Select tableview row programmatically

How do I programmatically select a UITableView row so that

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView 
        didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath

gets executed? selectRowAtIndexPath will only highlight the row.

Like Jaanus told:

> Calling this (-selectRowAtIndexPath:animated:scrollPosition:) method > does not cause the delegate to receive a > tableView:willSelectRowAtIndexPath: or > tableView:didSelectRowAtIndexPath: message, nor will it send > UITableViewSelectionDidChangeNotification notifications to observers.

So you just have to call the delegate method yourself.

For example:

Swift 3 version:

let indexPath = IndexPath(row: 0, section: 0);
self.tableView.selectRow(at: indexPath, animated: false, scrollPosition: UITableViewScrollPosition.none)
self.tableView(self.tableView, didSelectRowAt: indexPath)

ObjectiveC version:

NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForRow:0 inSection:0];
[self.tableView selectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath 
                            animated:YES 
                      scrollPosition:UITableViewScrollPositionNone];
[self tableView:self.tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];

Swift 2.3 version:

 let indexPath = NSIndexPath(forRow: 0, inSection: 0);
 self.tableView.selectRowAtIndexPath(indexPath, animated: false, scrollPosition: UITableViewScrollPosition.None)
 self.tableView(self.tableView, didSelectRowAtIndexPath: indexPath)

From reference documentation:

> Calling this method does not cause the delegate to receive a tableView:willSelectRowAtIndexPath: or tableView:didSelectRowAtIndexPath: message, nor does it send UITableViewSelectionDidChangeNotification notifications to observers.

What I would do is:

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath {
    [self doSomethingWithRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
}

And then, from where you wanted to call selectRowAtIndexPath, you instead call doSomethingWithRowAtIndexPath. On top of that, you can additionally also call selectRowAtIndexPath if you want the UI feedback to happen.

UITableView's selectRowAtIndexPath:animated:scrollPosition: should do the trick.

Just pass UITableViewScrollPositionNone for scrollPosition and the user won't see any movement.

---

You should also be able to manually run the action:

[theTableView.delegate tableView:theTableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath]

after you selectRowAtIndexPath:animated:scrollPosition: so the highlight happens as well as any associated logic.

if you want to select some row this will help you

NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForRow:0 inSection:0];
[someTableView selectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath 
                           animated:NO 
                     scrollPosition:UITableViewScrollPositionNone];

This will also Highlighted the row. Then delegate

 [someTableView.delegate someTableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];

Swift 3/4/5 Solution

Select Row

let indexPath = IndexPath(row: 0, section: 0)
tblView.selectRow(at: indexPath, animated: true, scrollPosition: .bottom)
myTableView.delegate?.tableView!(myTableView, didSelectRowAt: indexPath)

DeSelect Row

let deselectIndexPath = IndexPath(row: 7, section: 0)
tblView.deselectRow(at: deselectIndexPath, animated: true)
tblView.delegate?.tableView!(tblView, didDeselectRowAt: indexPath)

There are two different methods for iPad and iPhone platforms, so you need to implement both:

• selection handler and

• segue.

   NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForRow:0 inSection:0];
   [self.tableView selectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath animated:NO scrollPosition:UITableViewScrollPositionNone];
  
   // Selection handler (for horizontal iPad)
   [self tableView:self.tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
  
   // Segue (for iPhone and vertical iPad)
   [self performSegueWithIdentifier:"showDetail" sender:self];
  

Use this category to select a table row and execute a given segue after a delay.
Call this within your viewDidAppear method:

[tableViewController delayedSelection:withSegueIdentifier:]


@implementation UITableViewController (TLUtils)

-(void)delayedSelection:(NSIndexPath *)idxPath withSegueIdentifier:(NSString *)segueID {
    if (!idxPath) idxPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForRow:0 inSection:0];                                                                                                                                                                 
    [self performSelector:@selector(selectIndexPath:) withObject:@{@"NSIndexPath": idxPath, @"UIStoryboardSegue": segueID } afterDelay:0];                                                                                               
}

-(void)selectIndexPath:(NSDictionary *)args {
    NSIndexPath *idxPath = args[@"NSIndexPath"];                                                                                                                                                                                         
    [self.tableView selectRowAtIndexPath:idxPath animated:NO scrollPosition:UITableViewScrollPositionMiddle];                                                                                                                            

    if ([self.tableView.delegate respondsToSelector:@selector(tableView:didSelectRowAtIndexPath:)])
        [self.tableView.delegate tableView:self.tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:idxPath];                                                                                                                                              

    [self performSegueWithIdentifier:args[@"UIStoryboardSegue"] sender:self];                                                                                                                                                            
}

@end