ApptentiveKit on iOS has four levels of customization available for the interactions it presents:
- Theme setting
- UIAppearance overrides
- UIKit extensions
- Overriding
InteractionPresenter
Themes
For apps where cross-platform consistency is less of a concern, or where a developer wants to apply their own visual customization, the theme property on the Apptentive instance can be set to .none (this should be completed before calling the register(with:completion:) method):
Apptentive.shared.theme = .noneBy default, ApptentiveKit adopts a cross-platform theme for Surveys and Message Center that includes dark blue navigation bars with white text, and hides most of the default UITableView decorations. The colors of other interface elements mostly use system defaults, and system fonts are used throughout. This correspondes to a the theme property being set to .apptentive.
Internally, these themes use a combination of the next two customization options: UIAppearance and the Apptentive UIKit extensions (found in UIKit+Apptentive.swift).
UIAppearance
Some aspects of the ApptentiveKit interactions can be customized using familiar UIAppearance properties. The properties that the Apptentive theme customizes via UIAppearance overrides include segmented controls, navigation bars, toolbars, bar button items, and table views.
The customizable ApptentiveKit interactions are all contained in a subclass of UINavigationController called ApptentiveNavigationController, which can be used to scope appearance changes to only apply to ApptentiveKit’s customizable interactions:
UITableView.appearance(whenContainedInInstancesOf: [ApptentiveNavigationController.self]).backgroundColor = myBackgroundColorApptentiveNavigationController also has a static property to determine the status bar style:
| Property | Description | Default | Apptentive Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
preferredStatusBarStyle | The foreground color for status bar interface elements | .default(black foreground color) | .lightContent (white foreground color) |
The major limitation of UIAppearance overrides is that they mostly can’t distinguish between elements of the same class that are used for different purposes, for example two UILabel instances where one might be a title and one might be a footnote. To address this, ApptentiveKit features extensions to several UIKit classes with properties that can be set for each user interface element.
UIKit Extensions
ApptentiveKit extends a number of UIKit classes with apptentive-specific static properties that can be used to change the appearance of nearly every interface element. For example, to change the color of a text input (UITextField or UITextView) border, you would add the following code to your app:
UIColor.apptentiveTextInputBorder = .darkGray
Illustrations of UIKit Extension Properties
The images below illustrate what each property affects in Message Center and Surveys. Colors, Fonts and Images are indicated by the small icon next to the property name.
List of UIKit Extension Properties
The following is a list of UIKit classes for which ApptentiveKit has style properties, what each property is used for, and its value using both the .none and .apptentive theme.
While the theme property must be set before calling register(with:completion), you can change the values below at any time. However if you change them while an interaction is visible on screen, it may behave unpredictably.
UITableView.Style
| Property | Description | Default | Apptentive Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
apptentive | The style of table view used for surveys | .insetGrouped(iOS 13+) or .grouped (iOS 11–12) | .grouped |
UIModalPresentationStyle
| Property | Description | Default | Apptentive Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
apptentive | How Message Center and Surveys are presented over other view controllers | .pageSheet (allows interactive dismissal on iOS 13+) | |
UIBarButtonItem
| Property | Description | Default | Apptentive Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
apptentiveClose | Bar button item used to dismiss Message Center or a Survey | System .close (iOS 13+) or system .cancel (iOS 11–12) | xmark SF Symbol |
apptentiveProfileEdit | Bar button item used to edit the profile in Message Center | person.crop.circle SF Symbol | Same |
UIButton
| Property | Description | Default | Apptentive Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
apptentiveStyle | The outline style for the submit button in Surveys | .pill (corner radius is equal to half the height) | .radius(8) (corner radius is 8 points) |
UIImage
| Property | Description | Default | Apptentive Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
apptentiveMessageAttachmentButton | The image for the button used to attach an image or file to a message | paperclip.circle.fill SF Symbol | Same |
