Objective c global variables like width and height sharing for all view controllers

Question

I would like to define some specific sizes, like width or height using for autolayout for all view controllers. Could I create a header file, then include once, so that I can use variables storing in that header file for every view controllers?

Answer 1

You should declare them constant, if they are not supposed to change. Otherwise, you should generally avoid global variables. There are usually much better ways to accomplish the same thing.

NSUInteger const THE_ANSWER = 42;

If you must use mutating globals, you should declare them as extern.

extern NSUInteger theChangingAnswer;

Make sure you define them in one source file somewhere.

NSUInteger theChangingAnswer = 42;

Answer 2

A tricky way to do it would be to define a category for your size constants.

@interface UIViewController (MySizeConstants)
    @property (readonly, nonatomic) CGFloat mySizeConstantHeight;
    @property (readonly, nonatomic) CGFloat mySizeConstantWidth;
@end

@implementation UIViewController (MySizeConstants)
    - (CGFloat)mySizeConstantHeight { return 42.0; }
    - (CGFloat)mySizeConstantWidth { return 6 * 9.0; }
@end

The (only?) advantage is that you don't need to use a PCH or import into every view controller. The disadvantages are more numerous, but I like to present different ways of thinking about problems.

Answer 3

It sounds like what you need is a Precompiled Header! It's a file that's automatically imported into all of your files. You can define globals and have access to them in all files of your project.

They're tricky to setup the first couple times but eventually become very easy. Here's an answer on stack that walks you through what to do.

Here's some code that I highly recommend including in your .pch file:

#ifdef DEBUG
  #define DLog(...) NSLog(@"%s %@", __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, [NSString stringWithFormat:__VA_ARGS__])
  #define ALog(...) [[NSAssertionHandler currentHandler] handleFailureInFunction:[NSString stringWithCString:__PRETTY_FUNCTION__ encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding] file:[NSString stringWithCString:__FILE__ encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding] lineNumber:__LINE__ description:__VA_ARGS__]
#else
  #define DLog(...) do { } while (0)
  #ifndef NS_BLOCK_ASSERTIONS
    #define NS_BLOCK_ASSERTIONS
  #endif
  #define ALog(...) NSLog(@"%s %@", __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, [NSString stringWithFormat:__VA_ARGS__])
#endif

#define ZAssert(condition, ...) do { if (!(condition)) { ALog(__VA_ARGS__); }} while(0)

// delegate
#define UIAppDelegate (AppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate]
#define APPDELEGATE   ((AppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate])

// system
#define IS_IPHONE_4INCH (UI_USER_INTERFACE_IDIOM()==UIUserInterfaceIdiomPhone && [UIScreen mainScreen].bounds.size.height==568)
#define IS_IPAD                     (UI_USER_INTERFACE_IDIOM() == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPad)

// screen size
#define IS_IPAD (UI_USER_INTERFACE_IDIOM() == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPad)
#define IS_IPHONE (UI_USER_INTERFACE_IDIOM() == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPhone)
#define IS_IPHONE_4 (IS_IPHONE && [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds].size.height == 480.0)
#define IS_IPHONE_5 (IS_IPHONE && [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds].size.height == 568.0)
#define IS_IPHONE_6 (IS_IPHONE && [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds].size.height == 667.0)
#define IS_IPHONE_6PLUS (IS_IPHONE && [[UIScreen mainScreen] nativeScale] == 3.0f)
#define IS_IPHONE_6_PLUS (IS_IPHONE && [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds].size.height == 736.0)
#define IS_RETINA ([[UIScreen mainScreen] scale] >= 2.0)
#define IS_RETINA_DISPLAY ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(displayLinkWithTarget:selector:)] && ([UIScreen mainScreen].scale >= 2.0))
#define IS_PORTRAIT                 UIInterfaceOrientationIsPortrait([[UIApplication sharedApplication] statusBarOrientation])
#define IS_LANDSCAPE                UIInterfaceOrientationIsLandscape([[UIApplication sharedApplication] statusBarOrientation])

//system version
#define SYSTEM_VERSION_LESS_THAN(v) ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:v options:NSNumericSearch] == NSOrderedAscending)
#define SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN(v) ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:v options:NSNumericSearch] == NSOrderedDescending)

// math
#define DEGREES_TO_RADIANS(angle) ((angle) / 180.0 * M_PI)
#define RADIANS_TO_DEGREES(radians) ((radians) * (180.0 / M_PI))

// cores
#define RGB(r,g,b)    [UIColor colorWithRed:(r)/255.0 green:(g)/255.0 blue:(b)/255.0 alpha:1]
#define RGBA(r,g,b,a) [UIColor colorWithRed:(r)/255.0 green:(g)/255.0 blue:(b)/255.0 alpha:a]
#define MAKECOLOR(R, G, B, A) [UIColor colorWithRed:((float)R/255.0f) green:((float)G/255.0f) blue:((float)B/255.0f) alpha:A]
#define MAKECOLORFROMHEX(hexValue) [UIColor colorWithRed: ((float)((hexValue & 0xFF0000) >> 16))/255.0 green:((float)((hexValue & 0xFF00) >> 8))/255.0 blue:((float)(hexValue & 0xFF))/255.0 alpha:1.0]



//customizations
#define SHOW_STATUS_BAR               [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarHidden:NO withAnimation:UIStatusBarAnimationNone];
#define HIDE_STATUS_BAR               [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setStatusBarHidden:YES withAnimation:UIStatusBarAnimationNone];

#define SHOW_NAVIGATION_BAR           [self.navigationController setNavigationBarHidden:FALSE];
#define HIDE_NAVIGATION_BAR           [self.navigationController setNavigationBarHidden:TRUE];

#define VC_OBJ(x) [[x alloc] init]
#define VC_OBJ_WITH_NIB(x) [[x alloc] initWithNibName : (NSString *)CFSTR(#x) bundle : nil]

#define RESIGN_KEYBOARD [[[UIApplication sharedApplication] keyWindow] endEditing:YES];

#define CLEAR_NOTIFICATION_BADGE                       [UIApplication sharedApplication].applicationIconBadgeNumber = 0;
#define REGISTER_APPLICATION_FOR_NOTIFICATION_SERVICE  [[UIApplication sharedApplication] registerForRemoteNotificationTypes:(UIRemoteNotificationTypeBadge | UIRemoteNotificationTypeSound | UIRemoteNotificationTypeAlert)]

#define HIDE_NETWORK_ACTIVITY_INDICATOR                 [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setNetworkActivityIndicatorVisible:NO];
#define SHOW_NETWORK_ACTIVITY_INDICATOR                 [[UIApplication sharedApplication] setNetworkActivityIndicatorVisible:YES];