Can't self.navigationController?.pushViewController my MessagesViewController, blank screen

[jamessuske1985]

Hi All,

I am trying to push my MessagesViewController, but when I do, I get a blank screen. I am able to present the view controller, but not push. What am I doing wrong?

let viewController = storyboard?.instantiateViewController(withIdentifier: "ChatController") as! ChatController
            
            //present(viewController, animated: true, completion: nil)
            
            self.navigationController?.pushViewController(viewController, animated: true)

[nathantannar4]

Make sure if you have overriden any functions that you called super within them

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[jamessuske1985]

Here is my whole controller:

import MessageKit
import MessageInputBar

class ChatController: MessagesViewController, MessagesDataSource, MessagesLayoutDelegate, MessagesDisplayDelegate, MessageInputBarDelegate
{
    
    var messages: [MessageClass] = []
    var member: Member!
    
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        
        let firstname = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: "firstname")
        
        let lastname = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: "lastname")
        
        member = Member(name: firstname! + " " + lastname!)
        messagesCollectionView.messagesDataSource = self
        messagesCollectionView.messagesLayoutDelegate = self
        messageInputBar.delegate = self
        messagesCollectionView.messagesDisplayDelegate = self
        
    }
    
    override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
        super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
    }
    
    func numberOfSections(
        in messagesCollectionView: MessagesCollectionView) -> Int {
        return messages.count
    }
    
    func currentSender() -> Sender {
        return Sender(id: member.name, displayName: member.name)
    }
    
    func messageForItem(
        at indexPath: IndexPath,
        in messagesCollectionView: MessagesCollectionView) -> MessageType {
        
        return messages[indexPath.section] as MessageType
    }
    
    func messageTopLabelHeight(
        for message: MessageType,
        at indexPath: IndexPath,
        in messagesCollectionView: MessagesCollectionView) -> CGFloat {
        
        return 12
    }
    
    func messageTopLabelAttributedText(
        for message: MessageType,
        at indexPath: IndexPath) -> NSAttributedString? {
        
        return NSAttributedString(
            string: message.sender.displayName,
            attributes: [.font: UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 12)])
    }
    
    func heightForLocation(message: MessageType,
                           at indexPath: IndexPath,
                           with maxWidth: CGFloat,
                           in messagesCollectionView: MessagesCollectionView) -> CGFloat {
        
        return 0
    }
    
    func configureAvatarView(
        _ avatarView: AvatarView,
        for message: MessageType,
        at indexPath: IndexPath,
        in messagesCollectionView: MessagesCollectionView) {
        
    }
    
    func messageInputBar(
        _ inputBar: MessageInputBar,
        didPressSendButtonWith text: String) {
        
        let newMessage = MessageClass(
            member: member,
            text: text,
            messageId: UUID().uuidString)
        
        messages.append(newMessage)
        inputBar.inputTextView.text = ""
        messagesCollectionView.reloadData()
        messagesCollectionView.scrollToBottom(animated: true)
    }
    
}

[jamessuske1985]

Still having the same issue, been stuck on this for days.

[nathantannar4]

I'm sorry there is little I can help with since the problem is probably in your storyboard file. Is the identifier correct? Did you reference the correct storyboard?

It is my recommendation that you do not use a storyboard. Just create an instance of ChatController and push it

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[jamessuske1985]

Can you provide an example of "Just create an instance of ChatController and push it"

…

On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 12:00 PM Nathan Tannar ***@***.***> wrote: I'm sorry there is little I can help with since the problem is probably in your storyboard file. Is the identifier correct? Did you reference the correct storyboard? It is my recommendation that you do not use a storyboard. Just create an instance of ChatController and push it Sent with GitHawk <http://githawk.com> — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#1071?email_source=notifications&email_token=AL5GTJX2DRSVP2OQN4QQJVTPVLO3DA5CNFSM4HMU6KZKYY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVREXG43VMVBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGODVL6UPI#issuecomment-492300861>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AL5GTJUEBGW6MLTQPDA25UDPVLO3DANCNFSM4HMU6KZA> .

