size = layoutAttributes.frame.size
            };
        }
    }
    return answer;
}

@end

Answer 6

You just need to create a new UICollectionViewFlowLayout with this code:

class StickyHeaderLayout: UICollectionViewFlowLayout {

    override init() {
        super.init()
        self.sectionFootersPinToVisibleBounds = true
        self.sectionHeadersPinToVisibleBounds = true
    }

    required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
        super.init(coder: aDecoder)
        self.sectionFootersPinToVisibleBounds = true
        self.sectionHeadersPinToVisibleBounds = true
    }

    override func layoutAttributesForElements(in rect: CGRect) -> [UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes]? {
        guard let attributes = super.layoutAttributesForElements(in: rect) else { return nil }

        for attribute in attributes {
            adjustAttributesIfNeeded(attribute)
        }
        return attributes
    }

    override func layoutAttributesForSupplementaryView(ofKind elementKind: String, at indexPath: IndexPath) -> UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes? {
        guard let attributes = super.layoutAttributesForSupplementaryView(ofKind: elementKind, at: indexPath) else { return nil }
        adjustAttributesIfNeeded(attributes)
        return attributes
    }

    func adjustAttributesIfNeeded(_ attributes: UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes) {
        switch attributes.representedElementKind {
        case UICollectionElementKindSectionHeader?:
            adjustHeaderAttributesIfNeeded(attributes)
        case UICollectionElementKindSectionFooter?:
            adjustFooterAttributesIfNeeded(attributes)
        default:
            break
        }
    }

    private func adjustHeaderAttributesIfNeeded(_ attributes: UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes) {
        guard let collectionView = collectionView else { return }
        guard attributes.indexPath.section == 0 else { return }

        if collectionView.contentOffset.y < 0 {
            attributes.frame.origin.y = collectionView.contentOffset.y
        }
    }

    private func adjustFooterAttributesIfNeeded(_ attributes: UICollectionViewLayoutAttributes) {
        guard let collectionView = collectionView else { return }
        guard attributes.indexPath.section == collectionView.numberOfSections - 1 else { return }

        if collectionView.contentOffset.y + collectionView.bounds.size.height > collectionView.contentSize.height {
            attributes.frame.origin.y = collectionView.contentOffset.y + collectionView.bounds.size.height - attributes.frame.size.height
        }
    }

}