Multiple storyboard to manage the retina 4 and retina 3.5 - iphone

Question

Hi I'm trying to develop an app for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4s. I'm having trouble while using storyboard: I designed the storyboard for iPhone 4/4s, but when I try it on an iPhone 5 my GUI sucks...
I read on the internet that the easiest solution it's to use 2 storyboard: one for retina 4 and one for retina 3.5.
I wanted to ask you how I can call the different storyboard by code?
I created 2 storyboard file:
MainStoryboard.storyboard
MainStoryboardiPhone5.stroryboard
I found on internet that i should obtain the screen size of the device and load a different storyboard, but where I should do that? In Appdelegate.m in method
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
To detect the size of the display I founded this code on the web:
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
if (screenBounds.size.height == 568) {
NSLog(#"retina 4");
} else {
NSLog(#"retina 3.5");
}
return YES;
}
Now I should only find a way to invoke the different storyboard when I detect a retina 4 or a retina 3.5.
What I should do to invoke the correct storyboard?
Thank you

Answer 1

The iPhone 5's screen has a height of 568.
You can simply use this macro to check it its iPhone 5:
#define IS_IPHONE_5 (fabs((double)[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds].size.height - (double)568) < DBL_EPSILON)
Then in your AppDelegate.m check for iPhone 5 and load that particular storyboard.
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
UIStoryboard *mainStoryboard = nil;
if (IS_IPHONE_5) {
mainStoryboard = [UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:#"MainStoryboardiPhone5" bundle:nil];
}
else {
mainStoryboard = [UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:#"MainStoryboard" bundle:nil];
}
self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds]];
self.window.rootViewController = [mainStoryboard instantiateInitialViewController];
[self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
return YES;
}
UPDATE:
Using the following macro
// Check if device is iPhone 5
#define IS_IPHONE_5 (fabs((double)[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds].size.height - (double)568) < DBL_EPSILON)
// Get the storyboard name according to the device
#define GET_STORYBOARD_NAME(controllerName) IS_IPHONE_5 ? controllerName : [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#-iPhone4",controllerName]
Now in your App Delegate
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
UIStoryboard * storyboard = [UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:GET_STORYBOARD_NAME(#"Main") bundle:nil];
self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds]];
self.window.rootViewController = [storyboard instantiateInitialViewController];
[self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
return YES;
}
Note:
Always the iPhone4 storyboard name should be in this format
YourStoryboardName-iPhone4.storyboard

Answer 2

I know it's not really what you're asking, but it's really worth persevering with AutoLayout. Unless your views are so different (eg, using different graphics, etc), AutoLayout can cope with pretty much anything by way of rearranging stuff. It's tricky to start with as it doesn't really use static positions for your layout items, it works by you telling it your intentions for how to place things relative to everything else (superview, other items, etc). Check out some tutorials online (Ray Wenderlich's one is very good).