| <topic_start> |
| Introduction to Flutter: Building Beautiful Cross-Platform Apps |
|
|
| Flutter is an open-source UI software development toolkit created by Google. |
| It is designed to build natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. |
| Flutter provides a fast, expressive, and flexible way to develop visually stunning |
| applications with high performance. |
| It is a powerful framework for building cross-platform applications with beautiful, |
| highly-customizable UIs. By leveraging Flutter's rich set of widgets, hot reload feature, and platform-specific integrations, |
| developers can create high-quality apps that run smoothly on multiple platforms with minimal effort. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Why Choose Flutter? |
|
|
| One of the primary advantages of Flutter is its ability to create beautiful, |
| highly-customized user interfaces (UI) quickly and efficiently. Here's why Flutter stands out: |
|
|
| 1- Single Codebase: With Flutter, you write one codebase that runs on multiple platforms, including iOS, |
| Android, web, and desktop. This means you can reach a broader audience with less effort. |
|
|
| 2- Expressive UI: Flutter uses a declarative approach to building UI, meaning you describe what you want your UI to look like, |
| and Flutter handles the rendering. This allows for highly expressive and customizable UI designs. |
|
|
| 3- Fast Development: Flutter's hot reload feature allows developers to instantly see changes they make |
| to the code reflected on the app UI, speeding up the development process significantly. |
|
|
| 4- Native Performance: Flutter apps are compiled directly to native machine code, |
| providing near-native performance on each platform. |
|
|
| 5- Rich Set of Widgets: Flutter comes with an extensive collection of pre-designed widgets for |
| building UI elements such as buttons, text inputs, sliders, and more. These widgets are highly |
| customizable and can be combined to create complex UI layouts. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Widgets: The Building Blocks of Flutter |
|
|
| In Flutter, everything is a widget. A widget is a lightweight, |
| reusable component that represents a part of the UI. Flutter provides two types of widgets: |
|
|
| 1- Stateless Widgets: These widgets are immutable and do not have any internal state. |
| Stateless widgets are used for UI elements that do not change over time, such as buttons, icons, or static text. |
|
|
| 2- Stateful Widgets: Stateful widgets maintain internal state that can change over time. |
| They are used for UI elements that need to update dynamically, such as input fields, animations, or lists. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| How Flutter Works |
|
|
| At the heart of Flutter's architecture is the Flutter Engine, |
| which is written primarily in C++. |
| The Flutter Engine provides low-level rendering support through Google's Skia graphics library. |
| Here's a simplified overview of how Flutter works: |
|
|
| 1- UI Rendering: Flutter uses a custom rendering engine to draw UI elements directly to the screen, |
| bypassing the platform's native UI components. This allows for consistent UI across different platforms. |
|
|
| 2- Dart Programming Language: Flutter apps are written in the Dart programming language, |
| which was also developed by Google. Dart provides features such as a just-in-time (JIT) compiler for rapid development and a ahead-of-time (AOT) compiler for producing highly optimized native code. |
|
|
| 3- Widgets Layer: Developers use Flutter's extensive widget library to compose the UI of their applications. |
| Widgets are arranged in a tree hierarchy, with each widget responsible for rendering a specific part of the UI. |
|
|
| 4- Hot Reload: Flutter's hot reload feature allows developers to make changes to the code and see the results instantly without restarting the app. |
| This greatly speeds up the development process and enables iterative UI design |
|
|
| 5- Platform Channels: Flutter provides platform channels that allow communication between Flutter code and platform-specific code written in Java (for Android) or Objective-C/Swift (for iOS). |
| This enables developers to access platform-specific features and APIs when needed. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Understanding constraints in Flutter |
| info Note |
| If you are experiencing specific layout errors, |
| you might check out Common Flutter errors. |
| When someone learning Flutter asks you why some widget |
| with width: 100 isn’t 100 pixels wide, |
| the default answer is to tell them to put that widget |
| inside of a Center, right? |
| Don’t do that. |
| If you do, they’ll come back again and again, |
| asking why some FittedBox isn’t working, |
| why that Column is overflowing, or what |
| IntrinsicWidth is supposed to be doing. |
| Instead, first tell them that Flutter layout is very different |
| from HTML layout (which is probably where they’re coming from), |
| and then make them memorize the following rule: |
| Flutter layout can’t really be understood without knowing |
| this rule, so Flutter developers should learn it early on. |
| In more detail: |
| For example, if a composed widget contains a column |
| with some padding, and wants to lay out its two children |
| as follows: |
|
|
| The negotiation goes something like this: |
| Widget: “Hey parent, what are my constraints?” |
| Parent: “You must be from 0 to 300 pixels wide, |
| and 0 to 85 tall.” |
| Widget: “Hmmm, since I want to have 5 pixels of padding, |
| then my children can have at most 290 pixels of width |
| and 75 pixels of height.” |
| Widget: “Hey first child, You must be from 0 to 290 |
| pixels wide, and 0 to 75 tall.” |
| First child: “OK, then I wish to be 290 pixels wide, |
| and 20 pixels tall.” |
| Widget: “Hmmm, since I want to put my second child below the |
| first one, this leaves only 55 pixels of height for |
| my second child.” |
| Widget: “Hey second child, You must be from 0 to 290 wide, |
| and 0 to 55 tall.” |
| Second child: “OK, I wish to be 140 pixels wide, |
| and 30 pixels tall.” |
| Widget: “Very well. My first child has position x: 5 and y: 5, |
| and my second child has x: 80 and y: 25.” |
| Widget: “Hey parent, I’ve decided that my size is going to be 300 |
| pixels wide, and 60 pixels tall.” |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Limitations |
| Flutter’s layout engine is designed to be a one-pass process. |
| This means that Flutter lays out its widgets very efficiently, |
| but does result in a few limitations: |
| A widget can decide its own size only within the |
| constraints given to it by its parent. |
| This means a widget usually |
| can’t have any size it wants. |
| A widget can’t know and doesn’t decide its own position |
| in the screen, since it’s the widget’s parent who decides |
| the position of the widget. |
| Since the parent’s size and position, in its turn, |
| also depends on its own parent, it’s impossible to |
| precisely define the size and position of any widget |
| without taking into consideration the tree as a whole. |
| If a child wants a different size from its parent and |
| the parent doesn’t have enough information to align it, |
| then the child’s size might be ignored. |
| Be specific when defining alignment. |
| In Flutter, widgets are rendered by their underlying |
| RenderBox objects. Many boxes in Flutter, |
