Prototype Cells in a nib instead of a storyboard

iOS 5 includes a new method on UITableView: registerNib:forCellReuseIdentifier:

To use it, put a UITableViewCell in a nib. It has to be the only root object in the nib.

You can register the nib after loading your tableView, then when you call dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier: with the cell identifier, it will pull it from the nib, just like if you had used a Storyboard prototype cell.

In Swift 4:

1. Create new CocoaTouch Class, Subclass from UITableViewCell.
2. Important - Enable the checkbox 'Also create XIB file' which creates a Swift file and a .xib file
3. Add labels in the Xib, as you would do for a prototype cell in Storyboard
4. Connect label outlets to the new swift file

5. Important - Register the nib file in viewDidLoad

   yourTableview.register(UINib.init(nibName: "CustomCellTableViewCell", bundle: nil), forCellReuseIdentifier: "Cell")
   

   (or)

   yourTableview.register(UINib(nibName: "CustomCellTableViewCell", bundle: Bundle.main), forCellReuseIdentifier: "Cell")
   

6. Implement the datasource and delegates as normal and typecaste to the CustomCell in cellForRowAtIndexPath.