UITableViewautomaticDimension

UITableView is a UI element in UIKit that presents data in a single-column, vertically scrolling list of rows. It is designed to display large or dynamic datasets efficiently by reusing cells. A table view uses a data source to obtain the number of sections, rows, and the content of each cell, and an optional delegate to customize behavior and presentation, such as row selection, editing, and height.

The UITableViewDataSource protocol requires implementing numberOfSections(in:) (default is 1), tableView(_:numberOfRowsInSection:), and tableView(_:cellForRowAt:). Cells are dequeued with dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier:), after registering a cell class or nib. The delegate UITableViewDelegate handles height, selection, editing actions, and display callbacks. For dynamic heights, you can return UITableView.automaticDimension for rowHeight and provide an estimatedRowHeight for smoother scrolling.

Table views support sections with header and footer titles, and can be edited, reordered, and swipeable. iOS 11+ introduced leading and trailing swipe actions via trailingSwipeActionsConfigurationForRowAt, while older editing methods exist for insert/delete.

Performance tips include reusing cells, performing batch updates, and loading images asynchronously. Constraint-based cell layouts with Auto Layout are recommended to size content correctly when using automatic dimensions.

Common usage steps: create or connect a table view, set its data source and delegate, register a cell class or nib, implement the required data source methods, and populate cells in tableView(_:cellForRowAt:). For more complex layouts, consider UICollectionView as an alternative.