| especially those that just take a single child, |
| pass their constraint on to their children. |
| Generally, there are three kinds of boxes, |
| in terms of how they handle their constraints: |
| Some widgets, for example Container, |
| vary from type to type based on their constructor arguments. |
| The Container constructor defaults |
| to trying to be as big as possible, but if you give it a width, |
| for instance, it tries to honor that and be that particular size. |
| Others, for example Row and Column (flex boxes) |
| vary based on the constraints they are given, |
| as described in the Flex section. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Examples |
| For an interactive experience, use the following DartPad. |
| Use the numbered horizontal scrolling bar to switch between |
| 29 different examples. |
| <code_start> |
| import 'package:flutter/material.dart'; |
|
|
| void main() => runApp(const HomePage()); |
|
|
| const red = Colors.red; |
| const green = Colors.green; |
| const blue = Colors.blue; |
| const big = TextStyle(fontSize: 30); |
|
|
|
|
| class HomePage extends StatelessWidget { |
| const HomePage({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return const FlutterLayoutArticle([ |
| Example1(), |
| Example2(), |
| Example3(), |
| Example4(), |
| Example5(), |
| Example6(), |
| Example7(), |
| Example8(), |
| Example9(), |
| Example10(), |
| Example11(), |
| Example12(), |
| Example13(), |
| Example14(), |
| Example15(), |
| Example16(), |
| Example17(), |
| Example18(), |
| Example19(), |
| Example20(), |
| Example21(), |
| Example22(), |
| Example23(), |
| Example24(), |
| Example25(), |
| Example26(), |
| Example27(), |
| Example28(), |
| Example29(), |
| ]); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| abstract class Example extends StatelessWidget { |
| const Example({super.key}); |
|
|
| String get code; |
|
|
| String get explanation; |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class FlutterLayoutArticle extends StatefulWidget { |
| const FlutterLayoutArticle( |
| this.examples, { |
| super.key, |
| }); |
|
|
| final List<Example> examples; |
|
|
| @override |
| State<FlutterLayoutArticle> createState() => _FlutterLayoutArticleState(); |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class _FlutterLayoutArticleState extends State<FlutterLayoutArticle> { |
| late int count; |
| late Widget example; |
| late String code; |
| late String explanation; |
|
|
| @override |
| void initState() { |
| count = 1; |
| code = const Example1().code; |
| explanation = const Example1().explanation; |
|
|
| super.initState(); |
| } |
|
|
| @override |
| void didUpdateWidget(FlutterLayoutArticle oldWidget) { |
| super.didUpdateWidget(oldWidget); |
| var example = widget.examples[count - 1]; |
| code = example.code; |
| explanation = example.explanation; |
| } |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return MaterialApp( |
| debugShowCheckedModeBanner: false, |
| title: 'Flutter Layout Article', |
| home: SafeArea( |
| child: Material( |
| color: Colors.black, |
| child: FittedBox( |
| child: Container( |
| width: 400, |
| height: 670, |
| color: const Color(0xFFCCCCCC), |
| child: Column( |
| crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.center, |
| children: [ |
| Expanded( |
| child: ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints.tightFor( |
| width: double.infinity, height: double.infinity), |
| child: widget.examples[count - 1])), |
| Container( |
| height: 50, |
| width: double.infinity, |
| color: Colors.black, |
| child: SingleChildScrollView( |
| scrollDirection: Axis.horizontal, |
| child: Row( |
| mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min, |
| children: [ |
| for (int i = 0; i < widget.examples.length; i++) |
| Container( |
| width: 58, |
| padding: const EdgeInsets.only(left: 4, right: 4), |
| child: button(i + 1), |
| ), |
| ], |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| Container( |
| height: 273, |
| color: Colors.grey[50], |
| child: Scrollbar( |
| child: SingleChildScrollView( |
| key: ValueKey(count), |
| child: Padding( |
| padding: const EdgeInsets.all(10), |
| child: Column( |
| children: [ |
| Center(child: Text(code)), |
| const SizedBox(height: 15), |
| Text( |
| explanation, |
| style: TextStyle( |
| color: Colors.blue[900], |
| fontStyle: FontStyle.italic), |
| ), |
| ], |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ], |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
|
|
| Widget button(int exampleNumber) { |
| return Button( |
| key: ValueKey('button$exampleNumber'), |
| isSelected: count == exampleNumber, |
| exampleNumber: exampleNumber, |
| onPressed: () { |
| showExample( |
| exampleNumber, |
| widget.examples[exampleNumber - 1].code, |
| widget.examples[exampleNumber - 1].explanation, |
| ); |
| }, |
| ); |
| } |
|
|
| void showExample(int exampleNumber, String code, String explanation) { |
| setState(() { |
| count = exampleNumber; |
| this.code = code; |
| this.explanation = explanation; |
| }); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Button extends StatelessWidget { |
| final bool isSelected; |
| final int exampleNumber; |
| final VoidCallback onPressed; |
|
|
| const Button({ |
| super.key, |
| required this.isSelected, |
| required this.exampleNumber, |
| required this.onPressed, |
| }); |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return TextButton( |
| style: TextButton.styleFrom( |
| foregroundColor: Colors.white, |
| backgroundColor: isSelected ? Colors.grey : Colors.grey[800], |
| ), |
| child: Text(exampleNumber.toString()), |
| onPressed: () { |
| Scrollable.ensureVisible( |
| context, |
| duration: const Duration(milliseconds: 350), |
| curve: Curves.easeOut, |
| alignment: 0.5, |
| ); |
| onPressed(); |
| }, |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
| class Example1 extends Example { |
| const Example1({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Container(color: red)'; |
|
|
| @override |
| final explanation = 'The screen is the parent of the Container, ' |
| 'and it forces the Container to be exactly the same size as the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'So the Container fills the screen and paints it red.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Container(color: red); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example2 extends Example { |
| const Example2({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red)'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The red Container wants to be 100x100, but it can\'t, ' |
| 'because the screen forces it to be exactly the same size as the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'So the Container fills the screen.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example3 extends Example { |
| const Example3({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the Center to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'so the Center fills the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Center tells the Container that it can be any size it wants, but not bigger than the screen.' |
| 'Now the Container can indeed be 100x100.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example4 extends Example { |
| const Example4({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Align(\n' |
| ' alignment: Alignment.bottomRight,\n' |
