Detect when view controller appears from pop

Question

I am popping a view controller deep within a navigation stack. Is it possible to detect if the view controller is being shown from a push or a pop?

nav stack:

[A] -> [B] -> [C] -> [D] -> [E]

[E] pops to [B]

nav stack:

[A]  -> [B] // Possible to detect if B appears from a pop?

Answer 1

In view controller B, implement either viewWillAppear or viewDidAppear. In there, use isMovingToParent and isBeingPresented to see under what conditions it is appearing:

override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillAppear(animated)

    if !isBeingPresented && !isMovingToParent {
        // this view controller is becoming visible because something that was covering it has been dismissed or popped
    }
}

Below is a more general use of these properties that people may find handy:

override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
    super.viewWillAppear(animated)

    if isMovingToParent {
        // this view controller is becoming visible because it was just push onto a navigation controller or some other container view controller
    } else if isBeingPresented {
        // this view controller is becoming visible because it is being presented from another view controller
    } else if view.window == nil {
        // this view controller is becoming visible for the first time as the window's root view controller
    } else {
        // this view controller is becoming visible because something that was covering it has been dismissed or popped
    }
}