Setting action for back button in navigation controller

Overriding the Back Button Action in a Navigation Controller

📝 Hey there! Are you facing issues with setting a custom action for the back button in a navigation controller? Don't worry, you're not alone! Many developers encounter this problem and struggle to find a solution. In this blog post, I'll guide you through the process of overriding the default back button action and provide you with easy solutions to get it working the way you want. Let's dive in! 🏊‍♂️

Understanding the Problem

🤔 So, you're trying to set a custom action for the back button in a navigation controller, but the default action is always triggered, causing the view to pop and go back to the root. You've tried setting the target and action on a custom button, but it didn't work as expected. When you assigned it to the backBarButtonItem property of the navigationItem, the action was ignored. On the other hand, assigning it to the leftBarButtonItem property called your action, but the button lost its arrowed back appearance. 😓

Identifying the Solution

💡 To override the default back button action, we need to take a slightly different approach. Instead of directly setting the target and action on the back button itself, we'll use the viewWillDisappear method to execute our custom action before the view pops and goes back. This way, we can ensure that our code is always called when leaving the current view. 💪

Here's how you can do it:

1. Remove any code related to setting the backBarButtonItem or leftBarButtonItem.

2. Implement the viewWillDisappear method in your view controller:

override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
    if self.isMovingFromParent {
        // Perform your custom action here
        self.home()
    }
}

Or if you're using Objective-C:

- (void)viewWillDisappear:(BOOL)animated {
    [super viewWillDisappear:animated];
    if (self.isMovingFromParentViewController) {
        // Perform your custom action here
        [self home];
    }
}

🎉 That's it! By implementing this method, you ensure that your custom action is always called before the view is popped. Whether the user taps the back button or uses a gesture to go back, your code will be executed. And the best part is, the back button will retain its original appearance!

Conclusion and Call-to-Action

🎊 Congratulations! You've successfully learned how to override the default back button action in a navigation controller. Now, you can implement your custom code before the view is popped and enjoy a seamless user experience. Remember, using the viewWillDisappear method is the key to achieving this. Feel free to incorporate this solution into your projects and create intuitive navigation flows. 😄

Was this blog post helpful to you? Let me know in the comments below! If you encountered any other issues or have additional questions, I'm here to help. Let's make our apps more user-friendly and interactive together! 🌈📱

Happy coding! 💻✨