| ' child: Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'This is different from the previous example in that it uses Align instead of Center.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Align also tells the Container that it can be any size it wants, but if there is empty space it won\'t center the Container. ' |
| 'Instead, it aligns the Container to the bottom-right of the available space.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Align( |
| alignment: Alignment.bottomRight, |
| child: Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example5 extends Example { |
| const Example5({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: Container(\n' |
| ' color: red,\n' |
| ' width: double.infinity,\n' |
| ' height: double.infinity))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the Center to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'so the Center fills the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Center tells the Container that it can be any size it wants, but not bigger than the screen.' |
| 'The Container wants to be of infinite size, but since it can\'t be bigger than the screen, it just fills the screen.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: Container( |
| width: double.infinity, height: double.infinity, color: red), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example6 extends Example { |
| const Example6({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(child: Container(color: red))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the Center to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'so the Center fills the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Center tells the Container that it can be any size it wants, but not bigger than the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Since the Container has no child and no fixed size, it decides it wants to be as big as possible, so it fills the whole screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'But why does the Container decide that? ' |
| 'Simply because that\'s a design decision by those who created the Container widget. ' |
| 'It could have been created differently, and you have to read the Container documentation to understand how it behaves, depending on the circumstances. '; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: Container(color: red), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example7 extends Example { |
| const Example7({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: green, width: 30, height: 30)))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the Center to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'so the Center fills the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Center tells the red Container that it can be any size it wants, but not bigger than the screen.' |
| 'Since the red Container has no size but has a child, it decides it wants to be the same size as its child.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The red Container tells its child that it can be any size it wants, but not bigger than the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The child is a green Container that wants to be 30x30.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Since the red `Container` has no size but has a child, it decides it wants to be the same size as its child. ' |
| 'The red color isn\'t visible, since the green Container entirely covers all of the red Container.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: Container(color: green, width: 30, height: 30), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example8 extends Example { |
| const Example8({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red\n' |
| ' padding: const EdgeInsets.all(20),\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: green, width: 30, height: 30)))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The red Container sizes itself to its children size, but it takes its own padding into consideration. ' |
| 'So it is also 30x30 plus padding. ' |
| 'The red color is visible because of the padding, and the green Container has the same size as in the previous example.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: Container( |
| padding: const EdgeInsets.all(20), |
| color: red, |
| child: Container(color: green, width: 30, height: 30), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example9 extends Example { |
| const Example9({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'ConstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' constraints: BoxConstraints(\n' |
| ' minWidth: 70, minHeight: 70,\n' |
| ' maxWidth: 150, maxHeight: 150),\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, width: 10, height: 10)))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'You might guess that the Container has to be between 70 and 150 pixels, but you would be wrong. ' |
| 'The ConstrainedBox only imposes ADDITIONAL constraints from those it receives from its parent.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Here, the screen forces the ConstrainedBox to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'so it tells its child Container to also assume the size of the screen, ' |
| 'thus ignoring its \'constraints\' parameter.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 10, height: 10), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example10 extends Example { |
| const Example10({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: ConstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' constraints: BoxConstraints(\n' |
| ' minWidth: 70, minHeight: 70,\n' |
| ' maxWidth: 150, maxHeight: 150),\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, width: 10, height: 10))))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'Now, Center allows ConstrainedBox to be any size up to the screen size.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The ConstrainedBox imposes ADDITIONAL constraints from its \'constraints\' parameter onto its child.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Container must be between 70 and 150 pixels. It wants to have 10 pixels, so it will end up having 70 (the MINIMUM).'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 10, height: 10), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example11 extends Example { |
| const Example11({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: ConstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' constraints: BoxConstraints(\n' |
| ' minWidth: 70, minHeight: 70,\n' |
| ' maxWidth: 150, maxHeight: 150),\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, width: 1000, height: 1000))))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'Center allows ConstrainedBox to be any size up to the screen size.' |
| 'The ConstrainedBox imposes ADDITIONAL constraints from its \'constraints\' parameter onto its child' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Container must be between 70 and 150 pixels. It wants to have 1000 pixels, so it ends up having 150 (the MAXIMUM).'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 1000, height: 1000), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example12 extends Example { |
| const Example12({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: ConstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' constraints: BoxConstraints(\n' |
| ' minWidth: 70, minHeight: 70,\n' |
| ' maxWidth: 150, maxHeight: 150),\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, width: 100, height: 100))))'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'Center allows ConstrainedBox to be any size up to the screen size.' |
