How to include variable length images as UITableViewCell background in iPhone? - iphone

Question

I have to include a speech bubble as shown in the attached image as background in a table view cell.
But the bubbles keep varying in height based on the text length. What is the best way to implement this?

Answer 1

You need to calculate the cell height according to the text length, I usually make a class method in my custom UITableViewCell that do this.
+ (CGFloat)cellHeightForText:(NSString *)text
{
CGFloat cellHeight = 0.0;
// calculate cellHeight height according to text length
// here you set the maximum width and height you want the text to be
CGSize maxSize = CGSizeMake(kTextMaxWidth, kTextMaxHeight);
CGSize size = [text sizeWithFont:TEXT_FONT
constrainedToSize:maxSize
lineBreakMode:UILineBreakModeWordWrap];
// set some minimum height for the cell (if the text is too short..)
cellHeight = MAX(size.height, kMinHeight);
// here I usually increase the cellHeight according to the cell's other subviews
// because if you have other subviews under/above the bubble you need to count them
// and add height to the cell...
cellHeight += kSomeSpaceToAdd;
return cellHeight;
}
Then u call this method in heightForRowAtIndexPath
- (CGFloat)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView heightForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
Message *currMessage = [self.myMessages objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
CGFloat height = [MyCustomCell cellHeightForText:currMessage.text];
return height;
}
Of course you should also set the bubble image frame according to the text length, I something do this in the custom cell layoutSubviews method, at this point the cell height already set so you can use it (self.bounds.size.height) to set your bubble image accordingly..