how to set a UITableViewCell background transparent

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I also have the same problem, after I read the guide, now I have changed my design to meet the UI design principles.

Maybe, change your design or reconsider your design is much easier way to go. (Just from my perspective)

 

Not only do you need to set the background color of the cell to clearColor, you need to make sure all of your subviews are clear as well.

 

Changing the background color of a UITableViewCell

Here is a workaround, which bypasses the backgroundColor property, apparently ignored.

Here is a demo with cells of different colors, based on the length of their labels:


This method subclasses UITableViewCell, and you need to explicitly invoke
[ cell setCellColor:[ UIColor color_of_your_choice ] ];
in your
- (UITableViewCell *)tableView: (UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath: (NSIndexPath *)indexPath
It works by recursively setting the background color to all subviews, which may not be advisable in all cases.

Code:

/**
 * @file    ColorUITableViewCell.h
 **/

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface ColorUITableViewCell : UITableViewCell {
    UIColor*    cellColor;
}
- (void) setCellColor: (UIColor*)color;

@end

Code:

/**
 * @file    ColorUITableViewCell.m
 **/

#import "ColorUITableViewCell.h"

@implementation ColorUITableViewCell

- (void) setCellColor: (UIColor*)color
{
    cellColor = color;
}

- (void) spreadBackgroundColor: (UIView*)that withColor: (UIColor*)bkColor
{
    NSEnumerator *enumerator = [that.subviews objectEnumerator];
    id anObject;
    
    while (anObject = [enumerator nextObject]) {
        if( [anObject isKindOfClass: [ UIView class] ] )
        {
            ((UIView*)anObject).backgroundColor = bkColor;
            [ self spreadBackgroundColor:anObject withColor:bkColor];
        }
    }
}

- (void)layoutSubviews {
    [super layoutSubviews];
    if( !self.selected && NULL != cellColor)
    {
        [ self spreadBackgroundColor:self withColor:cellColor ];
    }
}

@end

X.

 

The way I do it without subclassing (tested only with grouped tables), is changing cell's backgroundView:

Code:

if (!cell) { 
    cell = [[[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectZero reuseIdentifier:@"aCell"] autorelease];
				
    UIView *transparentBackground = [[UIView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectZero];
    transparentBackground.backgroundColor = [UIColor clearColor];
    cell.backgroundView = transparentBackground;

    // more customizations here...
}

 

This code worked..

I wanted to have a transparent cell in a grouped table similar to how the contact details view in the native iPhone Contact app works.

ie.
1 - Click on Contacts
2 - Click on Recents tab at bottom
3 - Select Detail --> for a recent call
This view contains a table where the first to rows contain a transparent customized cell.

In my method cellForRowAtIndexPathNSIndexPath *)indexPath method, I placed this code and it worked exactly how I expected.

Thanks