Auto layout constraints in code conflicting with sizes in XIB

Question

I've set up a number of UILabels and UIButtons within 3 subviews in a storyboard. In code, I've defined auto layout constraints for all of these however for some reason when I run the app, the sizes that I have defined in the storyboard are conflicting with the constraints in code.

For example, one subview is positioned at 0,0 in the XIB with height 200 and width 320, simply for me to layout the elements before writing the code. There are no constraints in the storyboard.

This subview has a number of UILabels and UIButtons within it and their cumulative height is supposed to define the height of the subview. This should end up at 205pts height, however the log shows a conflict:

2014-06-02 16:45:38.506 discounter[11691:60b] Unable to simultaneously satisfy constraints.
Probably at least one of the constraints in the following list is one you don't want. Try this: (1) look at each constraint and try to figure out which you don't expect; (2) find the code that added the unwanted constraint or constraints and fix it. (Note: If you're seeing NSAutoresizingMaskLayoutConstraints that you don't understand, refer to the documentation for the UIView property translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints) 
(
"<NSIBPrototypingLayoutConstraint:0x109390160 'IB auto generated at build time for view with fixed frame' V:[UIView:0x109389010(200)]>",
"<NSLayoutConstraint:0x109249510 V:[UIView:0x109389010(205)]>"
)

Will attempt to recover by breaking constraint 
<NSLayoutConstraint:0x109249510 V:[UIView:0x109389010(205)]>

I have set all my views to have translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = NO so I'm at a loss as to why this is happening. It appears to be happening to a number of other elements too, but I have a feeling its probably the same reason why.

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Add those constraints that you will replace in your code in your storyboard, and check their "remove at build time" properties. Like this:

Background:

This is a way for you to promise Xcode that you will add the constraint in code, and thus will prevent Xcode from auto generating the necessary constraints. The auto generation is necessary, as otherwise the runtime wouldn't be able to determine how to present the view in question. Generally, you should strive to define all your constraints in the storyboard. You could also IBOutlet a constraint to your code, and then edit its constant value when the app is ran, that way avoiding the tedious adding of constraints in your code.