Module slint::docs::recipes

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Recipes and Examples

This page provides a collection of common use-cases and how to implement them using Slint.

Get Started

A clickable Button

import { VerticalBox, Button } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    in-out property <int> counter: 0;
    VerticalBox {
        button := Button {
            text: "Button, pressed " + root.counter + " times";
            clicked => {
                root.counter += 1;
            }
        }
    }
}

In this first example, you see the basics of the Slint language:

  • The VerticalBox layout and the Button widget is imported from the standard library using the import statement. That statement can import widgets or your own components declared in different files. Built-in element such as Window or Rectangle do not need to be imported.
  • The Recipe component is declared using :=. It is a Window and it contains a layout (VerticalBox) with one button.
  • The elements are just instantiated with their name and braces; they form a tree. They can optionally be named using :=
  • Elements can have properties and can be set with :. In this case the Button has a text property and it is assigned a binding that computes a string by concatenating some string literals, and the counter property.
  • You can declare custom properties with property <...>. A property needs to have a type and can have a default value. This is how the counter property is declared in this example.
  • In addition to properties, elements can also have callback. In this case we assign a callback handler to the clicked callback of the button with => { ... }
  • Property bindings are automatically re-evaluated if any of the properties the binding depends on changes. The text binding of the button is going to be automatically re-computed when the counter is changed.

React to a Button in native code

This example increments the counter using native code, instead with the slint language.

import { VerticalBox, Button } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    in-out property <int> counter: 0;
    callback button-pressed <=> button.clicked;
    VerticalBox {
        button := Button {
            text: "Button, pressed " + root.counter + " times";
        }
    }
}

The button-pressed callback is declared using the <=> syntax, which binds it to the button.clicked signal.

Properties and callbacks declared on the root element of the main component will be exposed to the native code.

Note that - is replaced by _. In slint, - and _ are equivalent and interchangable. But this since - is not valid in identifier in native code, they are replaced by _.

Rust code

For technical reasons, this example uses import {Recipe} in the slint! macro, but in real code, you can put the whole slint code in the slint! macro, or use a build script.

slint::slint!(import { Recipe } from "docs/recipes/button_native.slint";);

fn main() {
    let recipe = Recipe::new();
    let recipe_weak = recipe.as_weak();
    recipe.on_button_pressed(move || {
        let recipe = recipe_weak.upgrade().unwrap();
        let mut value = recipe.get_counter();
        value = value + 1;
        recipe.set_counter(value);
    });
    recipe.run();
}

A struct Recipe is generated by Slint. For each property, a getter (get_counter) and a setter (set_counter) is generated. For the callback, a function to set the callback is generated (on_button_pressed).

The Recipe struct implements the slint::ComponentHandle trait. A component handle is an equivalent of Rc. It is a handle to a component with a strong and a weak reference count. We call the as_weak function to get a weak handle to the component, which we can move into the callback. We can’t move a strong handle because that would form a cycle: The component handle has ownership of the callback, which itself has ownership of the closure’s captured variables.

C++ code In C++ you can write 
#include "button_native.h"

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    auto recipe = Recipe::create();
    recipe->on_button_pressed([&]() {
        auto value = recipe->get_counter();
        value += 1;
        recipe->set_counter(value);
    });
    recipe->run();
}

Some simple boiler plate needs to be done with cmake for the integration, so that the Slint compiler generates the button_native.h header file from the Slint file. It contains the generated class Recipe.

For each property, a getter (get_counter) and a setter (set_counter) is generated. For the callback, a function to set the callback is generated (on_button_pressed)

Use property bindings to synchronize controls

import { VerticalBox, Slider } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    VerticalBox {
        slider := Slider {
            maximum: 100;
        }
        Text {
            text: "Value: \{round(slider.value)}";
        }
    }
}

This example introduces the Slider widget. It also introduces interpolation in string literal: Use \{...} in strings to render code between the curly braces to a string.

Animations

Animate the position of an element

import { CheckBox } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    width: 200px;
    height: 100px;

    rect := Rectangle {
        x:0;
        y: 5px;
        width: 40px;
        height: 40px;
        background: blue;
        animate x {
            duration: 500ms;
            easing: ease-in-out;
        }
    }


    CheckBox {
        y: 25px;
        text: "Align rect to the right";
        toggled => {
            if (self.checked) {
                 rect.x = parent.width - rect.width;
            } else {
                 rect.x = 0px;
            }
        }
    }
}

Layouts are typically used to position elements automatically. In this example they are positioned manually using the x, y, width, height properties.

