UIView+NibLoading

CustomView.m

- (id) awakeAfterUsingCoder:(NSCoder*)aDecoder
{
    BOOL isJustAPlaceholder = ([[self subviews] count] == 0);
    if (isJustAPlaceholder) {
        CustomView *theRealThing = (CustomView *)[CustomView loadInstanceFromNib];
        
        [self copyUIPropertiesTo:theRealThing];
        
//        // convince ARC that we're legit
//        CFRelease((__bridge const void*)self);
//        CFRetain((__bridge const void*)theRealThing);
        
        return theRealThing;
    }
    return self;
}

UIView+NibLoading.h

//
//  UIView+NibLoading.h
//
//  Created by Massaki on 9/24/12.
//  Copyright (c) 2012 I.ndigo. All rights reserved.
//

// Based on http://stackoverflow.com/a/10934581

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@interface UIView (NibLoading)

+ (UIView *)loadInstanceFromNib;
- (void)copyUIPropertiesTo:(UIView *)view;

@end

UIView+NibLoading.m

//
//  UIView+NibLoading.m
//
//  Created by Massaki on 9/24/12.
//  Copyright (c) 2012 I.ndigo. All rights reserved.
//

// Based on http://stackoverflow.com/a/10934581

#import "UIView+NibLoading.h"

@implementation UIView (NibLoading)

+ (UIView *)loadInstanceFromNib
{
    UIView *result = nil;
    NSArray *elements = [[NSBundle mainBundle] loadNibNamed:NSStringFromClass([self class]) owner:nil options:nil];
    for (id anObject in elements)
    {
        if ([anObject isKindOfClass:[self class]])
        {
            result = anObject;
            break;
        }
    }
    return result;
}

- (void)copyUIPropertiesTo:(UIView *)view
{
    // pass properties through
    view.frame = self.frame;
    view.autoresizingMask = self.autoresizingMask;
    view.alpha = self.alpha;
    view.hidden = self.hidden;
    
//    // reflection did not work to get those lists, so I hardcoded them
//    // any suggestions are welcome here
//    
//    NSArray *properties =
//    [NSArray arrayWithObjects: @"frame",@"bounds", @"center", @"transform", @"contentScaleFactor", @"multipleTouchEnabled", @"exclusiveTouch", @"autoresizesSubviews", @"autoresizingMask", @"clipsToBounds", @"backgroundColor", @"alpha", @"opaque", @"clearsContextBeforeDrawing", @"hidden", @"contentMode", @"contentStretch", nil];
//    
//    // some getters have 'is' prefix
//    NSArray *getters =
//    [NSArray arrayWithObjects: @"frame", @"bounds", @"center", @"transform", @"contentScaleFactor", @"isMultipleTouchEnabled", @"isExclusiveTouch", @"autoresizesSubviews", @"autoresizingMask", @"clipsToBounds", @"backgroundColor", @"alpha", @"isOpaque", @"clearsContextBeforeDrawing", @"isHidden", @"contentMode", @"contentStretch", nil];
//    
//    for (int i=0; i<[properties count]; i++)
//    {
//        NSString * propertyName = [properties objectAtIndex:i];
//        NSString * getter = [getters objectAtIndex:i];
//        
//        SEL getPropertySelector = NSSelectorFromString(getter);
//        
//        NSString *setterSelectorName =
//        [propertyName stringByReplacingCharactersInRange:NSMakeRange(0,1) withString:[[propertyName substringToIndex:1] capitalizedString]];
//        
//        setterSelectorName = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"set%@:", setterSelectorName];
//        
//        SEL setPropertySelector = NSSelectorFromString(setterSelectorName);
//        
//        if ([self respondsToSelector:getPropertySelector] && [view respondsToSelector:setPropertySelector])
//        {
//            NSObject * propertyValue = [self valueForKey:propertyName];
//            
//            [view setValue:propertyValue forKey:propertyName];
//        }
//    }
}

@end