| 'ConstrainedBox imposes ADDITIONAL constraints from its \'constraints\' parameter onto its child.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Container must be between 70 and 150 pixels. It wants to have 100 pixels, and that\'s the size it has, since that\'s between 70 and 150.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Center( |
| child: ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 100, height: 100), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example13 extends Example { |
| const Example13({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'UnconstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, width: 20, height: 50));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the UnconstrainedBox to be exactly the same size as the screen.' |
| 'However, the UnconstrainedBox lets its child Container be any size it wants.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 20, height: 50), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example14 extends Example { |
| const Example14({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'UnconstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, width: 4000, height: 50));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the UnconstrainedBox to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'and UnconstrainedBox lets its child Container be any size it wants.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Unfortunately, in this case the Container has 4000 pixels of width and is too big to fit in the UnconstrainedBox, ' |
| 'so the UnconstrainedBox displays the much dreaded "overflow warning".'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 4000, height: 50), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example15 extends Example { |
| const Example15({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'OverflowBox(\n' |
| ' minWidth: 0,' |
| ' minHeight: 0,' |
| ' maxWidth: double.infinity,' |
| ' maxHeight: double.infinity,' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, width: 4000, height: 50));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the OverflowBox to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'and OverflowBox lets its child Container be any size it wants.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'OverflowBox is similar to UnconstrainedBox, and the difference is that it won\'t display any warnings if the child doesn\'t fit the space.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'In this case the Container is 4000 pixels wide, and is too big to fit in the OverflowBox, ' |
| 'but the OverflowBox simply shows as much as it can, with no warnings given.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return OverflowBox( |
| minWidth: 0, |
| minHeight: 0, |
| maxWidth: double.infinity, |
| maxHeight: double.infinity, |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 4000, height: 50), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example16 extends Example { |
| const Example16({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'UnconstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: Colors.red, width: double.infinity, height: 100));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'This won\'t render anything, and you\'ll see an error in the console.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The UnconstrainedBox lets its child be any size it wants, ' |
| 'however its child is a Container with infinite size.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Flutter can\'t render infinite sizes, so it throws an error with the following message: ' |
| '"BoxConstraints forces an infinite width."'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: Container(color: Colors.red, width: double.infinity, height: 100), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example17 extends Example { |
| const Example17({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'UnconstrainedBox(\n' |
| ' child: LimitedBox(maxWidth: 100,\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: Colors.red,\n' |
| ' width: double.infinity, height: 100));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = 'Here you won\'t get an error anymore, ' |
| 'because when the LimitedBox is given an infinite size by the UnconstrainedBox, ' |
| 'it passes a maximum width of 100 down to its child.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'If you swap the UnconstrainedBox for a Center widget, ' |
| 'the LimitedBox won\'t apply its limit anymore (since its limit is only applied when it gets infinite constraints), ' |
| 'and the width of the Container is allowed to grow past 100.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'This explains the difference between a LimitedBox and a ConstrainedBox.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: LimitedBox( |
| maxWidth: 100, |
| child: Container( |
| color: Colors.red, |
| width: double.infinity, |
| height: 100, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example18 extends Example { |
| const Example18({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'FittedBox(\n' |
| ' child: Text(\'Some Example Text.\'));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the FittedBox to be exactly the same size as the screen.' |
| 'The Text has some natural width (also called its intrinsic width) that depends on the amount of text, its font size, and so on.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The FittedBox lets the Text be any size it wants, ' |
| 'but after the Text tells its size to the FittedBox, ' |
| 'the FittedBox scales the Text until it fills all of the available width.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return const FittedBox( |
| child: Text('Some Example Text.'), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example19 extends Example { |
| const Example19({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: FittedBox(\n' |
| ' child: Text(\'Some Example Text.\')));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'But what happens if you put the FittedBox inside of a Center widget? ' |
| 'The Center lets the FittedBox be any size it wants, up to the screen size.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The FittedBox then sizes itself to the Text, and lets the Text be any size it wants.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Since both FittedBox and the Text have the same size, no scaling happens.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return const Center( |
| child: FittedBox( |
| child: Text('Some Example Text.'), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
| class Example20 extends Example { |
| const Example20({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: FittedBox(\n' |
| ' child: Text(\'…\')));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'However, what happens if FittedBox is inside of a Center widget, but the Text is too large to fit the screen?' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'FittedBox tries to size itself to the Text, but it can\'t be bigger than the screen. ' |
| 'It then assumes the screen size, and resizes Text so that it fits the screen, too.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return const Center( |
| child: FittedBox( |
| child: Text( |
| 'This is some very very very large text that is too big to fit a regular screen in a single line.'), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example21 extends Example { |
