How to open link in UIWebview in Safari

Question

I have a webview displayed in a scrollview and flip view and need to find a way to open links when clicked in safari (not in the app)!

I would appriciate any help as im stuck for hours in this!

ArticleScrollVC.h

//  ArticleScrollVC.h




#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "PagedScrollview.h"
#import "OMPageControl.h"

#define VIEW_FRONT_TAG 98765
#define VIEW_DESCR_TAG 98764

@interface ArticleScrollVC : UIViewController <PagedScrollDelegate>{

    NSArray *articles;
    NSMutableArray *pages;
    IBOutlet PagedScrollView *scrollView;
    IBOutlet OMPageControl *pageControl;
    IBOutlet UIImageView *pageControlBG;
    IBOutlet UIImageView *imageBG;
    int currentPage;
}

@property (nonatomic,retain) NSArray *articles;
@property int currentPage;

- (void)resize;
- (void)changeViewMode;

+ (BOOL) showDescription;

- (IBAction) pageControlDidChange;

@end

// ArticleScrollVC.m

//  ArticleScrollVC.m


#import "ArticleScrollVC.h"
#import "AsyncImageView.h"
#import "TabListViewController.h"
#import "ArticlePageVC.h"


#define PREFIX_TAG 666666

@implementation ArticleScrollVC

static BOOL showDescription = NO;

@synthesize articles;
// Implement viewDidLoad to do additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    [scrollView setScrollDelegate:self];
    [scrollView setCurrentPage:currentPage];
    pageControl.numberOfPages = 0;
    [pageControl setImageNormal:[UIImage imageNamed:@"pageControlNormal.png"]];
    [pageControl setImageCurrent:[UIImage imageNamed:@"pageControlCurrent.png"]];
}

- (int) numberOfPages{
    pageControl.numberOfPages = [articles count];
    if (pageControl.currentPage==0) {
        [pageControl setCurrentPage:1];
        [pageControl setCurrentPage:0];
    }
    //pages = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithCapacity:10];
    return [articles count];
}



- (UIView*) viewForPage:(int)page{
    UIDevice *dev = [UIDevice currentDevice];
    NSString *deviceModel = dev.model;
    ArticlePageVC *pageVC;

    if([deviceModel isEqual:@"iPad"] || [deviceModel isEqual:@"iPad Simulator"]){
        pageVC = [[[ArticlePageVC alloc] initWithNibName:@"ArticlePageIpad" bundle:nil] autorelease];
    }else {
        pageVC = [[[ArticlePageVC alloc] initWithNibName:@"ArticlePageVC" bundle:nil] autorelease];
    }

    pageVC.article = (ListItem *)[articles objectAtIndex:page];
    pageVC.view.frame = scrollView.frame;
    CGRect frame = scrollView.frame;
    [pageVC resize:frame];
    pageVC.view.tag = PREFIX_TAG+page;
    return pageVC.view;
}

- (IBAction) pageControlDidChange{
    [scrollView setCurrentPage:[pageControl currentPage]];
}

- (void) didChoosePage:(int)page{
    [UIView beginAnimations:nil context:nil];
    [UIView setAnimationDuration:1.0];
    UIView *pageVC = [self.view viewWithTag:PREFIX_TAG+page];
    UIViewAnimationTransition transition = !showDescription?UIViewAnimationTransitionFlipFromLeft:UIViewAnimationTransitionFlipFromRight;
    [UIView setAnimationTransition:transition
                           forView:pageVC
                             cache:YES];
    [self changeViewMode];
    [UIView commitAnimations];
}

- (void) changeViewMode{
    showDescription = !showDescription;
    for (int page=0; page<[articles count]; page++) {
        UIView *pageVC = [self.view viewWithTag:PREFIX_TAG+page];
        [[pageVC viewWithTag:VIEW_DESCR_TAG] setHidden:!showDescription];
        [[pageVC viewWithTag:VIEW_FRONT_TAG] setHidden:showDescription];
    }
    [scrollView setScrollEnabled:!showDescription];
    [pageControl setHidden:showDescription];
}
- (void) scrollViewChangedPage:(NSNumber*)page{
    pageControl.currentPage = [page intValue];
}

- (void) resize{
    scrollView.frame = CGRectMake(0, 0, self.view.frame.size.width, self.view.frame.size.height);
    pageControl.frame = CGRectMake(20, self.view.frame.size.height-36, self.view.frame.size.width-40, 36);
    pageControlBG.frame = pageControl.frame;
    [imageBG setFrame:scrollView.frame];

}

- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning {
    // Releases the view if it doesn't have a superview.
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];

    // Release any cached data, images, etc. that aren't in use.
}

- (void)viewDidUnload {
    [super viewDidUnload];
    // Release any retained subviews of the main view.
    // e.g. self.myOutlet = nil;
}