[nathantannar4]

let vc = ChatController()

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[jamessuske1985]

I tried this and deleted the scene from the storyboard:

let viewController = ChatController()
            
self.navigationController?.pushViewController(viewController, animated: true)

And it still did not work :(

[nathantannar4]

Ok, can you please define what you mean by blank screen? Maybe attach a gif? Please explain what you have tried to do to fix this. I can not help if you do not give useful debugging information.

This isn't reproducible in the example so you probably have an error somewhere. I see in your code that you never fetch messages, so again what do you mean by blank screen when you are not even loading messages.

[jamessuske1985]

What I mean by blank screen is that nothing appears, not even the chat bar at the bottom, when I present the ChatController the bar at the bottom appears.

[jamessuske1985]

ill run it again and see if anything comes up in my log.

[jamessuske1985]

Nothing appears in my log.

[ZaneH]

Put a breakpoint in viewDidLoad

Does it ever hit?

[jamessuske1985]

Yes, it hits the break point in viewDidLoad

[jamessuske1985]

[nathantannar4]

You are using a custom view controller. Thus you have not properly allowed the ChatController to be the first responder, so the input bar never appears. There is no messages because you did not load any.

This is all something I could have quite quickly pointed out early had you been a bit more proactive with the problem description. You ignored the issue template where we ask for such info.

Please look at other issues people discuss the input bar not appearing and/or see the embedded example in the ChatExample.

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[jamessuske1985]

Where exactly is the example in the ChatExample?

[nathantannar4]

It's called embedded. But you may more likely need to correct allow canBecomeFirstResponder from your custom container controller

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[jamessuske1985]

Okay, I created this view controller with no storyboard scene

import UIKit

class ChatViewController: UIViewController {
    
    override var preferredStatusBarStyle: UIStatusBarStyle {
        return .lightContent
    }
    
    let bannerView: UIView = {
        let view = UIView()
        view.backgroundColor = .black
        view.alpha = 0.7
        return view
    }()
    
    let chatController = ChatController()
    
    override var canBecomeFirstResponder: Bool {
        return chatController.canBecomeFirstResponder
    }
    
    override var inputAccessoryView: UIView? {
        return chatController.inputAccessoryView
    }
    
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        chatController.willMove(toParent: self)
        addChild(chatController)
        view.addSubview(chatController.view)
        chatController.didMove(toParent: self)
    }
    
    override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
        super.viewWillAppear(animated)
        navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = true
        navigationController?.navigationBar.barTintColor = .clear
    }
    
    override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
        super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
        navigationController?.navigationBar.isTranslucent = false
        navigationController?.navigationBar.barTintColor = .black
    }
    
    override func viewDidLayoutSubviews() {
        super.viewDidLayoutSubviews()
        let headerHeight: CGFloat = 200
        bannerView.frame = CGRect(origin: .zero, size: CGSize(width: view.bounds.width, height: headerHeight))
        chatController.view.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: headerHeight, width: view.bounds.width, height: view.bounds.height - headerHeight)
    }
    
}

and I am doing my push like so:

self.navigationController?.pushViewController(ChatViewController(), animated: true)

but now I am getting this blank screen with no tool bar.

[nathantannar4]

But where is your ChatViewController held? Before you saw you had some custom drawer controller. I think it's the reason the input bar is not appearing because it doesn't allow your ChatViewController to be the first responder

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[jamessuske1985]

My bad, I named my View Controller to ChatViewController...bad name, I changed the name to ChatContainerController but I still have the same issue. ChatContainerController is like your MessageContainerController and my ChatController is a MessagesViewController

[jamessuske1985]

I did notice that return chatController.canBecomeFirstResponder is not being called

[jamessuske1985]

I have break points in both controllers and they are both being called.

[jamessuske1985]

Any additional information you need? chatController.canBecomeFirstResponder is not being called

[nathantannar4]

Again I will state the issue is you custom drawer container controller. If you built it yourself you should review https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/featuredarticles/ViewControllerPGforiPhoneOS/ImplementingaContainerViewController.html

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[stale]

This issue has been marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs.

[stale]

This issue has been auto-closed because there hasn't been any activity for at least 21 days. However, we really appreciate your contribution, so thank you for that! 🙏 Also, feel free to open a new issue if you still experience this problem 👍.