Flutter Example – Using OverlayPortal Widget

In the realm of Flutter development, crafting dynamic and engaging user interfaces often entails overlaying widgets atop one another. This necessitates a tool that simplifies the process, making the OverlayPortal widget an indispensable ally for developers. Our comprehensive guide embarks on a journey through the nuances of utilizing OverlayPortal to enhance your Flutter applications. From initial implementation to advanced positioning techniques, this tutorial delves into the mechanics of floating UI elements, offering practical insights and code examples. Whether you’re aiming to create interactive elements or seeking to refine your UI design, our FAQs will serve as your beacon, guiding you through the intricacies of OverlayPortal in Flutter.

In Flutter development, creating dynamic and interactive user interfaces often requires displaying widgets atop one another. This tutorial introduces the OverlayPortal widget, a powerful tool for achieving such UI layouts in Flutter applications. Let’s delve into how to implement and effectively use the OverlayPortal widget to enhance your Flutter UIs.

Join Our Whatsapp Group

Join Telegram group

Understanding Overlays in Flutter

Flutter’s Overlay mechanism facilitates the layering of widgets over others within the application. This can be particularly useful for creating floating UI elements that can appear or disappear based on user interactions or application logic. The OverlayPortal widget simplifies the process of managing these floating elements by offering an easy way to show or hide widgets on an Overlay.

Implementing OverlayPortal

Getting Started with OverlayPortal

To integrate the OverlayPortal widget into your project, you begin by constructing it with specific parameters:

OverlayPortal({
  Key? key,
  required OverlayPortalController controller,
  required Widget Function(BuildContext) overlayChildBuilder,
  Widget? child,
})

The controller parameter, of type OverlayPortalController, is essential for controlling the overlay’s visibility programmatically. It requires an instance of OverlayPortalController.

Join Our Whatsapp Group

Join Telegram group

The overlayChildBuilder is another crucial parameter, taking a function that returns the widget to be displayed within the overlay. This function allows for dynamic rendering of the overlay’s content based on the application state or user interactions.

Optionally, you can include a child widget that acts as the OverlayPortal’s direct child, and a Key for more advanced widget management.

Working with OverlayPortalController

First, instantiate the OverlayPortalController:

final OverlayPortalController _overlayPortalController = OverlayPortalController();

Optionally, assign a debugfor easier identification during development:

final OverlayPortalController _overlayPortalController = OverlayPortalController(
  debugLabel: 'My Controller',
);

Creating the OverlayPortal Widget

With the controller ready, construct the OverlayPortal widget, specifying the controller and overlay child builder:

ElevatedButton(
  onPressed: () {
    if (_overlayPortalController.isShowing) {
      _overlayPortalController.hide();
    } else {
      _overlayPortalController.show();
    }
  },
  child: OverlayPortal(
    controller: _overlayPortalController,
    overlayChildBuilder: (BuildContext context) {
      return Text('This is overlay', style: TextStyle(color: Colors.black));
    },
    child: Text('Show/Hide Overlay'),
  ),
)

Join Our Whatsapp Group

Join Telegram group

This example demonstrates toggling the overlay’s visibility with a button. The overlay, when visible, appears at the top of the screen by default.

Adjusting Overlay Widget Position

Flutter does not automatically adjust the overlay widget’s position relative to its parent. To position the overlay precisely, you might need to determine the parent widget’s location first.

Calculating Widget Position

Use a GlobalKey to access the parent widget’s RenderBox and calculate its position:

final GlobalKey _buttonKey = GlobalKey();

Offset _getButtonOffset() {
  final RenderBox renderBox = _buttonKey.currentContext?.findRenderObject() as RenderBox;
  return renderBox.localToGlobal(Offset.zero);
}

Positioning the Overlay

Modify the overlay’s position by wrapping it with a Positioned widget, using the parent’s offset:

Join Our Whatsapp Group

Join Telegram group

ElevatedButton(
  key: _buttonKey,
  onPressed: () {
    // Toggle visibility
  },
  child: OverlayPortal(
    // Controller and builder function as before
    overlayChildBuilder: (BuildContext context) {
      return Positioned(
        top: _getButtonOffset().dy + 60,
        right: _getButtonOffset().dx,
        child: Container(
          decoration: BoxDecoration(
            color: Colors.teal,
            borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(15.0),
          ),
          child: Padding(
            padding: EdgeInsets.all(5.0),
            child: Text('This is overlay', style: TextStyle(color: Colors.white)),
          ),
        ),
      );
    },
    // Child widget as before
  ),
)

Summary

The OverlayPortal widget offers a flexible solution for managing overlay elements within Flutter applications. By leveraging the OverlayPortalController, developers can programmatically control the visibility of overlay widgets, enhancing the dynamic capabilities of their UIs. This tutorial provides a foundational approach to using OverlayPortal, from basic implementation to precise positioning, to help you create more interactive and engaging applications with Flutter.

FAQs on Utilizing OverlayPortal in Flutter

What is OverlayPortal in Flutter?

OverlayPortal is a widget in Flutter designed to facilitate the layering of widgets over others within an application. It leverages Flutter’s Overlay mechanism to allow developers to easily show or hide widgets on an overlay, making it particularly useful for creating dynamic and interactive user interfaces with floating UI elements.

How do I start using OverlayPortal in my Flutter project?

To use the OverlayPortal widget, you need to integrate it into your project by constructing it with specific parameters:

OverlayPortal({
  Key? key,
  required OverlayPortalController controller,
  required Widget Function(BuildContext) overlayChildBuilder,
  Widget? child,
})

You’ll need an instance of OverlayPortalController to control the overlay’s visibility programmatically, and a function that returns the widget to be displayed within the overlay.

What is the OverlayPortalController?

The OverlayPortalController is a required parameter for the OverlayPortal widget that allows developers to programmatically show or hide the overlay widget. It is instantiated as follows:

final OverlayPortalController _overlayPortalController = OverlayPortalController();

You can also assign a debug label for easier identification during development.

How can I toggle the visibility of the OverlayPortal?

To toggle the overlay’s visibility, use the isShowing property to check if the overlay is currently visible, and then use the show() or hide() methods accordingly:

if (_overlayPortalController.isShowing) {
  _overlayPortalController.hide();
} else {
  _overlayPortalController.show();
}

This can be done within an onPressed callback of a button to allow users to control the overlay’s visibility.

How do I position the OverlayPortal widget relative to its parent?

Flutter doesn’t automatically adjust the overlay widget’s position relative to its parent. To achieve precise positioning, use a GlobalKey to calculate the parent widget’s position and then position the overlay using a Positioned widget based on the parent’s offset.

Offset _getButtonOffset() {
  final RenderBox renderBox = _buttonKey.currentContext?.findRenderObject() as RenderBox;
  return renderBox.localToGlobal(Offset.zero);
}

Then, modify the overlay’s position accordingly:

Positioned(
  top: _getButtonOffset().dy + 60,
  right: _getButtonOffset().dx,
  child: Container( /* Your overlay content */ ),
)

Can I add a child widget to OverlayPortal?

Yes, besides the overlay widget, you can also include a child widget that acts as the OverlayPortal’s direct child. This widget will be set as the child of the OverlayPortal’s parent widget, allowing for more complex UI structures.

The OverlayPortal widget offers a flexible and powerful solution for managing overlay elements within Flutter applications, enhancing the interactivity and dynamic capabilities of your UIs. By understanding how to implement, control, and position the OverlayPortal, developers can create engaging and user-friendly applications.