AutoLayout: removeFromSuperview / removeConstraint

Question

We use auto layout constraints selectively, primarily to position labels in relation to editable field elements (UITextView, UITextField, typically). However, since implementing auto layout for these fields, we're seeing a nasty exception and crash whenever we're unloading views, deallocating, etc. The exceptions are happening as it's attempting to remove the constraints from a view before unloading it.

Our view/controller hierarchy is as such:

UITableViewController (plain style, but with cell appearance to mimic grouped style)
--> UITableViewCell
----> UIViewController (container for editable form)
------> UICollectionViewController (editable form)
--------> UICollectionViewCell
-----------> UIViewController (editable field)
--------------> UILabel (field label)                   **HAS CONSTRAINTS**
--------------> UITextView / UITextField (field value)  **HAS CONSTRAINTS**

Many times when the upper level table cells are being deallocated/replaced/reloaded, we see a huge exception and then crash as it's trying to deallocate/unload the view hierarchy within.

I've attempted to mitigate the crash by catching the exception (no help) and also by forcefully removing all of the constraints on the affected view and all of the subviews prior to deallocation/unload (in viewWillDisappear:) and it doesn't seem to help. I've even tried to remove these constraints one by one to see if there's one in particular that's causing the trouble but all of them are blowing up when we call removeConstraint: or removeConstraints: on a container in preparation for disappearing.

I'm baffled! Here's a snippet of our exception -- roughly about 3000 lines have been chopped out of it, so if you need more, just ask.

Exception while deallocating view: { Rows:
    0x18911270.posErrorMarker == 4 + 1*0x18911270.negError + 1*0x189112f0.marker + -1*0x189113f0.negError + 1*0x189113f0.posErrorMarker + 1*0x18911a60.marker + -0.5*0x1892dae0.negError + 0.5*0x1892dae0.posErrorMarker + 1*0x18951520.negError + -1*0x18951520.posErrorMarker + -0.5*0x18958090.negError + 0.5*0x18958090.posErrorMarker
    0x189112b0.negError == 12 + 1*0x189112b0.posErrorMarker + -1*0x189112f0.marker + 1*0x189113f0.negError + -1*0x189113f0.posErrorMarker + -1*0x18911a60.marker + 1*0x18925530.marker + 0.5*0x1892dae0.negError + -0.5*0x1892dae0.posErrorMarker + 1*0x1893e080.marker + 0.5*0x18958090.negError + -0.5*0x18958090.posErrorMarker + 1*0x18963640.marker
    0x18911370.negError == 9 + -1*0x189112f0.marker + 1*0x18911370.posErrorMarker + 1*0x18925530.marker + 1*0x1892dae0.negError + -1*0x1892dae0.posErrorMarker + 1*0x1893e080.marker + 1*0x18963640.marker
    0x189113b0.slackMarker == 2 + -1*0x189107d0.marker + 1*0x18910b90.negError + -1*0x18910b90.posErrorMarker + 

      ........ EXPLETIVES DELETED .........

   UITableView:0xca2b000.contentHeight == 36 + 1*0xc221c00.marker
   UITableView:0xca2b000.contentWidth == 704 + 1*0xc239470.marker
   UITableView:0xca2b000.minX == 0 + 1*0xc2a23f0.marker + -0.5*0xc2a2590.marker
   UITableView:0xca2b000.minY == 0 + 1*0xc2a25d0.marker + -0.5*0xc2a2630.marker
   UITableViewCellContentView:0x18ab13d0.Height == 174 + 1*0x18abd4f0.marker
   UITableViewCellContentView:0x18ab13d0.Width == 704 + 1*0x18abd470.marker

      ........ EXPLETIVES DELETED .........