Notice the animate x block that specifies an animation. It is run when the property changes: Either because the property is set in a callback, or if its binding value changes.

Animation Sequence

import { CheckBox } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    width: 200px;
    height: 100px;

    rect := Rectangle {
        x:0;
        y: 5px;
        width: 40px;
        height: 40px;
        background: blue;
        animate x {
            duration: 500ms;
            easing: ease-in-out;
        }
        animate y {
            duration: 250ms;
            delay: 500ms;
            easing: ease-in;
        }
    }


    CheckBox {
        y: 25px;
        text: "Align rect bottom right";
        toggled => {
            if (self.checked) {
                 rect.x = parent.width - rect.width;
                 rect.y = parent.height - rect.height;
            } else {
                 rect.x = 0px;
                 rect.y = 0px;
            }
        }
    }
}

This example uses the delay property to make one animation run after another.

States

Associate multiple property values with states

import { HorizontalBox, VerticalBox, Button } from "std-widgets.slint";

component Circle inherits Rectangle {
    width: 30px;
    height: 30px;
    border-radius: root.width / 2;
    animate x { duration: 250ms; easing: ease-in; }
    animate y { duration: 250ms; easing: ease-in-out; }
    animate background { duration: 250ms; }
}

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    states [
        left-aligned when b1.pressed: {
            circle1.x: 0px; circle1.y: 40px; circle1.background: green;
            circle2.x: 0px; circle2.y: 0px; circle2.background: blue;
        }
        right-aligned when b2.pressed: {
            circle1.x: 170px; circle1.y: 70px; circle1.background: green;
            circle2.x: 170px; circle2.y: 00px; circle2.background: blue;
        }
    ]

    VerticalBox {
        HorizontalBox {
            max-height: self.min-height;
            b1 := Button {
                text: "State 1";
            }
            b2 := Button {
                text: "State 2";
            }
        }
        Rectangle {
            background: root.background.darker(20%);
            width: 200px;
            height: 100px;

            circle1 := Circle { y:0; background: green; x: 85px; }
            circle2 := Circle { background: green; x: 85px; y: 40px; }
        }
    }
}

Transitions

import { HorizontalBox, VerticalBox, Button } from "std-widgets.slint";

component Circle inherits Rectangle {
    width: 30px;
    height: 30px;
    border-radius: root.width / 2;
}

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    states [
        left-aligned when b1.pressed: {
            circle1.x: 0px; circle1.y: 40px;
            circle2.x: 0px; circle2.y: 0px;
            in {
                animate circle1.x, circle2.x { duration: 250ms; }
            }
            out {
                animate circle1.x, circle2.x { duration: 500ms; }
            }
        }
        right-aligned when !b1.pressed: {
            circle1.x: 170px; circle1.y: 70px;
            circle2.x: 170px; circle2.y: 00px;
        }
    ]

    VerticalBox {
        HorizontalBox {
            max-height: self.min-height;
            b1 := Button {
                text: "Press and hold to change state";
            }
        }
        Rectangle {
            background: root.background.darker(20%);
            width: 250px;
            height: 100px;

            circle1 := Circle { y:0; background: green; x: 85px; }
            circle2 := Circle { background: blue; x: 85px; y: 40px; }
        }
    }
}

Layouts

Vertical

import { VerticalBox, Button } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    VerticalBox {
        Button { text: "First"; }
        Button { text: "Second"; }
        Button { text: "Third"; }
    }
}

Horizontal

import { HorizontalBox, Button } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    HorizontalBox {
        Button { text: "First"; }
        Button { text: "Second"; }
        Button { text: "Third"; }
    }
}

Grid

import { GridBox, Button, Slider } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Recipe inherits Window {
    GridBox {
        Row {
            Button { text: "First"; }
            Button { text: "Second"; }
        }
        Row {
            Button { text: "Third"; }
            Button { text: "Fourth"; }
        }
        Row {
            Slider {
                colspan: 2;
            }
        }
    }
}

Global Callbacks

Invoke a globally registered native callback from Slint

This example uses a global singleton to implement common logic in native code. It can also be used to store properties and they can be set by native code.

