JASidePanels is a UIViewController container designed for presenting a center panel with revealable side panels - one to the left and one to the right. The main inspiration for this project is the menuing system in Path 2.0 and Facebook's iOS apps.

#import "JAAppDelegate.h"

#import "JASidePanelController.h"
#import "JACenterViewController.h"
#import "JALeftViewController.h"
#import "JARightViewController.h"

@implementation JAAppDelegate

@synthesize window = _window;
@synthesize viewController = _viewController;

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
    self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds]];
	
	self.viewController = [[JASidePanelController alloc] init];
	self.viewController.leftPanel = [[JALeftViewController alloc] init];
	self.viewController.centerPanel = [[UINavigationController alloc] initWithRootViewController:[[JACenterViewController alloc] init]];
	self.viewController.rightPanel = [[JARightViewController alloc] init];
	
	self.window.rootViewController = self.viewController;
    [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
    return YES;
}


@end

1. Create a subclass of JASidePanelController. In this example we call it MySidePanelController.
2. In the Storyboard designate the root view's owner as MySidePanelController.
3. Make sure to #import "JASidePanelController.h" in MySidePanelController.h.
4. Add more view controllers to your Storyboard, and give them identifiers "leftViewController", "centerViewController" and "rightViewController". Note that in the new XCode the identifier is called "Storyboard ID" and can be found in the Identity inspector (in older versions the identifier is found in the Attributes inspector).
5. Add a method awakeFromNib to MySidePanelController.m with the following code:

-(void) awakeFromNib
{
  [self setLeftPanel:[self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:@"leftViewController"]];
  [self setCenterPanel:[self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:@"centerViewController"]];
  [self setRightPanel:[self.storyboard instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:@"rightViewController"]];
}

Only two files are required for using JASidePanels: JASidePanelController.h & JASidePanelController.m

The easiest way to use JASidePanels is to copy the files into your XCode Project.

Alternatively, you can setup a git submodule and reference the files in your Xcode project. I prefer this method as it enables you to receive bugfixes/updates for the project. git submodule add https://github.com/gotosleep/JASidePanels.git JASidePanels

Make sure to include the QuartzCore framework in your target.

A UIViewController+JASidePanel category is included in the project. Usage is optional. The category adds a single convenience property to UIViewController: sidePanelController. The property provides access to the nearest JASidePanelController ancestor in your view controller heirarchy. It behaves similar to the navigationController UIViewController property provided by Apple. Here's an example:

#import "JASidePanelController.h"
#import "UIViewController+JASidePanel.h"

@interface JALeftViewController : UIViewController
@end

@implementation JALeftViewController

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    // sweet, I can access my parent JASidePanelController as a property!
    [self.sidePanelController showCenterPanelAnimated:YES];
}

@end

JASidePanels requires iOS 5.0+ and Xcode 4.3+ The projects uses ARC, but it may be used with non-ARC projects by setting the: -fobjc-arc compiler flag on JASidePanelController.m. You can set this flag under Target -> Build Phases -> Compile Sources

JASidePanels is used in the following apps:

• Scribd - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scribd-worlds-largest-online/id542557212?ls=1&mt=8
• Float Reader - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/float-reader/id447992005?ls=1&mt=8

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Other projects implementing a similar UI

• DDMenuController - https://github.com/devindoty/DDMenuController
• JTRevealSidebarDemo - https://github.com/mystcolor/JTRevealSidebarDemo
• ECSlidingViewController - https://github.com/edgecase/ECSlidingViewController
• ViewDeck - https://github.com/Inferis/ViewDeck
• ZUUIRevealController - https://github.com/pkluz/ZUUIRevealController
• GHSidebarNav - https://github.com/gresrun/GHSidebarNav