Create UIBarButtonItem with back button style

Question

I'm looking for a way to create programmatically an UIBarButtonItem that looks like a back button of UINavigationBar. Apparently seems like that the back button appears only after a push on the UINavigationController.

So I'm able to insert only a button with the "cancel" style. But my goal is to create a button with the "New Item" style.

Ideas ?

Answer 1

the short answer is you cannot do it.

you can save an image and you can put the image to that position, but the back button is managed by private part of the UINavigationBar.

Answer 2

I think you need to use image. and then set the image be the buttons backgroundImage. such as :

navigationBar = [[UINavigationBar alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 320, 44)];
UINavigationItem *navigationItem = [[[UINavigationItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Detail"] autorelease];

        UIButton *button = [[UIButton alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 70, 30)];

    [button setImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"plain.png"] forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [button addTarget:self action:@selector(buttonClicked:)
        forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];

    UIBarButtonItem *buttonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc]
                               initWithCustomView:button];

    navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = buttonItem;

    [buttonItem release];
    [button release];
[navigationBar pushNavigationItem:navigationItem animated:NO];
[self.view addSubview:navigationBar];

Answer 3

Take a look on this answer : Creating a left-arrow button (like UINavigationBar's "back" style) on a UIToolbar

It gives you a psd file with image that you need.

Answer 4

It works for me: [self.navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem setTitle:@"Back"];

(custom text with back arrow)