Please note that in the preview only visualize the slint code, but is not connected to the native code.

import { HorizontalBox, VerticalBox, LineEdit } from "std-widgets.slint";

export global Logic  {
    pure callback to-upper-case(string) -> string;
    // You can collect other global properties here
}

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    VerticalBox {
        input := LineEdit {
            text: "Text to be transformed";
        }
        HorizontalBox {
            Text { text: "Transformed:"; }
            // Callback invoked in binding expression
            Text {
                text: {
                    Logic.to-upper-case(input.text);
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
Rust code In Rust you can set the callback like this: 
slint::slint!{
import { HorizontalBox, VerticalBox, LineEdit } from "std-widgets.slint";

export global Logic := {
    callback to-upper-case(string) -> string;
    // You can collect other global properties here
}

export Recipe := Window {
    VerticalBox {
        input := LineEdit {
            text: "Text to be transformed";
        }
        HorizontalBox {
            Text { text: "Transformed:"; }
            // Callback invoked in binding expression
            Text {
                text: {
                    Logic.to-upper-case(input.text);
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
}

fn main() {
    let recipe = Recipe::new();
    recipe.global::<Logic>().on_to_upper_case(|string| {
        string.as_str().to_uppercase().into()
    });
    // ...
}
C++ code In C++ you can set the callback like this: 
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    auto recipe = Recipe::create();
    recipe->global<Logic>().on_to_upper_case([](slint::SharedString str) -> slint::SharedString {
        std::string arg(str);
        std::transform(arg.begin(), arg.end(), arg.begin(), toupper);
        return slint::SharedString(arg);
    });
    // ...
}

Translations

Slint doesn’t currently provide built-in support for translations. We’re tracking this feature in our issue tracker. Meanwhile, you can make your design translatable with a global callback, some native code, and a translation library such as gettext or fluent.

Example using gettext:

import { HorizontalBox, Button } from "std-widgets.slint";

export global Tr  {
    // Do the translation of the first argument, with an array of string as supstitution
    pure callback gettext(string, [string]) -> string;

    // A default implementation that returns the original string for preview purposes.
    gettext(text, _) => { return text; }
}

export component Example inherits Window {
    in-out property <int> count;
    HorizontalBox {
        Button {
            text: Tr.gettext("Button pressed {0} times", [root.count]);
        }
    }
}

Then the translatable text can be extracted with xgettext and tranlated using gettext tools:

xgettext -o example.pot example.slint

Set this callback in your native code and call gettext behind the scenes. A similar approach should be used for ngettext,dgettext, and other gettext functions.

Rust code

This example uses gettext-rs:

slint::slint!{
import { HorizontalBox , Button } from "std-widgets.slint";

export global Tr := {
    // Do the translation of the first argument, with an array of string as supstitution
    callback gettext(string, [string]) -> string;
}

Example := Window {
    property <int> count;
    HorizontalBox {
        Button {
            text: Tr.gettext("Button pressed {0} times", [count]);
        }
    }
}
}

fn main() {
    let app = Example::new();
    app.global::<Tr>().on_gettext(|string, model| {
        use crate::slint::Model;
        let mut str = gettextrs::gettext(string.as_str());
        for (idx, to) in model.iter().enumerate() {
            str = str.replace(&format!("%{}", idx + 1), to.as_str());
        }
        str.into()
    });
    //...
    app.run()
}

Custom widgets

Custom Button

component Button inherits Rectangle {
    in-out property text <=> txt.text;
    callback clicked <=> touch.clicked;
    border-radius: root.height / 2;
    border-width: 1px;
    border-color: root.background.darker(25%);
    background: touch.pressed ? #6b8282 : touch.has-hover ? #6c616c :  #456;
    height: txt.preferred-height * 1.33;
    min-width: txt.preferred-width + 20px;
    txt := Text {
        x: (parent.width - self.width)/2 + (touch.pressed ? 2px : 0);
        y: (parent.height - self.height)/2 + (touch.pressed ? 1px : 0);
        color: touch.pressed ? #fff : #eee;
    }
    touch := TouchArea { }
}

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    VerticalLayout {
        alignment: start;
        Button { text: "Button"; }
    }
}

ToggleSwitch

export component ToggleSwitch inherits Rectangle {
    callback toggled;
    in-out property <string> text;
    in-out property <bool> checked;
    in-out property<bool> enabled <=> touch-area.enabled;
    height: 20px;
    horizontal-stretch: 0;
    vertical-stretch: 0;

    HorizontalLayout {
        spacing: 8px;
        indicator := Rectangle {
            width: 40px;
            border-width: 1px;
            border-radius: root.height / 2;
            border-color: self.background.darker(25%);
            background: root.enabled ? (root.checked ? blue: white)  : white;
            animate background { duration: 100ms; }

            bubble := Rectangle {
                width: root.height - 8px;
                height: bubble.width;
                border-radius: bubble.height / 2;
                y: 4px;
                x: 4px + self.a * (indicator.width - bubble.width - 8px);
                property <float> a: root.checked ? 1 : 0;
                background: root.checked ? white : (root.enabled ? blue : gray);
                animate a, background { duration: 200ms; easing: ease;}
            }
        }

