Use a local CSS file in UIWebView

Question

I have searched the web and tried this a couple ways now but I have a CSS file within my XCode project and a UIWebView which has the html written in it's controller.

I need to get the WebView to recognize the CSS file and use it when the view is shown to the user. I cannot depend on the application having access to internet so I have tried every method I have seen which does not depend on it. The following is what I have so far and it does not work:

style.css is located in supporting files

NSString *html = @"<html><head><link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\"             
    href=\"style.css\" ><title>Words</title><link rel=\"stylesheet\" type=\"text/css\"   
    href=\"style.css\" /></head><body><table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" 
    border=\"0\"
    width=\"100%\" class=\"resource-table\"><tr><th width=\"20%\">Reference/Performance  
    Level</th><th width=\"20%\">Words</th><th width=\"20%\">Words</th><th
    width=\"20%\">Words</th><th width=\"20%\">Highly Effective</th></tr><tr><td><p
    class=\"bold\">Words</p><p>Words</p></td><td><ul class=\"normal\"><li>Words</li></ul>
    </td><td><ul class=\"normal\"><li>Words</li></ul></td><td><ul class=\"normal\">
    <li>Words</li></ul></td><td><ul class=\"normal\"><li>Words</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>
    <p class=\"bold\">Domain 4f P. 107</p><p>4-Decision Making</p></td><td><ul
    class=\"normal\"><li>Words</li></ul></td><td><ul class=\"normal\"><li>Words</li></ul>
    </td><td><ul class=\"normal\"><li>Words</li></ul></td><t<ul class=\"normal\">
    <li>Words</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><p class=\"bold\">Words</p></td><td></td><td> 
    </td><td></td><td><ul class=\"normal\"><liWords</li><li>Words</li></ul></td></tr>
    </table></body></style></html>";   

NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundlePath];

NSURL *baseURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:path];    

[webView loadHTMLString:html baseURL:baseURL];

What exactly is not working? I just added a css file and copied your code and it worked for me... — Paul.s
– Paul.s, Commented Feb 22, 2012 at 1:37

Sam · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-22 16:37:06Z

Must Include Relative Path for Files in Folder References

Is your css file located at the root of the app? If so, I don't know why your code is not working. My guess is that your css file exists inside a "folder reference" (blue folder) in which case you must also include the folder path in the baseURL (or change html to href=\"someFolder/style.css\").

Note that resources (images, etc...) inside of folder groups will get flattened into the same folder when you compile your app, but folder references maintain their folder heirarchy.

Double Check File Location

Find your app (MyCoolProj.app file). You can do this from XCode by expanding "Products". Under this should be your .app file. If you bring up a context menu for this file, you should be able to "Show in Finder".
Now that you found your .app file in finder, select it and again bring up the context menu. Now select "Show Package Contents".
You should now see all files inside your app. Find where your css file is. If it is inside a folder, then it is definitely in a folder reference in your project and to reference it you MUST include the relative folder path you traversed to get to it.

Side Note: You should also notice that all images and other resources that were in folder groups (not folder references) all exist inside the same folder at the root of your .app file. They no longer have no folder hierarchy. This is why you can find images with only their name using [UIImage imageNamed:] like: [UIImage imageNamed:@"someImageName.png"]. If they existed in a folder reference, again you would have to include that path.

Garoal · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-21 22:20:55Z

0

You can implement the style directly into the HTML code, with an style tag, instead of a separated file.

I hope it helps you!!

answered Feb 21, 2012 at 22:20

Garoal

2,3942 gold badges19 silver badges31 bronze badges

1 Comment

Dan Dyer Over a year ago

This is not so useful when you have multiple HTML files and want to reuse the CSS.

Diana · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-21 22:43:15Z

0

Also you can create the html file and load it in the UIWebview inside the app, something like this:

NSString *resources = [[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath]; 
NSString *filePath = [resources stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"infotext.html"];

NSError *error = nil;
NSString * resourceFileContent = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:filePath encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:&error];

if (error != nil) {
    @throw [NSException exceptionWithName:[error domain] reason:[error localizedDescription] userInfo:[error userInfo]];
}

NSURL *baseURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:resources];
[self.mWebView loadHTMLString:resourceFileContent baseURL:baseURL];

answered Feb 21, 2012 at 22:43

Diana

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1 Comment

user1079052 Over a year ago

The problem is that the html code is dynamic so I need to do all of this in the controller.

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Use a local CSS file in UIWebView

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Must Include Relative Path for Files in Folder References

Double Check File Location

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Must Include Relative Path for Files in Folder References

Double Check File Location

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