    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0x18988bc0 h=-&- v=-&- UIView:0x18911e50.midY == UIView:0x1892d0c0.midY>        Marker:0x18988bc0.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0x18994b40 h=-&- v=-&- UIView:0xc4a6fb0.midX == UIView:0xc4b4990.midX>      Marker:0x18994b40.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0x18998480 h=-&- v=-&- UIView:0x18915180.width == UIView:0xc4c5970.width>       Marker:0x18998480.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0x18aae320 h=--& v=--& TapSectionalTableViewCell:0x18a3d270.midX == + 352>      Marker:0x18aae320.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0x18aae410 h=--& v=--& H:[TapSectionalTableViewCell:0x18a3d270(704)]>       Marker:0x18aae410.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0x18aae450 h=--& v=--& TapSectionalTableViewCell:0x18a3d270.midY == + 144>      Marker:0x18aae450.marker

      ........ EXPLETIVES DELETED .........

    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0xc2de2f0 h=--& v=--& TapGenericCollectionCell:0xc2ac500.midX == + 499>     Marker:0xc2de2f0.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0xc2de3b0 h=--& v=--& V:[TapGenericCollectionCell:0xc2ac500(34)]>       Marker:0xc2de3b0.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0xc2de430 h=-&- v=-&- UIView:0x18953f80.height == UIView:0xc2acb20.height>      Marker:0xc2de430.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0xc2de520 h=-&- v=-&- UIView:0x18923af0.height == UIView:0xc2ae570.height>      Marker:0xc2de520.marker
    <NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraint:0xc2de560 h=--& v=--& H:[TapGenericCollectionCell:0xc2ac500(280)]>      Marker:0xc2de560.marker

      ........ EXPLETIVES DELETED .........

    <NSContentSizeLayoutConstraint:0xc2f5730 H:[_UIBaselineLayoutStrut:0x18994a30(0)] Hug:250 CompressionResistance:750>        Marker:0xc2f5730.posErrorMarker
    <NSContentSizeLayoutConstraint:0xc2f5730 H:[_UIBaselineLayoutStrut:0x18994a30(0)] Hug:250 CompressionResistance:750>        Marker:0xc2f5730.posErrorMarker
    <NSContentSizeLayoutConstraint:0xc2f5770 V:[_UIBaselineLayoutStrut:0x18994a30(18)] Hug:250 CompressionResistance:750>       Marker:0xc2f5770.posErrorMarker

internal error.  Cannot find an outgoing row head for incoming head UIView:0x189712b0.Width, which should never happen.'

/**** BEGIN Individual Field Controller - This code is from the base individual field controller used in our editable form collection *****/

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    self.view.clipsToBounds = YES;
    self.view.opaque = YES;

    CGRect viewFrame = self.view.frame;
    viewFrame.size = [self defaultFieldSize];
    self.view.frame = viewFrame;

    if (self.backgroundColor) {
        self.view.backgroundColor = self.backgroundColor;
    }
    else {
        self.view.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
    }
    [self createLabelAndField];

    [self setLabelAndFieldContraints];

    [self.view addConstraints:self.labelValueConstraints];
    [self.view setNeedsUpdateConstraints];
}

- (void)createLabelAndField {
    [self removeLabelAndField];

    UILabel *label = [[UILabel alloc] init];
    label.font = self.labelFont;
    label.textColor = self.labelColor;
    label.lineBreakMode = NSLineBreakByWordWrapping;
    label.textAlignment = NSTextAlignmentLeft;
    label.adjustsFontSizeToFitWidth = NO;
    label.numberOfLines = 0;

    if (self.backgroundColor) {
        label.backgroundColor = self.backgroundColor;
    }
    else {
        label.backgroundColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
    }

    [self.view addSubview:label];

    self.label = label;


    /// EXAMPLE valueView initialization from a subclass that handles long text

    TapEditableTextView *textView = [[TapEditableTextView alloc] init];
    if (self.hasLabelOverValue) {
        textView.shouldMimicTextField = NO;
    }
    else {
        textView.shouldMimicTextField = YES;
    }
    textView.delegate = self;
    textView.keyboardType = UIKeyboardTypeDefault;
    textView.font = self.valueFont;
    textView.textColor = self.valueColor;
    textView.textAlignment = NSTextAlignmentLeft;
    textView.normalBackgroundColor = self.backgroundColor;
    textView.editable = NO;
    textView.textLines = self.textLines;

    self.valueTextView = textView;
    self.valueView = textView;
    [self.view addSubview:textView];
}