        Text {
            min-width: max(100px, self.preferred-width);
            text: root.text;
            vertical-alignment: center;
            color: root.enabled ? black : gray;
        }

    }

    touch-area := TouchArea {
        width: root.width;
        height: root.height;
        clicked => {
            if (root.enabled) {
                root.checked = !root.checked;
                root.toggled();
            }
        }
    }
}

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    VerticalLayout {
        alignment: start;
        ToggleSwitch { text: "Toggle me"; }
        ToggleSwitch { text: "Disabled"; enabled: false; }
    }
}

CustomSlider

This slider can be dragged from any point within itself, because the TouchArea is covering the whole widget.

import { VerticalBox } from "std-widgets.slint";

export component MySlider inherits Rectangle {
    in-out property<float> maximum: 100;
    in-out property<float> minimum: 0;
    in-out property<float> value;

    min-height: 24px;
    min-width: 100px;
    horizontal-stretch: 1;
    vertical-stretch: 0;

    border-radius: root.height/2;
    background: touch.pressed ? #eee: #ddd;
    border-width: 1px;
    border-color: root.background.darker(25%);

    handle := Rectangle {
        width: self.height;
        height: parent.height;
        border-width: 3px;
        border-radius: self.height / 2;
        background: touch.pressed ? #f8f: touch.has-hover ? #66f : #0000ff;
        border-color: self.background.darker(15%);
        x: (root.width - handle.width) * (root.value - root.minimum)/(root.maximum - root.minimum);
    }
    touch := TouchArea {
        property <float> pressed-value;
        pointer-event(event) => {
            if (event.button == PointerEventButton.left && event.kind == PointerEventKind.down) {
                self.pressed-value = root.value;
            }
        }
        moved => {
            if (self.enabled && self.pressed) {
                root.value = max(root.minimum, min(root.maximum,
                    self.pressed-value + (touch.mouse-x - touch.pressed-x) * (root.maximum - root.minimum) / (root.width - handle.width)));

            }
        }
    }
}

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    VerticalBox {
        alignment: start;
        slider := MySlider {
            maximum: 100;
        }
        Text {
            text: "Value: \{round(slider.value)}";
        }
    }
}

This example show another implementation that has a draggable handle: The handle only moves when we click on that handle. The TouchArea is within the handle and moves with the handle.

import { VerticalBox } from "std-widgets.slint";

export component MySlider inherits Rectangle {
    in-out property<float> maximum: 100;
    in-out property<float> minimum: 0;
    in-out property<float> value;

    min-height: 24px;
    min-width: 100px;
    horizontal-stretch: 1;
    vertical-stretch: 0;

    border-radius: root.height/2;
    background: touch.pressed ? #eee: #ddd;
    border-width: 1px;
    border-color: root.background.darker(25%);

    handle := Rectangle {
        width: self.height;
        height: parent.height;
        border-width: 3px;
        border-radius: self.height / 2;
        background: touch.pressed ? #f8f: touch.has-hover ? #66f : #0000ff;
        border-color: self.background.darker(15%);
        x: (root.width - handle.width) * (root.value - root.minimum)/(root.maximum - root.minimum);

        touch := TouchArea {
            moved => {
                if (self.enabled && self.pressed) {
                    root.value = max(root.minimum, min(root.maximum,
                        root.value + (self.mouse-x - self.pressed-x) * (root.maximum - root.minimum) / root.width));
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    VerticalBox {
        alignment: start;
        slider := MySlider {
            maximum: 100;
        }
        Text {
            text: "Value: \{round(slider.value)}";
        }
    }
}

Custom Tabs

Use this recipe as a basis to when you want to create your own custom tab widget.

import { Button } from "std-widgets.slint";

export component Recipe inherits Window {
    preferred-height: 200px;
    in-out property <int> active-tab;
    VerticalLayout {
        tab_bar := HorizontalLayout {
            spacing: 3px;
            Button {
                text: "Red";
                clicked => { root.active-tab = 0; }
            }
            Button {
                text: "Blue";
                clicked => { root.active-tab = 1; }
            }
            Button {
                text: "Green";
                clicked => { root.active-tab = 2; }
            }
        }
        Rectangle {
            clip: true;
            Rectangle {
                background: red;
                x: root.active-tab == 0 ? 0 : root.active-tab < 0 ? - self.width - 1px : parent.width + 1px;
                animate x { duration: 125ms; easing: ease; }
            }
            Rectangle {
                background: blue;
                x: root.active-tab == 1 ? 0 : root.active-tab < 1 ? - self.width - 1px : parent.width + 1px;
                animate x { duration: 125ms; easing: ease; }
            }
            Rectangle {
                background: green;
                x: root.active-tab == 2 ? 0 : root.active-tab < 2 ? - self.width - 1px : parent.width + 1px;
                animate x { duration: 125ms; easing: ease; }
            }
        }
    }
}

