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DZNEmptyDataSet

An Objective-C add-on that shows a placeholder message when an iOS table or collection view is empty.

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Stars
12k
Forks
1.7k
Licence
MIT
Language
Objective-C
Last update
4.3 years ago
Type
Library

This repository is archived and no longer maintained.

What it is

DZNEmptyDataSet is a library for iOS apps that adds an empty-state screen to UITableView and UICollectionView. When a list has no content, it can display an image, title, description, button, or custom view in place of a blank screen. Developers use it to explain why a screen is empty and to guide users on what to do next.

  • Show a 'Please Allow Photo Access' message with a button when a photo list is empty
  • Display a loading spinner as a custom view while a table waits for data
  • Hide the empty state conditionally with emptyDataSetShouldDisplay
  • Add a tap gesture to the whole table area to dismiss the keyboard

Great for

  • iOS developers maintaining Objective-C apps that show lists
  • Teams who want empty-state messages without subclassing UITableView or UICollectionView
  • Developers adding onboarding prompts to screens that start out empty
  • Projects that use Storyboards or UITableViewController

Not ideal for

  • Teams building new apps in Swift who want a maintained, current library: the project is archived and its last push was 2022-07-06
  • Developers working outside iOS, tvOS, or Apple platforms, since it is built for UIKit
  • Anyone needing a Swift-first API: the README's examples are Objective-C

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: Xcode · CocoaPods, Carthage, or Swift Package Manager

    CocoaPods: add to Podfile

    pod 'DZNEmptyDataSet'
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Add the library with CocoaPods, Carthage, or Swift Package Manager.
    • Import UIScrollView+EmptyDataSet.h in your view controller.
    • Conform your controller to DZNEmptyDataSetSource and DZNEmptyDataSetDelegate.
    • Set emptyDataSetSource and emptyDataSetDelegate on your table or collection view.
    • Implement the data source methods such as titleForEmptyDataSet to return content.
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use NSAttributedString attributes to style the title and description text
    • Return a custom view from customViewForEmptyDataSet for more complex layouts
    • Use verticalOffsetForEmptyDataSet to adjust placement when a table header view is visible
    • Use spaceHeightForEmptyDataSet to change spacing between the image, title, description, and button
    • Implement emptyDataSetShouldDisplay to control when the empty state appears

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubOfficial website & docswww.cocoacontrols.com/controls/dznemptydataset

Strengths

  • Works with UITableViewController and UICollectionViewController without subclassing
  • Text styling uses standard NSAttributedString, so it is familiar to iOS developers
  • Configuration is done by conforming to data source and delegate protocols

Trade-offs

  • The repository is archived, so no new fixes or iOS version support are expected from the maintainer
  • The README's examples are Objective-C and the Swift branch is referenced only as a sample project

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.