- (void)removeLabelAndField {
    [self clearConstraints];

    if (self.label) {
        [self.label removeFromSuperview];
        self.label = nil;
    }
    if (self.valueView) {
        [self.valueView removeFromSuperview];
        self.valueView = nil;
    }
}

- (void)clearConstraints {
    if (self.isViewLoaded && self.labelValueConstraints) {
        [self.view removeConstraints:self.labelValueConstraints];
    }
    self.labelValueConstraints = nil;
    self.labelToValueHorizConstraint = nil;
    self.valueWidthConstraint = nil;
}

// This is called in our field's viewDidLoad, after we've created our label and valueView (UITextField, UITextView, etc)
- (void)setLabelAndFieldContraints {
    [self clearConstraints];

    self.labelValueConstraints = [NSMutableArray array];

    self.label.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = NO;
    self.valueView.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = NO;

    NSLayoutConstraint *constraint = nil;

    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.label attribute:NSLayoutAttributeLeft
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.view attribute:NSLayoutAttributeLeft
                  multiplier:1.0f constant:self.labelValueGap];
    constraint.priority = UILayoutPriorityRequired;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];


    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.label attribute:NSLayoutAttributeTop
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.view attribute:NSLayoutAttributeTop
                  multiplier:1.0f constant:0];
    constraint.priority = 550;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];


    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.label attribute:NSLayoutAttributeBottom
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.view attribute:NSLayoutAttributeBottom
                  multiplier:1.0f constant:0];
    constraint.priority = 400;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];


    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.valueView attribute:NSLayoutAttributeTop
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.view attribute:NSLayoutAttributeTop
                  multiplier:1.0f constant:0];
    constraint.priority = UILayoutPriorityRequired;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];


    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.valueView attribute:NSLayoutAttributeBottom
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.view attribute:NSLayoutAttributeBottom
                  multiplier:1.0f constant:0];
    constraint.priority = 499;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];


     constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.valueView attribute:NSLayoutAttributeRight
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.view attribute:NSLayoutAttributeRight
                  multiplier:1.0f constant: -(kDisclosureWidth + self.labelValueGap) ];
     constraint.priority = 901;
     [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];


    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.valueView attribute:NSLayoutAttributeLeading
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationGreaterThanOrEqual
                  toItem:self.label attribute:NSLayoutAttributeTrailing
                  multiplier:1.0f constant:self.labelValueGap];
    constraint.priority = UILayoutPriorityDefaultHigh + 1;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];
    self.labelToValueHorizConstraint = constraint;


    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.label attribute:NSLayoutAttributeBaseline
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.valueView attribute:NSLayoutAttributeBaseline
                  multiplier:1.0f constant:0.f];
    constraint.priority = 600;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];


    constraint = [NSLayoutConstraint
                  constraintWithItem:self.valueView attribute:NSLayoutAttributeWidth
                  relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual
                  toItem:self.view attribute:NSLayoutAttributeWidth
                  multiplier:(1.f - self.labelWidthPercentage) constant:0];
    constraint.priority = 305;
    [self.labelValueConstraints addObject:constraint];
    self.valueWidthConstraint = constraint;


    [self setCompressionAndHuggingForLabelView:self.label];
    [self setCompressionAndHuggingForValueView:self.valueView];
}

- (void)setCompressionAndHuggingForLabelView:(UILabel *)labelView {
    if (!labelView) {
        return;
    }
    [labelView setContentCompressionResistancePriority:510 forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisHorizontal];
    [labelView setContentCompressionResistancePriority:UILayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisVertical];
    [labelView setContentHuggingPriority:450 forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisHorizontal];
    [labelView setContentHuggingPriority:UILayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisVertical];
}

- (void)setCompressionAndHuggingForValueView:(UIView *)valueView {
    if (!valueView) {
        return;
    }
    [valueView setContentCompressionResistancePriority:509 forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisHorizontal];
    [valueView setContentCompressionResistancePriority:UILayoutPriorityDefaultHigh forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisVertical];
    [valueView setContentHuggingPriority:300 forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisHorizontal];
    [valueView setContentHuggingPriority:650 forAxis:UILayoutConstraintAxisVertical];
}

/****** END Individual Field Controller ******/

Answer 1

I just stumbled across the same error under OSX Mavericks with an OSX app I'm developing, but unlike the other answers given, I definitely don't have any other threads interacting with the UI objects, and the view hierarchy in question is definitely visible too. I'm not using blocks either. Bizarrely the problem went away when I removed a vertical constraint on an NSTextField.

