How to use NSNotification in iOS?

1. Adding an observer 

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(loadDataWithNotification:) name:@"Test" object:nil];

2. Adding the observe method:

- (void)loadDataWithNotification: (NSNotification *) notification
{
    
    if ([notification.name isEqualToString:@"Test"]) {
        NSLog(@"Notification received");
        [self retrieveData];
    }
}

3. Posting notification on the other ViewController.

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:@"Test" object:nil];

Notification will be sent back to the MainViewController when the user click on the add Button, in order to notify the MainViewController to reload its data.

MainViewController

DetailViewController

Main code:

TableViewController.h

//
//  TableViewController.h
//  CoreDataTutorial
//
//  Created by Jason on 28/05/12.
//  Copyright (c) 2012 __MyCompanyName__. All rights reserved.
//

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
@interface TableViewController : UITableViewController

@property (strong, nonatomic) NSManagedObjectContext *context;
@end

TableViewController.m

//
//  TableViewController.m
//  CoreDataTutorial
//
//  Created by Jason on 28/05/12.
//  Copyright (c) 2012 __MyCompanyName__. All rights reserved.
//

#import "TableViewController.h"
#import "DetailViewController.h"
#import "People.h"

@interface TableViewController ()
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSArray *peopleArray;
@end

@implementation TableViewController
@synthesize peopleArray=_peopleArray;
@synthesize context=_context;


//retrieve data 
- (void)retrieveData
{
    NSFetchRequest *request=[[NSFetchRequest alloc] init];
    NSEntityDescription *entity=[NSEntityDescription entityForName:@"People" inManagedObjectContext:self.context];
    
    NSSortDescriptor *sortDescriptor=[[NSSortDescriptor alloc] initWithKey:@"name" ascending:YES];
    
    
    request.entity=entity;
    request.sortDescriptors=[NSArray arrayWithObject:sortDescriptor];
    request.fetchBatchSize=20;
    NSError *error;
    self.peopleArray=[self.context executeFetchRequest:request error:&error];
    [self.tableView reloadData];
}

- (void)loadDataWithNotification: (NSNotification *) notification
{
    
    if ([notification.name isEqualToString:@"Test"]) {
        NSLog(@"Notification received");
        [self retrieveData];
    }
}

- (id)initWithStyle:(UITableViewStyle)style
{
    self = [super initWithStyle:style];
    if (self) {
        [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserver:self selector:@selector(loadDataWithNotification:) name:@"Test" object:nil];
    }
    return self;
}



- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    [self retrieveData];

    // Uncomment the following line to preserve selection between presentations.
    // self.clearsSelectionOnViewWillAppear = NO;
 
    // Uncomment the following line to display an Edit button in the navigation bar for this view controller.
    self.navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem =[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemAdd target:self action:@selector(add)];
}


- (void)add
{
    DetailViewController *detailView=[[DetailViewController alloc] init];
    [self presentModalViewController:detailView animated:YES];
}

- (void)viewDidUnload
{
    [super viewDidUnload];
    // Release any retained subviews of the main view.
    // e.g. self.myOutlet = nil;
}

- (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
    return (interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait);
}

#pragma mark - Table view data source

- (NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInTableView:(UITableView *)tableView
{
    return 1;
}

- (NSInteger)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView numberOfRowsInSection:(NSInteger)section
{
    return self.peopleArray.count;
}

- (UITableViewCell *)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView cellForRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    static NSString *CellIdentifier = @"Cell";
    UITableViewCell *cell = [tableView dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
    
    // Configure the cell...
    if (!cell) {
        cell=[[UITableViewCell alloc] initWithStyle:UITableViewCellStyleSubtitle reuseIdentifier:CellIdentifier];
    }
    
    People *people=(People *)[self.peopleArray objectAtIndex:indexPath.row];
    cell.textLabel.text=people.name;
    cell.detailTextLabel.text=[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",people.number];
    
    return cell;
}

/*
// Override to support conditional editing of the table view.
- (BOOL)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView canEditRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    // Return NO if you do not want the specified item to be editable.
    return YES;
}
*/

/*
// Override to support editing the table view.
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView commitEditingStyle:(UITableViewCellEditingStyle)editingStyle forRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    if (editingStyle == UITableViewCellEditingStyleDelete) {
        // Delete the row from the data source
        [tableView deleteRowsAtIndexPaths:[NSArray arrayWithObject:indexPath] withRowAnimation:UITableViewRowAnimationFade];
    }   
    else if (editingStyle == UITableViewCellEditingStyleInsert) {
        // Create a new instance of the appropriate class, insert it into the array, and add a new row to the table view
    }   
}
*/