| const Example21({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Center(\n' |
| ' child: Text(\'…\'));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = 'If, however, you remove the FittedBox, ' |
| 'the Text gets its maximum width from the screen, ' |
| 'and breaks the line so that it fits the screen.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return const Center( |
| child: Text( |
| 'This is some very very very large text that is too big to fit a regular screen in a single line.'), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example22 extends Example { |
| const Example22({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'FittedBox(\n' |
| ' child: Container(\n' |
| ' height: 20, width: double.infinity));'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'FittedBox can only scale a widget that is BOUNDED (has non-infinite width and height).' |
| 'Otherwise, it won\'t render anything, and you\'ll see an error in the console.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return FittedBox( |
| child: Container( |
| height: 20, |
| width: double.infinity, |
| color: Colors.red, |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example23 extends Example { |
| const Example23({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Row(children:[\n' |
| ' Container(color: red, child: Text(\'Hello!\'))\n' |
| ' Container(color: green, child: Text(\'Goodbye!\'))]'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the Row to be exactly the same size as the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Just like an UnconstrainedBox, the Row won\'t impose any constraints onto its children, ' |
| 'and instead lets them be any size they want.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Row then puts them side-by-side, and any extra space remains empty.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Row( |
| children: [ |
| Container(color: red, child: const Text('Hello!', style: big)), |
| Container(color: green, child: const Text('Goodbye!', style: big)), |
| ], |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example24 extends Example { |
| const Example24({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Row(children:[\n' |
| ' Container(color: red, child: Text(\'…\'))\n' |
| ' Container(color: green, child: Text(\'Goodbye!\'))]'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'Since the Row won\'t impose any constraints onto its children, ' |
| 'it\'s quite possible that the children might be too big to fit the available width of the Row.' |
| 'In this case, just like an UnconstrainedBox, the Row displays the "overflow warning".'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Row( |
| children: [ |
| Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that ' |
| 'won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| Container(color: green, child: const Text('Goodbye!', style: big)), |
| ], |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example25 extends Example { |
| const Example25({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Row(children:[\n' |
| ' Expanded(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, child: Text(\'…\')))\n' |
| ' Container(color: green, child: Text(\'Goodbye!\'))]'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'When a Row\'s child is wrapped in an Expanded widget, the Row won\'t let this child define its own width anymore.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'Instead, it defines the Expanded width according to the other children, and only then the Expanded widget forces the original child to have the Expanded\'s width.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'In other words, once you use Expanded, the original child\'s width becomes irrelevant, and is ignored.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Row( |
| children: [ |
| Expanded( |
| child: Center( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| Container(color: green, child: const Text('Goodbye!', style: big)), |
| ], |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example26 extends Example { |
| const Example26({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Row(children:[\n' |
| ' Expanded(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, child: Text(\'…\')))\n' |
| ' Expanded(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: green, child: Text(\'Goodbye!\'))]'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'If all of Row\'s children are wrapped in Expanded widgets, each Expanded has a size proportional to its flex parameter, ' |
| 'and only then each Expanded widget forces its child to have the Expanded\'s width.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'In other words, Expanded ignores the preferred width of its children.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Row( |
| children: [ |
| Expanded( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| Expanded( |
| child: Container( |
| color: green, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'Goodbye!', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ], |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example27 extends Example { |
| const Example27({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Row(children:[\n' |
| ' Flexible(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: red, child: Text(\'…\')))\n' |
| ' Flexible(\n' |
| ' child: Container(color: green, child: Text(\'Goodbye!\'))]'; |
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The only difference if you use Flexible instead of Expanded, ' |
| 'is that Flexible lets its child be SMALLER than the Flexible width, ' |
| 'while Expanded forces its child to have the same width of the Expanded.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'But both Expanded and Flexible ignore their children\'s width when sizing themselves.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'This means that it\'s IMPOSSIBLE to expand Row children proportionally to their sizes. ' |
| 'The Row either uses the exact child\'s width, or ignores it completely when you use Expanded or Flexible.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Row( |
| children: [ |
| Flexible( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| Flexible( |
| child: Container( |
| color: green, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'Goodbye!', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ], |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example28 extends Example { |
| const Example28({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Scaffold(\n' |
| ' body: Container(color: blue,\n' |
| ' child: Column(\n' |
| ' children: [\n' |
| ' Text(\'Hello!\'),\n' |
| ' Text(\'Goodbye!\')])))'; |
|
|
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'The screen forces the Scaffold to be exactly the same size as the screen, ' |
| 'so the Scaffold fills the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'The Scaffold tells the Container that it can be any size it wants, but not bigger than the screen.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'When a widget tells its child that it can be smaller than a certain size, ' |
| 'we say the widget supplies "loose" constraints to its child. More on that later.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Scaffold( |
| body: Container( |
| color: blue, |
| child: const Column( |
| children: [ |
| Text('Hello!'), |
| Text('Goodbye!'), |
| ], |
| ), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
|
|
| class Example29 extends Example { |
| const Example29({super.key}); |
|
|
| @override |
| final code = 'Scaffold(\n' |
| ' body: Container(color: blue,\n' |
| ' child: SizedBox.expand(\n' |
| ' child: Column(\n' |
| ' children: [\n' |
| ' Text(\'Hello!\'),\n' |
| ' Text(\'Goodbye!\')]))))'; |
|
|
| @override |
| final String explanation = |
| 'If you want the Scaffold\'s child to be exactly the same size as the Scaffold itself, ' |
| 'you can wrap its child with SizedBox.expand.' |
| '\n\n' |
| 'When a widget tells its child that it must be of a certain size, ' |
| 'we say the widget supplies "tight" constraints to its child. More on that later.'; |
|
|
| @override |
| Widget build(BuildContext context) { |
| return Scaffold( |
| body: SizedBox.expand( |
| child: Container( |
| color: blue, |
| child: const Column( |
| children: [ |
| Text('Hello!'), |
| Text('Goodbye!'), |
| ], |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ); |
| } |
| } |
|
|
| <code_end> |
|
|
| If you prefer, you can grab the code from |
| this GitHub repo. |
| The examples are explained in the following sections. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 1 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Container(color: red) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen is the parent of the Container, and it |
| forces the Container to be exactly the same size as the screen. |
| So the Container fills the screen and paints it red. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 2 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The red Container wants to be 100 × 100, |
| but it can’t, because the screen forces it to be |
| exactly the same size as the screen. |
| So the Container fills the screen. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 3 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the Center to be exactly the same size |
| as the screen, so the Center fills the screen. |
| The Center tells the Container that it can be any size it |
| wants, but not bigger than the screen. Now the Container |
| can indeed be 100 × 100. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 4 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Align( |
| alignment: Alignment.bottomRight, |
| child: Container(width: 100, height: 100, color: red), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| This is different from the previous example in that it uses |
| Align instead of Center. |
| Align also tells the Container that it can be any size it |
| wants, but if there is empty space it won’t center the Container. |
| Instead, it aligns the container to the bottom-right of the |
| available space. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 5 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: Container( |
| width: double.infinity, height: double.infinity, color: red), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the Center to be exactly the |
| same size as the screen, so the Center fills the screen. |
| The Center tells the Container that it can be any size it wants, |
| but not bigger than the screen. The Container wants to be |
| of infinite size, but since it can’t be bigger than the screen, |
| it just fills the screen. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 6 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: Container(color: red), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the Center to be exactly the |
| same size as the screen, so the Center fills the screen. |
| The Center tells the Container that it can be any |
| size it wants, but not bigger than the screen. |
| Since the Container has no child and no fixed size, |
| it decides it wants to be as big as possible, |
| so it fills the whole screen. |
| But why does the Container decide that? |
| Simply because that’s a design decision by those who |
| created the Container widget. It could have been |
| created differently, and you have to read the |
| Container API documentation to understand |
| how it behaves, depending on the circumstances. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 7 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: Container(color: green, width: 30, height: 30), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the Center to be exactly the same |
| size as the screen, so the Center fills the screen. |
| The Center tells the red Container that it can be any size |
| it wants, but not bigger than the screen. Since the red |
| Container has no size but has a child, |
| it decides it wants to be the same size as its child. |
| The red Container tells its child that it can be any size |
| it wants, but not bigger than the screen. |
| The child is a green Container that wants to |
| be 30 × 30. Given that the red Container sizes itself to |
| the size of its child, it is also 30 × 30. |
| The red color isn’t visible because the green Container |
| entirely covers the red Container. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 8 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: Container( |
| padding: const EdgeInsets.all(20), |
| color: red, |
| child: Container(color: green, width: 30, height: 30), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The red Container sizes itself to its children’s size, |
| but it takes its own padding into consideration. |
| So it is also 30 × 30 plus padding. |
| The red color is visible because of the padding, |
| and the green Container has the same size as |
| in the previous example. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 9 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 10, height: 10), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| You might guess that the Container has to be |
| between 70 and 150 pixels, but you would be wrong. |
| The ConstrainedBox only imposes additional constraints |
| from those it receives from its parent. |
| Here, the screen forces the ConstrainedBox to be exactly |
| the same size as the screen, so it tells its child Container |
| to also assume the size of the screen, thus ignoring its |
| constraints parameter. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 10 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 10, height: 10), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| Now, Center allows ConstrainedBox to be any size up to |
| the screen size. The ConstrainedBox imposes additional |
| constraints from its constraints parameter onto its child. |
| The Container must be between 70 and 150 pixels. |
| It wants to have 10 pixels, |
| so it ends up having 70 (the minimum). |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 11 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 1000, height: 1000), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| Center allows ConstrainedBox to be any size up to the |
| screen size. The ConstrainedBox imposes additional |
| constraints from its constraints parameter onto its child. |
| The Container must be between 70 and 150 pixels. |
| It wants to have 1000 pixels, |
| so it ends up having 150 (the maximum). |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 12 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Center( |
| child: ConstrainedBox( |
| constraints: const BoxConstraints( |
| minWidth: 70, |
| minHeight: 70, |
| maxWidth: 150, |
| maxHeight: 150, |
| ), |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 100, height: 100), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| Center allows ConstrainedBox to be any size up to the |
