Selectable UILabel contents

Question

I have a list of URL addresses in a iOS Label object. It does not appear that the user can select and copy an item from the list and paste it into their Safari browser on the iOS device. Is there a way to accomplish this?

Woodrum

Answer 1

This feature is not there in UILabel.

You need to use UITextField or UITextView . Also do not forget to change its appearance and using

[... setEditable:NO];

Fervidor

I don't think this is available for UITextField anymore? (on iOS 9.3) – Jarrell

Answer 2

It is actually possible to do with an UILabel, only you'll have to do some subclassing.

End result: when your user long presses the label, he or she will see a copy-balloon.

Here are the steps to allow for making a label copy-able (as I can recall):

1. subclass UILabel
2. set userInteractionEnabled = YES
3. override canBecomeFirstResponder and return true
4. add a UILongPressGestureRecognizer
5. become first responder & present UIMenuController

Swift 3:

let menu = UIMenuController.shared
if !menu.isMenuVisible {
    self.becomeFirstResponder()
    menu.setTargetRect(self.bounds, in: self)
    menu.setMenuVisible(true, animated: true)
}

6. override canPerformAction to allow copy

Swift 3:

override func canPerformAction(_ action: Selector, withSender sender: Any?) -> Bool {
        return action == #selector(UIResponderStandardEditActions.copy(_:))
}

7. override copy method, UIPasteboard the text & hide UIMenuController

Swift 3:

        let menu = UIMenuController.shared          
        let labelText = self.text ?? self.attributedText?.string
        if let uLabelText = labelText {
            let clipBoard = UIPasteboard.general
            clipBoard.string = uText
        }

        menu.setMenuVisible(false, animated: true)

Kuhl

Answer 3

Here is swift 5 version of JoriDor's solution;

class CopyableLabel: UILabel {
    
    override init(frame: CGRect) {
        super.init(frame: frame)
        sharedInit()
    }
    
    required init(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
        super.init(coder: aDecoder)!
        sharedInit()
    }
    
    func sharedInit() {
        isUserInteractionEnabled = true
        addGestureRecognizer(UILongPressGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(showMenu(sender:))))
    }
    
    @objc
    func showMenu(sender: AnyObject?) {
        becomeFirstResponder()
        let menu = UIMenuController.shared
        if !menu.isMenuVisible {
            menu.setTargetRect(bounds, in: self)
            menu.setMenuVisible(true, animated: true)
        }
    }
    
    override var canBecomeFirstResponder: Bool {
        return true
    }
    
    override func canPerformAction(_ action: Selector, withSender sender: Any?) -> Bool {
        if action == #selector(UIResponderStandardEditActions.copy(_:)) {
            return true
        }
        return false
    }
    
    override func copy(_ sender: Any?) {
        let board = UIPasteboard.general
        board.string = text
        let menu = UIMenuController.shared
        menu.setMenuVisible(false, animated: true)
    }
    
}

Perishing