How to Edit Empty Spaces of Left, Right UIBarButto

Question

I was using iOS 6.1 earlier, but now I have moved to iOS 7. Along with other problems, I have observed that in my navigation bar, the left space of left bar button item and right empty space of the right button bar item are quite more in IOS 7 than in iOS 6.

I need to know is there a way I can reduce empty spaces of left, right bar button items in navigation bar??

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Based on @C_X his answer I've created a category which adds and positions the UIBarButtonItem based on the iOS version of the current device.

// UINavigationItem+Additions.h
@interface UINavigationItem (Additions)
- (void)addLeftBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)leftBarButtonItem;
- (void)addRightBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)rightBarButtonItem;
@end

// UINavigationItem+Additions.m
@implementation UINavigationItem (Additions)

- (void)addLeftBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)leftBarButtonItem
{
    if ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] floatValue] >= 7.0) {
        // Add a negative spacer on iOS >= 7.0
        UIBarButtonItem *negativeSpacer = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFixedSpace
                              target:nil action:nil];
        negativeSpacer.width = -10;
        [self setLeftBarButtonItems:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:negativeSpacer, leftBarButtonItem, nil]];
    } else {
        // Just set the UIBarButtonItem as you would normally
        [self setLeftBarButtonItem:leftBarButtonItem];
    }
}

- (void)addRightBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)rightBarButtonItem
{
    if ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] floatValue] >= 7.0) {
        // Add a negative spacer on iOS >= 7.0
        UIBarButtonItem *negativeSpacer = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc]
                                       initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFixedSpace
                                       target:nil action:nil];
        negativeSpacer.width = -10;
        [self setRightBarButtonItems:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:negativeSpacer, rightBarButtonItem, nil]];
    } else {
        // Just set the UIBarButtonItem as you would normally
        [self setRightBarButtonItem:rightBarButtonItem];
    }
}

@end

In your view controller you can now use [self.navigationItem addLeftBarButtonItem:leftBarButtonItem]; and [self.navigationItem addRightBarButtonItem:rightBarButtonItem];

I've also tried subclassing UIButton and override -alignmentRectInsets but this gave me problems with transitions between views.

Answer 2

Following smek's lead I made a category but modified it to provide backwards compatibility rather than forwards. I setup everything to work how I want it in iOS 7 and then if the user is running something lower I start mucking with things.

@interface UINavigationItem (BarButtonItemSpacingSupport)

- (void)addLeftBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)leftBarButtonItem;
- (void)addRightBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)rightBarButtonItem;

@end

@implementation UINavigationItem (BarButtonItemSpacingSupport)

- (void)addLeftBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)leftBarButtonItem
{
    if (SYSTEM_VERSION_LESS_THAN(@"7.0")) {
        // Add a spacer on when running lower than iOS 7.0
        UIBarButtonItem *negativeSpacer = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFixedSpace
                                                                                        target:nil action:nil];
        negativeSpacer.width = 10;
        [self setLeftBarButtonItems:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:negativeSpacer, leftBarButtonItem, nil]];
    } else {
        // Just set the UIBarButtonItem as you would normally
        [self setLeftBarButtonItem:leftBarButtonItem];
    }
}

- (void)addRightBarButtonItem:(UIBarButtonItem *)rightBarButtonItem
{
    if (SYSTEM_VERSION_LESS_THAN(@"7.0")) {
        // Add a spacer on when running lower than iOS 7.0
        UIBarButtonItem *negativeSpacer = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc]
                                           initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFixedSpace
                                           target:nil action:nil];
        negativeSpacer.width = 10;
        [self setRightBarButtonItems:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:negativeSpacer, rightBarButtonItem, nil]];
    } else {
        // Just set the UIBarButtonItem as you would normally
        [self setRightBarButtonItem:rightBarButtonItem];
    }
}

@end

And then to get this globally, I have a thin UIViewController subclass that all of my view controllers inherit from.

@interface INFViewController : UIViewController

@end

@implementation INFViewController

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    if (SYSTEM_VERSION_LESS_THAN(@"7.0")) {
        [self setupNavBarForPreIOS7Support];
    }
}

- (void)setupNavBarForPreIOS7Support {
    if (self.navigationController) {
        UINavigationItem *navigationItem = self.navigationItem;
        UIBarButtonItem *leftItem = navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem;
        UIBarButtonItem *rightItem = navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem;

        if (leftItem) {
            [navigationItem addLeftBarButtonItem:leftItem];
        }

        if (rightItem) {
            [navigationItem addRightBarButtonItem:rightItem];
        }
    }
}

@end

I realize that I am checking the OS version twice (once in INFViewController and again in the category), I left it in the category incase I want to use this as a one-off anywhere in the project.

Answer 3

I believe you need to use a custom button with a UIButton subclass, and in your subclass, override -alignmentRectInsets. I forget whether you need a positive or negative value for the appropriate edge to get it to shift correctly, but if one doesn’t work, try the other.

Answer 4

I was also facing this problem. I also have feelings that in iOS 7 there is more space. And I figured out that this is about 10 points more. I usually use negative spaces when I want for LeftBarItemButton to start from the edge. This can be useful for you as well.

UIBarButtonItem *negativeSpacer = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFixedSpace target:nil action:nil];

negativeSpacer.width = -16; // it was -6 in iOS 6

[self.navigationItem setLeftBarButtonItems:@[negativeSpacer, requiredButton]; /* this will be the button which you actually need */] animated:NO];

Answer 5

Nice decision, thanks a lot! I needed to add just two elements to the left side of navigation header. This is my solution:

  // Settings Button
  // This trick correct spacing between two left buttons
  UIBarButtonItem *settingsButtonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] init];
  UIView *settingsButtonItemView = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0, 0.0, 22.0, 22.0)];
  settingsButtonItem.customView = settingsButtonItemView;
  UIButton *settingsButton = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeSystem];
  settingsButton.frame = settingsButtonItemView.frame;
  [settingsButton setImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"settings"] forState:UIControlStateNormal];
  settingsButton.tintColor = [[[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate] window] tintColor];
  [settingsButton addTarget:self action:@selector(showSettings:) forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchDown];
  [settingsButtonItemView addSubview:settingsButton];

  // Star Button
  UIBarButtonItem *starButtonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"star_gray"] style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:@selector(showStarred)];
  starButtonItem.width = 22.0;
  NSLog(@"%f", starButtonItem.width);

  // Negative Spacer
  // It shifts star button to the left
  UIBarButtonItem *negativeSpacer = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemFixedSpace target:nil action:nil];
  negativeSpacer.width = -10.0;

  NSArray *leftNavigtaionBarButtonItems = @[negativeSpacer, starButtonItem, settingsButtonItem];
  [self.navigationItem setLeftBarButtonItems:leftNavigtaionBarButtonItems];

Answer 6

As of iOS 11 wont accept negative space width, in order to align the bar button items to the margin, I have used the below code.

 override func viewWillLayoutSubviews() {
                super.viewWillLayoutSubviews()
                for view in (self.navigationController?.navigationBar.subviews)! {
                    view.layoutMargins = UIEdgeInsets.zero
                }
            }