apptentiveMessageSendButton | The image for the button used to send a message | paperplane.circle.fill SF Symbol | Same |
apptentiveSentMessageBubble | The background image for a sent message |  Resizable, using 9 point top and left insets, and 18 point bottom and right insets, rendered as template | Same |
apptentiveReceivedMessageBubble | The background image for a received message |  Resizable, using 9 point top and right insets, and 18 point bottom and left insets, rendered as template | Same |
apptentiveAttachmentPlaceholder | The placeholder image for a yet-to-be-downloaded attachment |  Resizable, using 14 point top and right insets, and 4 point bottom and left insets | Same |
apptentiveAttachmentRemoveButton | The image for a button used to remove an attachment from the draft message | minus.circle.fill SF Symbol | Same |
apptentiveHeaderLogo | An image that can replace the navigation bar’s title view in Surveys. Recommended size is 200 × 44 points. | None | None |
apptentiveRadioButton | The accessory image for an unselected answer to a single-select survey question | circle SF Symbol | Same |
apptentiveCheckbox | The accessory image for an unselected answer to a multi-select survey question | square SF Symbol | Same |
apptentiveRadioButtonSelected | The accessory image for the selected answer to a single-select survey question | smallcircle.fill.circle.fill SF Symbol | Same |
apptentiveCheckboxSelected | The accessory image for a selected answer to a multi-select survey question | checkmark.square.fill SF Symbol | Same |
UIColor
| Property | Description | Default Light/Dark | Apptentive Theme Light/Dark |
|---|---|---|---|
.apptentiveMessageCenterTextViewBorder | The border color to use for the message text view | 555555 | 858585 |
.apptentiveMessageCenterAttachmentButton | The color to use for the attachment button for the compose view for message center | 0000FF | 2A3355 |
.apptentiveMessageTextViewPlaceholder | The color to use for the text view placeholder for the compose view for message center | AAAAAA | AAAAAA |
.apptentiveMessageTextViewBorder | The color to use for the text view border for the compose view for message center | 808080 | 808080 |
.apptentiveMessageCenterStatus | The color to use for the status message in message center | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 |
.apptentiveMessageCenterGreetingBody | The color to use for the greeting body on the greeting header view for message center | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 |
.apptentiveMessageCenterGreetingTitle | The color to use for the greeting title on the greeting header view for message center | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 |
.apptentiveMessageBubbleInbound | The color to use for the message bubble view for inbound messages | 555555 | EAEAEA |
.apptentiveMessageBubbleOutbound | The color to use for the message bubble view for outbound messages | 007AFF 0A84FF | 2A3355 1E60A8 |
.apptentiveMessageLabelInbound | The color to use for message labels for the inbound message body | FFFFFF | 5D5D5D |
.apptentiveMessageLabelOutbound | The color to use for message labels for the outbound message body | FFFFFF | FFFFFF |
.apptentiveQuestionLabel | The color to use for labels in a non-error state | 000000 FFFFFF | 5D5D5D C9C9C9 |
.apptentiveInstructionsLabel | The color to use for instruction labels | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 | 858585 C9C9C9 |
.apptentiveChoiceLabel | The color to use for choice labels | 555555 | 5D5D5D |
.apptentiveError | The color to use for UI elements to indicate an error state | FF3B30 FF453A | FF3B30 FF453A |
.apptentiveSecondaryLabel | An alternative to ‘apptentiveLabel’ in gray | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 |
.apptentiveRangeControlBorder | The border color to use for the segmented control for range surveys | 000000 | C0C0C0 |
.apptentiveSurveyIntroduction | The color to use for the survey introduction text | 000000 FFFFFF | 000000 FFFFFF |
.apptentiveTextInputBorder | The color to use for the borders of text fields and text views | AAAAAA | C0C0C0 |
.apptentiveTextInputBackground | The color to use for text fields and text views | FFFFFF 000000 | FFFFFF 2D2D2D |
.apptentiveTextInput | The color to use for text within text fields and text views | 000000 EBEBF5 | 858585 C9C9C9 |
.apptentiveTextInputPlaceholder | The color to use for the placeholder text within text fields and text views | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 | 3C3C43 EBEBF5 |
.apptentiveMinMaxLabel | The color used for min and max labels for the range survey | 808080 | 808080 |
.apptentiveGroupedBackground | The color used for the background of the entire survey | F2F2F7 000000 | FFFFFF 212121 |
.apptentiveSecondaryGroupedBackground | The color used for the cell where the survey question is located | FFFFFF 1C1C1E | FFFFFF 212121 |