| screen size. The ConstrainedBox imposes additional |
| constraints from its constraints parameter onto its child. |
| The Container must be between 70 and 150 pixels. |
| It wants to have 100 pixels, and that’s the size it has, |
| since that’s between 70 and 150. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 13 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 20, height: 50), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the UnconstrainedBox to be exactly |
| the same size as the screen. However, the UnconstrainedBox |
| lets its child Container be any size it wants. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 14 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 4000, height: 50), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the UnconstrainedBox to be exactly |
| the same size as the screen, and UnconstrainedBox |
| lets its child Container be any size it wants. |
| Unfortunately, in this case the Container is |
| 4000 pixels wide and is too big to fit in |
| the UnconstrainedBox, so the UnconstrainedBox displays |
| the much dreaded “overflow warning”. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 15 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| OverflowBox( |
| minWidth: 0, |
| minHeight: 0, |
| maxWidth: double.infinity, |
| maxHeight: double.infinity, |
| child: Container(color: red, width: 4000, height: 50), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the OverflowBox to be exactly the same |
| size as the screen, and OverflowBox lets its child Container |
| be any size it wants. |
| OverflowBox is similar to UnconstrainedBox; |
| the difference is that it won’t display any warnings |
| if the child doesn’t fit the space. |
| In this case, the Container has 4000 pixels of width, |
| and is too big to fit in the OverflowBox, |
| but the OverflowBox simply shows as much as it can, |
| with no warnings given. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 16 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: Container(color: Colors.red, width: double.infinity, height: 100), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| This won’t render anything, and you’ll see an error in the console. |
| The UnconstrainedBox lets its child be any size it wants, |
| however its child is a Container with infinite size. |
| Flutter can’t render infinite sizes, so it throws an error with |
| the following message: BoxConstraints forces an infinite width. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 17 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| UnconstrainedBox( |
| child: LimitedBox( |
| maxWidth: 100, |
| child: Container( |
| color: Colors.red, |
| width: double.infinity, |
| height: 100, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| Here you won’t get an error anymore, |
| because when the LimitedBox is given an |
| infinite size by the UnconstrainedBox; |
| it passes a maximum width of 100 down to its child. |
| If you swap the UnconstrainedBox for a Center widget, |
| the LimitedBox won’t apply its limit anymore |
| (since its limit is only applied when it gets infinite |
| constraints), and the width of the Container |
| is allowed to grow past 100. |
| This explains the difference between a LimitedBox |
| and a ConstrainedBox. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 18 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| const FittedBox( |
| child: Text('Some Example Text.'), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the FittedBox to be exactly the same |
| size as the screen. The Text has some natural width |
| (also called its intrinsic width) that depends on the |
| amount of text, its font size, and so on. |
| The FittedBox lets the Text be any size it wants, |
| but after the Text tells its size to the FittedBox, |
| the FittedBox scales the Text until it fills all of |
| the available width. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 19 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| const Center( |
| child: FittedBox( |
| child: Text('Some Example Text.'), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| But what happens if you put the FittedBox inside of a |
| Center widget? The Center lets the FittedBox |
| be any size it wants, up to the screen size. |
| The FittedBox then sizes itself to the Text, |
| and lets the Text be any size it wants. |
| Since both FittedBox and the Text have the same size, |
| no scaling happens. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 20 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| const Center( |
| child: FittedBox( |
| child: Text( |
| 'This is some very very very large text that is too big to fit a regular screen in a single line.'), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| However, what happens if FittedBox is inside of a Center |
| widget, but the Text is too large to fit the screen? |
| FittedBox tries to size itself to the Text, |
| but it can’t be bigger than the screen. |
| It then assumes the screen size, |
| and resizes Text so that it fits the screen, too. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 21 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| const Center( |
| child: Text( |
| 'This is some very very very large text that is too big to fit a regular screen in a single line.'), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| If, however, you remove the FittedBox, the Text |
| gets its maximum width from the screen, |
| and breaks the line so that it fits the screen. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 22 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| FittedBox( |
| child: Container( |
| height: 20, |
| width: double.infinity, |
| color: Colors.red, |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| FittedBox can only scale a widget that is bounded |
| (has non-infinite width and height). Otherwise, |
| it won’t render anything, |
| and you’ll see an error in the console. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 23 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Row( |
| children: [ |
| Container(color: red, child: const Text('Hello!', style: big)), |
| Container(color: green, child: const Text('Goodbye!', style: big)), |
| ], |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the Row to be exactly the same size |
| as the screen. |
| Just like an UnconstrainedBox, the Row won’t |
| impose any constraints onto its children, |
| and instead lets them be any size they want. |
| The Row then puts them side-by-side, |
| and any extra space remains empty. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 24 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Row( |
| children: [ |
| Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that ' |
| 'won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| Container(color: green, child: const Text('Goodbye!', style: big)), |
| ], |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| Since Row won’t impose any constraints onto its children, |
| it’s quite possible that the children might be too big to fit |
| the available width of the Row. In this case, just like an |
| UnconstrainedBox, the Row displays the “overflow warning”. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 25 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Row( |
| children: [ |
| Expanded( |
| child: Center( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| Container(color: green, child: const Text('Goodbye!', style: big)), |