/*
// Override to support rearranging the table view.
- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView moveRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)fromIndexPath toIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)toIndexPath
{
}
*/

/*
// Override to support conditional rearranging of the table view.
- (BOOL)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView canMoveRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    // Return NO if you do not want the item to be re-orderable.
    return YES;
}
*/

#pragma mark - Table view delegate

- (void)tableView:(UITableView *)tableView didSelectRowAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
{
    // Navigation logic may go here. Create and push another view controller.
    /*
     <#DetailViewController#> *detailViewController = [[<#DetailViewController#> alloc] initWithNibName:@"<#Nib name#>" bundle:nil];
     // ...
     // Pass the selected object to the new view controller.
     [self.navigationController pushViewController:detailViewController animated:YES];
     */
}

@end

DetailViewController.h

//
//  DetailViewController.h
//  CoreDataTutorial
//
//  Created by Jason on 28/05/12.
//  Copyright (c) 2012 __MyCompanyName__. All rights reserved.
//

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "AppDelegate.h"



@interface DetailViewController : UIViewController
{
    IBOutlet UITextField *nameField;
    IBOutlet UITextField *numberField;
}


@end

DetailViewController.m

//
//  DetailViewController.m
//  CoreDataTutorial
//
//  Created by Jason on 28/05/12.
//  Copyright (c) 2012 __MyCompanyName__. All rights reserved.
//

#import "DetailViewController.h"
#import "People.h"

@interface DetailViewController ()

@property (nonatomic, strong) AppDelegate *app;

@end

@implementation DetailViewController
@synthesize app=_app;


- (id)initWithNibName:(NSString *)nibNameOrNil bundle:(NSBundle *)nibBundleOrNil
{
    self = [super initWithNibName:nibNameOrNil bundle:nibBundleOrNil];
    if (self) {
        UINavigationBar *navigationBar=[[UINavigationBar alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 320, 44)];
        UINavigationItem *navigationItem=[[UINavigationItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Add Detail"];
        [navigationBar pushNavigationItem:navigationItem animated:YES];
        
        
        UIBarButtonItem *addButton=[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Add" style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:@selector(add)];
        UIBarButtonItem *cancelButton=[[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithTitle:@"Cancel" style:UIBarButtonItemStyleBordered target:self action:@selector(cancel)];
        
        navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem=cancelButton;
        navigationItem.rightBarButtonItem=addButton;

        //adding navigationBar
        [self.view addSubview:navigationBar];
    }
    return self;
}

- (void)viewDidLoad
{
    [super viewDidLoad];
    self.app=[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
}

- (void)add
{
    NSManagedObjectContext *context=self.app.managedObjectContext;
    People *people=[NSEntityDescription insertNewObjectForEntityForName:@"People" inManagedObjectContext:context];
    
    people.name=nameField.text;
    people.number=[NSNumber numberWithInt:[numberField.text intValue]];
    
    NSError *error;
    if (![context save:&error ]) {
        UIAlertView *alert=[[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:@"Error" message:@"Can not save people"delegate:self cancelButtonTitle:@"OK" otherButtonTitles:nil];
        [alert show];
    }else {
            UIAlertView *alert=[[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:@"saved" message:@"The record has saved" delegate:self cancelButtonTitle:@"OK" otherButtonTitles:nil];
            [alert show];
    }
    
    
    [[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:@"Test" object:nil];
    [self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
    
    

}

- (void)retrieveData
{
    //retrieving data
    NSManagedObjectContext *context=self.app.managedObjectContext;

    NSFetchRequest *request=[[NSFetchRequest alloc] init];
    NSEntityDescription *entityDescription=[[NSEntityDescription alloc] init];
    request.entity=entityDescription;
    NSError *error;
    NSArray *peopleArray=[context executeFetchRequest:request error:&error];
    
    for(People *people in peopleArray){
        NSLog(@"name=%@,number=%@",people.name, people.number);
    }    
}

- (void)cancel
{
    [self dismissModalViewControllerAnimated:YES];
}

- (void)viewDidUnload
{
    [super viewDidUnload];
    // Release any retained subviews of the main view.
    // e.g. self.myOutlet = nil;
}

- (BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
    return (interfaceOrientation == UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait);
}

@end