Using gesture recognizers to dismiss a keyboard overlaying a UISplitViewController

DetailViewController.m

/*

This sample uses your application's keyWindow - the window that all other views hang from. Since UIWindow is simply a subclass of UIView, we can add gesture recognizers to it.

No matter where you tap or scroll - the master view's table view, or a map in the detail view - the keyboard will be dismissed and your pan/tap gesture continues unhindered.

*/

// Adopt UIGestureRecognizerDelegate and UISearchBarDelegate protocols in .h

@interface DetailViewController ()

// Obviously you're free to add long press, multiple tap, and swipe gestures.

@property (nonatomic, retain) UITapGestureRecognizer *tapGestureRecognizer;
@property (nonatomic, retain) UIPanGestureRecognizer *panGestureRecognizer;

@end


@implementation DetailViewController

@synthesize tapGestureRecognizer = _tapGestureRecognizer;
@synthesize panGestureRecognizer = _panGestureRecognizer;

- (void)dealloc {
    //...
    [_tapGestureRecognizer release];
    [_panGestureRecognizer release];
    [super dealloc];
}

#pragma mark -
#pragma mark UISearchBarDelegate methods

- (BOOL)searchBarShouldBeginEditing:(UISearchBar *)searchBar {

    // Add the gesture recognizers to keyWindow when the user starts editing in the search bar. 
    // The keyboard appears above keyWindow, so typing won't trigger the recognizers.

    UIWindow *keyWindow = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] keyWindow];
    
    UITapGestureRecognizer *tap = [[UITapGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handleTapFrom:)];
    tap.delegate = self;
    self.tapGestureRecognizer = tap;
    [tap release];

    [keyWindow addGestureRecognizer:self.tapGestureRecognizer];
    
    UIPanGestureRecognizer *pan = [[UIPanGestureRecognizer alloc] initWithTarget:self action:@selector(handlePanFrom:)];
    pan.delegate = self;
    self.panGestureRecognizer = pan;
    [pan release];
    
    [keyWindow addGestureRecognizer:self.panGestureRecognizer];

    return YES;
}

- (BOOL)searchBarShouldEndEditing:(UISearchBar *)searchBar {
    UIWindow *keyWindow = [[UIApplication sharedApplication] keyWindow];

    // Remove the gesture recognizers when the keyboard is dismissed.
    
    [keyWindow removeGestureRecognizer:self.tapGestureRecognizer];
    [keyWindow removeGestureRecognizer:self.panGestureRecognizer];

    // Or you could iterate through the array of gesture recognizers on keyWindow...
    /*
    [[keyWindow gestureRecognizers] enumerateObjectsUsingBlock:^(id obj, NSUInteger idx, BOOL *stop) {
        if (obj == self.tapGestureRecognizer || obj == self.panGestureRecognizer) {
            [keyWindow removeGestureRecognizer:obj];
        }
    }];
    */

    return YES;
}


#pragma mark -
#pragma mark UIGestureRecognizerDelegate methods

- (void)handleTapFrom:(UIGestureRecognizer *)recognizer {
    // You don't want to dismiss the keyboard if a tap is detected within the bounds of the search bar...
    CGPoint touchPoint = [recognizer locationInView:self.view];
    if (!CGRectContainsPoint(self.searchBar.frame, touchPoint)) {
        [self.searchBar resignFirstResponder];
    }
}

- (void)handlePanFrom:(UIGestureRecognizer *)recognizer {
    // It's not likely the user will pan in the search bar, but we can capture that too.
    CGPoint touchPoint = [recognizer locationInView:self.view];
    if (!CGRectContainsPoint(self.searchBar.frame, touchPoint)) {
        [self.searchBar resignFirstResponder];        
    }
}

- (BOOL)gestureRecognizer:(UIGestureRecognizer *)gestureRecognizer shouldRecognizeSimultaneouslyWithGestureRecognizer:(UIGestureRecognizer *)otherGestureRecognizer {
    // Return YES to prevent this gesture from interfering with, say, a pan on a map or table view, or a tap on a button in the tool bar.
    return YES;
}