Creating a UICollectionView programmatically

For swift user:--

class TwoViewController: UIViewController, UICollectionViewDataSource, UICollectionViewDelegateFlowLayout, UICollectionViewDelegate {

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        var flowLayout = UICollectionViewFlowLayout()

        let collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: self.view.bounds, collectionViewLayout: flowLayout)
        collectionView.registerClass(UICollectionViewCell.self, forCellWithReuseIdentifier: "collectionCell")
        collectionView.delegate = self
        collectionView.dataSource = self
        collectionView.backgroundColor = UIColor.cyanColor()

        self.view.addSubview(collectionView)
    }

    func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, numberOfItemsInSection section: Int) -> Int
    {
        return 20
    }

    func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell
    {
        var cell = collectionView.dequeueReusableCellWithReuseIdentifier("collectionCell", forIndexPath: indexPath)

        cell.backgroundColor = UIColor.greenColor()
        return cell
    }

    func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, sizeForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> CGSize
    {
        return CGSizeMake(50, 50)
    }

    func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, insetForSectionAtIndex section: Int) -> UIEdgeInsets
    {
        return UIEdgeInsets(top: 5, left: 5, bottom: 5, right: 5)
    }

}

For Swift 2.0

Instead of implementing the methods that are required to draw the CollectionViewCells:

func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, sizeForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> CGSize
    {
        return CGSizeMake(50, 50);
    }

    func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, layout collectionViewLayout: UICollectionViewLayout, insetForSectionAtIndex section: Int) -> UIEdgeInsets
    {
        return UIEdgeInsetsMake(5, 5, 5, 5); //top,left,bottom,right
    }

Use UICollectionViewFlowLayout

func createCollectionView() {
    let flowLayout = UICollectionViewFlowLayout()

    // Now setup the flowLayout required for drawing the cells
    let space = 5.0 as CGFloat

    // Set view cell size
    flowLayout.itemSize = CGSizeMake(50, 50)

    // Set left and right margins
    flowLayout.minimumInteritemSpacing = space

    // Set top and bottom margins
    flowLayout.minimumLineSpacing = space

    // Finally create the CollectionView
    let collectionView = UICollectionView(frame: CGRectMake(10, 10, 300, 400), collectionViewLayout: flowLayout)

    // Then setup delegates, background color etc.
    collectionView?.dataSource = self
    collectionView?.delegate = self
    collectionView?.registerClass(UICollectionViewCell.self, forCellWithReuseIdentifier: "cellID")
    collectionView?.backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
    self.view.addSubview(collectionView!)
}

Then implement the UICollectionViewDataSource methods as required:

func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, numberOfItemsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
        return 20;
    }
func collectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView, cellForItemAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UICollectionViewCell {
    var cell:UICollectionViewCell=collectionView.dequeueReusableCellWithReuseIdentifier("collectionCell", forIndexPath: indexPath) as UICollectionViewCell;
    cell.backgroundColor = UIColor.greenColor();
    return cell;
}
func numberOfSectionsInCollectionView(collectionView: UICollectionView) -> Int {
    // #warning Incomplete implementation, return the number of sections
    return 1
}

1. Building off @Warewolf's answer, the next step is to create your own custom cell.

   Go to File -> New -> File -> User Interface -> Empty -> Call this nib "customNib".

2. In your customNib drag a UICollectionView Cell in. Give it reuse cell identifier @"Cell".

3. File -> New -> File -> Cocoa Touch Class -> Class named "CustomCollectionViewCell" subclass if UICollectionViewCell.

4. Go back to the custom nib, click cell and make this custom class "CustomCollectionViewCell".

5. Go to your viewDidLoad viewcontroller and instead of

   [_collectionView registerClass:[UICollectionViewCell class] forCellWithReuseIdentifier:@"cellIdentifier"];

   have

   UINib *nib = [UINib nibWithNibName:@"customNib" bundle:nil]; [_collectionView registerNib:nib forCellWithReuseIdentifier:@"Cell"];

6. Also, change (to your new cell identifier)

   UICollectionViewCell *cell=[collectionView dequeueReusableCellWithReuseIdentifier:@"Cell" forIndexPath:indexPath];

Apple Docs:

- (id)initWithFrame:(CGRect)frame 
      collectionViewLayout:(UICollectionViewLayout *)layoutParameters

Use this method when initializing a collection view object programmatically. If you specify nil for the layout parameter, you must assign a layout object to the collectionViewLayout property before displaying the collection view onscreen. If you do not, the collection view will be unable to present any items onscreen.

This method is the designated initializer.

This method is used to initialize the UICollectionView. here you provide frame and a UICollectionViewLayout object.

UICollectionViewFlowLayout *layout = [[UICollectionViewFlowLayout alloc]init];

At the end, add UICollectionView as a subview to your view.

Now collection view is added pro grammatically. You can go on learning.
Happy learning!! Hope it helps you.

    #pragma mark -
    #pragma mark - UICollectionView Datasource and Delegates

    -(NSInteger)numberOfSectionsInCollectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView
    {
        return 1;
    }

    -(NSInteger)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView numberOfItemsInSection:(NSInteger)section
    {
        return Arr_AllCulturalButtler.count;
    }

    -(UICollectionViewCell *)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView cellForItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
    {
        static NSString *coll=@"FromCulturalbutlerCollectionViewCell";
        FromCulturalbutlerCollectionViewCell *cell=[collectionView dequeueReusableCellWithReuseIdentifier:coll forIndexPath:indexPath];
        cell.lbl_categoryname.text=[[Arr_AllCulturalButtler objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] Category_name];
        cell.lbl_date.text=[[Arr_AllCulturalButtler objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] event_Start_date];
        cell.lbl_location.text=[[Arr_AllCulturalButtler objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] Location_name];
        [cell.Img_Event setImageWithURL:[APPDELEGATE getURLForMediumSizeImage:[(EventObj *)[Arr_AllCulturalButtler objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] Event_image_name]] placeholderImage:nil usingActivityIndicatorStyle:UIActivityIndicatorViewStyleGray];
        cell.button_Bookmark.selected=[[Arr_AllCulturalButtler objectAtIndex:indexPath.row] Event_is_bookmarked];
        [cell.button_Bookmark addTarget:self action:@selector(btn_bookmarkClicked:) forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];
        cell.button_Bookmark.tag=indexPath.row;


        return cell;
    }
    - (void)collectionView:(UICollectionView *)collectionView didSelectItemAtIndexPath:(NSIndexPath *)indexPath
    {

        [self performSegueWithIdentifier:SEGUE_CULTURALBUTLER_KULTURELLIS_DETAIL sender:self];
    }

// stroy board navigation
- (void)prepareForSegue:(UIStoryboardSegue *)segue sender:(id)sender
{
    if ([segue.identifier isEqualToString:@"Overview_Register"])
    {
        WDRegisterViewController *obj=(WDRegisterViewController *)[segue destinationViewController];
        obj.str_Title=@"Edit Profile";
        obj.isRegister=NO;
    }
}

            [self performSegueWithIdentifier:@"Overview_Measure" sender:nil];



    UIStoryboard *sb = [UIStoryboard storyboardWithName:@"Main" bundle:nil];
    WDPeekViewController *Peek = (WDPeekViewController *)[sb instantiateViewControllerWithIdentifier:@"WDPeekViewController"];
 [self.navigationController pushViewController:tabBarController animated:YES];