FWIW the problematic view whose removal from its superview causes the "internal error. Cannot find an outgoing row head for incoming head" error is one of many side-panel controls which together present the properties of objects in the main view which can be cut, copied, created etc. This means that the user can be pasting new objects into the main view quite rapidly, meaning the side-panel's controls are being destroyed and new ones created very rapidly, too. Of course, with everything in the main thread, this should not make a difference, but it seems to.

The exact constraint causing problems was

[self addConstraint: [NSLayoutConstraint constraintWithItem:control attribute:NSLayoutAttributeHeight relatedBy:NSLayoutRelationEqual toItem:other attribute:NSLayoutAttributeHeight multiplier:1.4 constant:0.0]];

where control is the (editable) NSTextField causing problems, and 'other' is another (non-editable) NSTextField label.

Answer 2

For anyone encountering this issue in any iOS version > 8.0, the Apple docs state to use the "active" property on the NSLayoutConstraint rather than the removeConstraint/addConstraint functions on UIView. Apple Docs addConstraint reference

Answer 3

In my case it was a proportional width constraint with 8:9 multiplier. I changed it to 7:9 and it worked.

BTW the easiest way to find a constraint is to start removing views from view controller. Do it using binary algorithm :) removing half views, then half of the half that makes app crash, etc.

Answer 4

According to Apple Documentation:

When developing for iOS 8.0 or later, set the constraint’s active property to YES instead of calling the addConstraint: method directly. The active property automatically adds and removes the constraint from the correct view.

In my case I had to modify the width constraint

for var constraint in self.navigationBar.constraints {
            if constraint.identifier == "theProgressWidth" {
                let sizeWidth = self.navigationBar.frame.size.width
                constraint = NSLayoutConstraint(item: progress!, attribute: .Width, relatedBy: .Equal, toItem: self.navigationBar, attribute: .Width, multiplier: ((sizeWidth * (level / 100)) / sizeWidth), constant: 0)
                constraint.active = true
            }
        }

Answer 5

Deallocation problem — one possibility

Your code that works with auto-layout may well run on the main thread but one of the blocks that's run in background and uses your view (perhaps indirectly), may hold a strong reference the view or one of its owner like view controller (that's the default behavior of Objective-C blocks). When such a block is run and deallocated on a background queue, strong references that it captures are released on that same queue and you may face a well known deallocation problem.

1. In your view controller, make sure you are using weak reference to self in all blocks that do not need a strong reference (and may run in background). You can declare it like this: __weak typeof(self) weakSelf = self; before the block — and use weakSelf inside the block.

2. Same goes for any local variables that hold references to your views — make sure their values are captured as weak refs.

Another possibility

In my work, I've encountered a similar issue on iOS 6 when hidden view participated in layout. Removing the view from hierarchy (-[UIView removeFromSuperview]) instead of setting hidden property to YES fixed the issue for me.

Answer 6

I got this problem with MZFormSheetController pod: https://github.com/m1entus/MZFormSheetController/issues/78

This code crashes:

[formSheetController.view addSubview:self.sharePanel];
// ...
[self.sharePanel removeFromSuperview]; // <-- CRASHES HERE

My solution is very strange but it works:

[self.sharePanel removeFromSuperview]; // <-- This line helps to avoid crash
[formSheetController.view addSubview:self.sharePanel];
// ...
[self.sharePanel removeFromSuperview];

And here is sharePanel property declaration:

@property (weak, nonatomic) IBOutlet UIView *sharePanel;