iOS: How to access the `UIKeyboard`?

Question

I want to get a pointer reference to UIKeyboard *keyboard to the keyboard on screen so that I can add a transparent subview to it, covering it completely, to achieve the effect of disabling the UIKeyboard without hiding it.

In doing this, can I assume that there's only one UIKeyboard on the screen at a time? I.e., is it a singleton? Where's the method [UIKeyboard sharedInstance]. Brownie points if you implement that method via a category. Or, even more brownie points if you convince me why it's a bad idea to assume only one keyboard and give me a better solution.

Answer 1

Try this:

// my func
- (void) findKeyboard {

    // Locate non-UIWindow.
    UIWindow *keyboardWindow = nil;
    for (UIWindow *testWindow in [[UIApplication sharedApplication] windows]) {
        if (![[testWindow class] isEqual:[UIWindow class]]) {
           keyboardWindow = testWindow;
           break;
       }
    }

    // Locate UIKeyboard.  
    UIView *foundKeyboard = nil;
    for (UIView *possibleKeyboard in [keyboardWindow subviews]) {

        // iOS 4 sticks the UIKeyboard inside a UIPeripheralHostView.
        if ([[possibleKeyboard description] hasPrefix:@"<UIPeripheralHostView"]) {
            possibleKeyboard = [[possibleKeyboard subviews] objectAtIndex:0];
        }                                                                                

        if ([[possibleKeyboard description] hasPrefix:@"<UIKeyboard"]) {
           foundKeyboard = possibleKeyboard;
           break;
        }
    }
}