Table view

Slint doesn’t currently provide a table widget. It’s possible to emulate it with a ListView:

import { VerticalBox, ListView } from "std-widgets.slint";

component TableView inherits Rectangle {
    in property <[string]> columns;
    in property <[[string]]> values;

    private property <length> e: self.width / root.columns.length;
    private property <[length]> column_sizes: [
        root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e,
        root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e,
        root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e, root.e,
    ];

    VerticalBox {
        padding: 5px;
        HorizontalLayout {
            padding: 5px; spacing: 5px;
            vertical-stretch: 0;
            for title[idx] in root.columns : HorizontalLayout {
                width: root.column_sizes[idx];
                Text { overflow: elide; text: title; }
                Rectangle {
                    width: 1px;
                    background: gray;
                    TouchArea {
                        width: 10px;
                        x: (parent.width - self.width) / 2;
                        property <length> cached;
                        pointer-event(event) => {
                            if (event.button == PointerEventButton.left && event.kind == PointerEventKind.down) {
                                self.cached = root.column_sizes[idx];
                            }
                        }
                        moved => {
                            if (self.pressed) {
                                root.column_sizes[idx] += (self.mouse-x - self.pressed-x);
                                if (root.column_sizes[idx] < 0) {
                                    root.column_sizes[idx] = 0;
                                }
                            }
                        }
                        mouse-cursor: ew-resize;
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        ListView {
            for r in root.values : HorizontalLayout {
                padding: 5px;
                spacing: 5px;
                for t[idx] in r : HorizontalLayout {
                    width: root.column_sizes[idx];
                    Text { overflow: elide; text: t; }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

export component Example inherits Window {
   TableView {
       columns: ["Device", "Mount Point", "Total", "Free"];
       values: [
            ["/dev/sda1", "/", "255GB", "82.2GB"] ,
            ["/dev/sda2", "/tmp", "60.5GB", "44.5GB"] ,
            ["/dev/sdb1", "/home", "255GB", "32.2GB"] ,
       ];
   }
}

Breakpoints for responsive ui

Use this recipe to implement a responsive SideBar that collapses when the parent width is smaller than the given break-point. When the button is clicked, the SideBar expands if collapsed on break-point.

import { Button, StyleMetrics } from "std-widgets.slint";

export component SideBar inherits Rectangle {
    private property <bool> collapsed: root.reference-width < root.break-point;

    /// Defines the reference width to check `break-point`.
    in-out property <length> reference-width;

    /// If `reference-width` is less `break-point` the `SideBar` collapses.
    in-out property <length> break-point: 600px;

    /// Set the text of the expand button.
    in-out property <string> expand-button-text;

    width: 160px;

    container := Rectangle {
        private property <bool> expaned;

        width: parent.width;
        background: StyleMetrics.window-background.darker(0.2);

        VerticalLayout {
            padding: 2px;
            alignment: start;

            HorizontalLayout {
                alignment: start;

                if (root.collapsed) : Button {
                    checked: container.expaned;
                    text: root.expand-button-text;

                    clicked => {
                        container.expaned = !container.expaned;
                    }
                }
            }

            @children
        }

        states [
            expaned when container.expaned && root.collapsed : {
                width: 160px;

                in {
                    animate width { duration: 200ms; }
                }

                out {
                    animate width { duration: 200ms; }
                }
            in {
                    animate width { duration: 200ms; }
                }
            out {
                    animate width { duration: 200ms; }
                }
            }
        ]
    }

    states [
        collapsed when root.collapsed : {
            width: 62px;
        }
    ]
}

component SideBarTest inherits Window {
    preferred-width: 700px;
    min-height: 400px;

    GridLayout {
        Rectangle {
            height: 100%;
            col: 1;
            background: white;

            HorizontalLayout {
                padding: 8px;

                Text {
                    color: black;
                    text: "Content";
                }
            }
        }
        SideBar {
            col: 0;
            reference-width: parent.width;
            expand-button-text: "E";
        }
    }
}

Next: The .slint language reference