.apptentiveSeparator | The color to use for separators in e.g. table views | 3C3C43 545458 | FFFFFF 212121 |
.apptentiveImageSelected | The color to use for images in a selected state for surveys | 007AFF 0A84FF | 2A3355 5995D3 |
.apptentiveImageNotSelected | The color to use for images in a non-selected state for surveys | 007AFF 0A84FF | C0C0C0 9F9F9F |
.apptentiveSubmitButton | The background color to use for the submit button on surveys | 007AFF 0A84FF | 2A3355 5995D3 |
.apptentiveSubmitLabel | The color to use for the survey footer label (Thank You text) | 000000 FFFFFF | 000000 FFFFFF |
.apptentiveTermsOfServiceLabel | The color to use for the terms of service label | 007AFF 0A84FF | FFFFFF E1E1E1 |
.apptentiveSubmitButtonTitle | The color to use for the submit button text color | FFFFFF | FFFFFF |
UIFont
| Property | Description | Default | Apptentive Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
messageCenterGreetingProfileInputText | The font for the textfield text color for the message center greeting | System caption1 font | Same |
apptentiveProfileSuggesstionLabel | The font for the profile suggestion label for the message center greeting | System body font | Same |
apptentiveMessageCenterGreetingSendMessageButton | The font to use for the send message button on the greeting view for message center | System caption1 font | Same |
apptentiveMessageCenterStatusMessage | The font to use for the greeting title for message center | System caption1 font | Same |
apptentiveMessageCenterGreetingTitle | The font to use for the greeting title for message center | System headline font | Same |
apptentiveMessageCenterGreetingBody | The font to use for the greeting body for message center | System body font | Same |
apptentiveMessageCenterAttachmentLabel | The font to use for attachment placeholder file extension labels | System caption1 font | Same |
apptentiveQuestionLabel | The font used for all survey question labels | System body font | System callout font |
apptentiveTermsOfServiceLabel | The font used for the terms of service | System footnote font | Same |
apptentiveChoiceLabel | The font used for all survey answer choice labels | System body font | System callout font |
apptentiveMessageLabel | The font used for the message body in message center | System body font | Same |
apptentiveMinMaxLabel | The font used for the min and max labels for the range survey | System caption2 font | Same |
apptentiveSenderLabel | The font used for the sender label in message center | System caption2 font | Same |
apptentiveMessageDateLabel | The font used for the message date label in message center | System caption2 font | Same |
apptentiveInstructionsLabel | The font used for the instructions label for surveys | System caption1 font | Same |
apptentiveSurveyIntroductionLabel | The font used for the survey introduction label | System subheadline font | Same |
apptentiveSubmitLabel | The font used for the survey footer label (Thank You text) | System headline font | Same |
apptentiveSubmitButtonTitle | The font used for the submit button at the end of surveys | System headline font | Same |
apptentiveTextInput | The font used for the multi- and single-line text inputs in surveys | System body font | System callout font |
Overriding InteractionPresenter
As a final customization option (short of forking ApptentiveKit itself), your app can subclass ApptentiveKit’s InteractionPresenter class and set theinteractionPresenter property on the Apptentive instance to an instance of your subclass.
Apptentive.shared.interactionPresenter = MyInteractionPresenter()This can be useful, for example, to customize the Love Dialog or Notes interactions, since the UIAlertController class used by ApptentiveKit is not customizable.
Your InteractionPresenter subclass can override one or more of the following methods, which will be passed a view model with the properties and methods necessary to implement the interaction:
presentEnjoymentDialog(with:)(for Love Dialog interactions)presentMessageCenter(with:)presentSurvey(with:)presentTextModal(with:)(for Notes interactions)
Your override method should create a suitable view controller (using the view model to configure it) and present it, for example by calling the presentViewController(_:completion:) method.
If you use a different method of displaying your interaction view controller, be sure to override dismissPresentedViewController(animated:) to handle the programmatic dismissal of your view controller.
Because of their complexity, for Message Center and Survey interactions we strongly recommend starting with a copy of the code in the “Default UI” group (“List UI” for Surveys) under each interaction’s group in the ApptentiveKit Xcode project.
While we will make a strong effort to maintain API compatibility with current view models, you should expect the view model API to potentially have breaking changes when ApptentiveKit’s minor version number changes.