+ (BOOL) showDescription{
    return showDescription;
}

- (void)dealloc {
    [pages release];
    [super dealloc];
}


@end

// ArticlePageVC.h

//  ArticlePageVC.h


#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "TabListViewController.h"
#import "AsyncImageView.h"

#import "TabHTMLViewController.h"

@interface ArticlePageVC : UIViewController {

    IBOutlet AsyncImageView *asyncImage;
    IBOutlet UILabel *label;
    IBOutlet UIImageView *labelBG;

    IBOutlet UIWebView *body;
    IBOutlet UILabel *detailLabel;
    IBOutlet UIImageView *detailLabelBG;

    IBOutlet UIImageView *pageControlBG;

    ListItem *article;
}

@property (nonatomic,retain) ListItem *article;
- (void)resize;


@end

// ArticlePageVC.m

//  ArticlePageVC.m


#import "ArticlePageVC.h"
#import "ArticleScrollVC.h"

@implementation ArticlePageVC

@synthesize article;

// The designated initializer.  Override if you create the controller programmatically and want to perform customization that is not appropriate for viewDidLoad.
/*
- (id)initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil {
    self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
    if (self) {
        // Custom initialization.
    }
    return self;
}
*/

// Implement viewDidLoad to do additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    [asyncImage changeContentMode:UIViewContentModeScaleAspectFit];
    [asyncImage loadImageFromURL:[NSURL URLWithString:article.thumbnailURL]];
    label.text = article.title;
    detailLabel.text = article.title;
    [body loadHTMLString:[article content] baseURL:nil];
    [pageControlBG setImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"page_control_bg.png"]];

    body.scalesPageToFit = YES;

}

- (void) resize:(CGRect)frame{

    UIDevice *dev = [UIDevice currentDevice];
    NSString *deviceModel = dev.model;
//  ArticlePageVC *pageVC;

    if([deviceModel isEqual:@"iPad"] || [deviceModel isEqual:@"iPad Simulator"]){
        self.view.frame = frame;
        [body setFrame:CGRectMake(20, 130, frame.size.width-40, frame.size.height-130)];

        [label setFrame:CGRectMake(40, frame.size.height-340, frame.size.width-100, 320)];
        [asyncImage resize:CGRectMake(frame.origin.x+10, 0, asyncImage.frame.size.width-40, frame.size.height-286-2)];
        [labelBG setFrame:CGRectMake(20, frame.size.height-320, frame.size.width-40, 284)];
        [pageControlBG setFrame:CGRectMake(20, frame.size.height-36, frame.size.width-40, 36)];
    }else {
        self.view.frame = frame;
        [body setFrame:CGRectMake(20, 120, frame.size.width-40, frame.size.height-120)];

        [label setFrame:CGRectMake(40, frame.size.height-156, frame.size.width-100, 120)];
        [asyncImage resize:CGRectMake(frame.origin.x+10, frame.origin.y+1, asyncImage.frame.size.width-40, frame.size.height-136-2)];
        [labelBG setFrame:CGRectMake(20, frame.size.height-156, frame.size.width-40, 120)];
        [pageControlBG setFrame:CGRectMake(20, frame.size.height-36, frame.size.width-40, 36)];
    }



    [[self.view viewWithTag:VIEW_DESCR_TAG] setHidden:![ArticleScrollVC showDescription]];
    [[self.view viewWithTag:VIEW_FRONT_TAG] setHidden:[ArticleScrollVC showDescription]];
}



- (void)didReceiveMemoryWarning {
    // Releases the view if it doesn't have a superview.
    [super didReceiveMemoryWarning];

    // Release any cached data, images, etc. that aren't in use.
}

- (void)viewDidUnload {
    [super viewDidUnload];
    // Release any retained subviews of the main view.
    // e.g. self.myOutlet = nil;
}


- (void)dealloc {
    [super dealloc];
}


@end

Answer 1

Adopt the UIWebViewDelegate protocol in your view controller, and then implement -webView:shouldStartLoadWithRequest:navigationType: such that it sends the application an -openURL: message with the url and returns NO to prevent the web view from opening it.

Answer 2

To handle opening URLs from other applications (such as Safari), you need to register a URL scheme and implement application:openURL:sourceApplication:annotation: in your application delegate. You could, for example, have andreas://the.url.doesnt/matter/because/your/app#parses-it as long as the scheme ( andreas ) is unique.

Tapping on a link with your scheme will then cause iOS to delegate to your application how to interpret this URL (using the above message). My first link has examples.

To customize what happens when users tap on links in a UIWebView in your application, use the UIWebViewDelegate protocol and implement webView:shouldStartLoadWithRequest:navigationType:

You can return NO to stop the web view from doing "default" stuff (ie load the request), and instead do... whatever you want, for example load something else.