Text Formatting Using UITextView

Question

I have a UITextView where user enter data. I have a format bar below which has bold, italic, underline and other options like alignment etc. After a lot of search and testing I came to know that NSString don't support such bold, italic styling instead NSAttributedString should be used but I use NSAttributedString I am unable to make the selected text bold and italic at the same time.

My code is like this

NSMutableAttributedString *textViewText = [[NSMutableAttributedString alloc]initWithAttributedString:textView.attributedText];

NSMutableAttributedString *attributedText = [[NSMutableAttributedString alloc] initWithString:text];

NSMutableDictionary *dict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];

    if(textBoldBtn){

        UIFont *boldFont = [UIFont boldSystemFontOfSize:textView.font.pointSize];
        NSDictionary *boldAttr = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObject:boldFont forKey:NSFontAttributeName];

        [dict addEntriesFromDictionary:boldAttr];          
    }
    if(textItalicBtn){

        UIFont *italicFont = [UIFont italicSystemFontOfSize:textView.font.pointSize];

        NSDictionary *italicAttr = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObject:italicFont forKey:NSFontAttributeName];
        [dict addEntriesFromDictionary:italicAttr]; 
    }   
    attributedText = [[NSMutableAttributedString alloc] initWithString:text attributes:dict];     
    [textViewText appendAttributedString:attributedText];
    textView.attributedText = textViewText;

    return true;
}

Using this technique it only takes the last font in dict when both buttons are pressed.

I have gone through a link on stack overflow where they use fontDescriptor of Label to make the text both italic and bold but note I don't want to use any label. I am using UITextView. I have also gone through [textView setAllowsEditingTextAttributes:YES]; But I want my own functions. I have also seen several EGOTextView and TextEdit for iOS but I strictly want this for iPad. I only want to use UITextView.

Kindly tell if there is any way using attributed string to make text both italic bold and even underline at the same time or any way to customize the functions of textView personal EditingTextAttributes functionality.

Thanks in Advance.

*App has to be uploaded to app store so no private frameworks required because they would cause rejection of app.

Answer 1

You have a some issues.

First:
Attributes are a NSDictionary. That means works with key/value, and the key is unique!
So when, you use addEntriesFromDictionary:, the doc says:

If both dictionaries contain the same key, the receiving dictionary’s previous value object for that key is sent a release message, and the new value object takes its place.

And when you want to apply bold and italic effect in your code, you think that you have:

Key — Value
NSFontAttributeName — theBoldFont
NSFontAttributeName — theItalicFont

Whereas you replace the bold font with the italic one.

Second:
Since Bold AND Italic are a attribute "hidden" in UIFont, if you want to apply the both effect, you have to find a font which is italic AND bold. That why, underlining (NSUnderlineAttributeName) can be added without encountering your issue with bold and italic.
You may look there to know how to do about it. So you may code some logic like this:

if (textItalicBtn && textBoldBtn)
{}
else if (textItalicBtn)
{}
else if (textBoldBtn)
{}