| ], |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| When a Row’s child is wrapped in an Expanded widget, |
| the Row won’t let this child define its own width anymore. |
| Instead, it defines the Expanded width according to the |
| other children, and only then the Expanded widget forces |
| the original child to have the Expanded’s width. |
| In other words, once you use Expanded, |
| the original child’s width becomes irrelevant, and is ignored. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 26 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Row( |
| children: [ |
| Expanded( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| Expanded( |
| child: Container( |
| color: green, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'Goodbye!', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ], |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| If all of Row’s children are wrapped in Expanded widgets, |
| each Expanded has a size proportional to its flex parameter, |
| and only then each Expanded widget forces its child to have |
| the Expanded’s width. |
| In other words, Expanded ignores the preferred width of |
| its children. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 27 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Row( |
| children: [ |
| Flexible( |
| child: Container( |
| color: red, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'This is a very long text that won\'t fit the line.', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| Flexible( |
| child: Container( |
| color: green, |
| child: const Text( |
| 'Goodbye!', |
| style: big, |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ], |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The only difference if you use Flexible instead of Expanded, |
| is that Flexible lets its child have the same or smaller |
| width than the Flexible itself, while Expanded forces |
| its child to have the exact same width of the Expanded. |
| But both Expanded and Flexible ignore their children’s width |
| when sizing themselves. |
| info Note |
| This means that it’s impossible to expand Row children |
| proportionally to their sizes. The Row either uses |
| the exact child’s width, or ignores it completely |
| when you use Expanded or Flexible. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 28 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Scaffold( |
| body: Container( |
| color: blue, |
| child: const Column( |
| children: [ |
| Text('Hello!'), |
| Text('Goodbye!'), |
| ], |
| ), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| The screen forces the Scaffold to be exactly the same size |
| as the screen, so the Scaffold fills the screen. |
| The Scaffold tells the Container that it can be any size it wants, |
| but not bigger than the screen. |
| info Note |
| When a widget tells its child that it can be smaller than a |
| certain size, we say the widget supplies loose constraints |
| to its child. More on that later. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Example 29 |
|
|
| <code_start> |
| Scaffold( |
| body: SizedBox.expand( |
| child: Container( |
| color: blue, |
| child: const Column( |
| children: [ |
| Text('Hello!'), |
| Text('Goodbye!'), |
| ], |
| ), |
| ), |
| ), |
| ) |
| <code_end> |
|
|
| If you want the Scaffold’s child to be exactly the same size |
| as the Scaffold itself, you can wrap its child with |
| SizedBox.expand. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Tight vs loose constraints |
| It’s very common to hear that some constraint is |
| “tight” or “loose”, so what does that mean? |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Tight constraints |
| A tight constraint offers a single possibility, |
| an exact size. In other words, a tight constraint |
| has its maximum width equal to its minimum width; |
| and has its maximum height equal to its minimum height. |
| An example of this is the App widget, |
| which is contained by the RenderView class: |
| the box used by the child returned by the |
| application’s build function is given a constraint |
| that forces it to exactly fill the application’s content area |
| (typically, the entire screen). |
| Another example: if you nest a bunch of boxes inside |
| each other at the root of your application’s render tree, |
| they’ll all exactly fit in each other, |
| forced by the box’s tight constraints. |
| If you go to Flutter’s box.dart file and search for |
| the BoxConstraints constructors, |
| you’ll find the following: |
| If you revisit Example 2, |
| the screen forces the red Container to be |
| exactly the same size as the screen. |
| The screen achieves that, of course, by passing tight |
| constraints to the Container. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Loose constraints |
| A loose constraint is one that has a minimum |
| of zero and a maximum non-zero. |
| Some boxes loosen the incoming constraints, |
| meaning the maximum is maintained but the |
| minimum is removed, so the widget can have |
| a minimum width and height both equal to zero. |
| Ultimately, Center’s purpose is to transform |
| the tight constraints it received from its parent |
| (the screen) to loose constraints for its child |
| (the Container). |
| If you revisit Example 3, |
| the Center allows the red Container to be smaller, |
| but not bigger than the screen. |
|
|
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Unbounded constraints |
| info Note |
| You might be directed here if the framework |
| detects a problem involving box constraints. |
| The Flex section below might also apply. |
| In certain situations, |
| a box’s constraint is unbounded, or infinite. |
| This means that either the maximum width or |
| the maximum height is set to double.infinity. |
| A box that tries to be as big as possible won’t |
| function usefully when given an unbounded constraint and, |
| in debug mode, throws an exception. |
| The most common case where a render box ends up |
| with an unbounded constraint is within a flex box |
| (Row or Column), |
| and within a scrollable region |
| (such as ListView and other ScrollView subclasses). |
| ListView, for example, |
| tries to expand to fit the space available |
| in its cross-direction |
| (perhaps it’s a vertically-scrolling block and |
| tries to be as wide as its parent). |
| If you nest a vertically scrolling ListView |
| inside a horizontally scrolling ListView, |
| the inner list tries to be as wide as possible, |
| which is infinitely wide, |
| since the outer one is scrollable in that direction. |
| The next section describes the error you might |
| encounter with unbounded constraints in a Flex widget. |
| <topic_end> |
| <topic_start> |
| Flex |
| A flex box (Row and Column) behaves |
| differently depending on whether its |
| constraint is bounded or unbounded in |
| its primary direction. |
| A flex box with a bounded constraint in its |
| primary direction tries to be as big as possible. |
| A flex box with an unbounded constraint |
| in its primary direction tries to fit its children |
| in that space. Each child’s flex value must be |
| set to zero, meaning that you can’t use |
| Expanded when the flex box is inside |
| another flex box or a scrollable; |
| otherwise it throws an exception. |
| The cross direction |
| (width for Column or height for Row), |
| must never be unbounded, |
| or it can’t reasonably align its children. |
| <topic_end> |
|
|