How to Create a Widget

A widget is the main way to render information on the display. A set of pre-defined widgets is described in the Widgets section.

If the needed widget does not already exist, it is possible to create it from scratch (or by derivating another one).

To create a custom widget, a new class should be created, extending the Widget class. Widget subclasses have to implement two methods and may override optional methods, as explained in the following sections.

Implementing the mandatory methods

Computing the optimal size of the widget

The computeContentOptimalSize() method is called by the MWT framework in order to know the optimal size of the widget.

The optimal size of the widget is the size of the smallest possible area which would still allow to represent the widget. Unless the widget is using an OptimalDimension in its style, the actual size of the widget will most likely be bigger than the optimal size returned in this method.

The size parameter of the computeContentOptimalSize() method initially contains the size available for the widget. An available width or height equal to Widget.NO_CONSTRAINT means that the optimal size should be computed without considering any restriction on the respective axis. Before the method returns, the size object should be set to the optimal size of the widget.

When implementing this method, the getStyle() method may be called in order to retrieve the style of the widget.

For example, the following snippet computes the optimal size of an image widget:

@Override
protected void computeContentOptimalSize(Size size) {
        size.setSize(this.image.getWidth(), this.image.getHeight());
}

Rendering the content of the widget

The renderContent() method is called by the MWT framework in order to render the content of the widget.

The g parameter is used to draw the content of the widget. It is already configured with the translation and clipping area which match the widget’s bounds. The contentWidth and contentHeight parameters indicate the actual size of the content of the widget (excluding its outlines). Unless the widget is using an OptimalDimension in its style, the given content size will most likely be bigger than the optimal size returned in computeContentOptimalSize(). If the drawings do not take the complete content area, the position of the drawings should be computed using the horizontal and vertical alignment values set in the widget’s style.

When implementing this method, the getStyle() method may be called in order to retrieve the style of the widget.

For example, the following snippet renders the content of an image widget:

@Override
protected void renderContent(GraphicsContext g, int contentWidth, int contentHeight) {
        Style style = getStyle();
        int imageX = Alignment.computeLeftX(this.image.getWidth(), 0, contentWidth, style.getHorizontalAlignment());
        int imageY = Alignment.computeTopY(this.image.getHeight(), 0, contentHeight, style.getVerticalAlignment());
        Painter.drawImage(g, this.image, imageX, imageY);
}

Handling events

When a widget is created, it is disabled and it will not receive any event. A widget may be enabled or disabled by calling setEnabled(). A common practice is to enable the widget in its constructor.

Enabled widgets can handle events by overriding handleEvent(). MicroUI event APIs may be used in order to know more information on the event, such as its type. The handleEvent() method should return whether or not the event was consumed by the widget.

For example, the following snippet prints a message when the widget receives an event:

@Override
public boolean handleEvent(int event) {
        System.out.println("Event type: " + Event.getType(event));
        return false;
}

Consuming events

To indicate that an event was consumed by a widget, handleEvent() should return true. Usually, once an event is consumed, it is not dispatched to other widgets (this behavior is controlled by the event dispatcher). The widget that consumed the event is the last one to receive it.

The following guidelines are recommended to decide when to consume an event and when not to consume an event:

• If the widget triggers an action when receiving the event, it consumes the event.
• If the widget does not trigger an action when receiving the event, it does not consume the event.

Note

If the event is Pointer.PRESSED, do not consume the event unless it is required that the subsequent widgets in the hierarchy do not receive it. The Pointer.PRESSED event is special because pressing a widget is usually not the deciding factor to trigger an action. The user has to release or to drag the widget to trigger an action. If the user presses a widget and then drags the pointer (e.g. their finger or a stylus) out of the widget before releasing it, the action is not triggered.

Listening to the life-cycle hooks

Widget subclasses may override the following methods in order to allocate and free the necessary resources:

• onAttached()
• onDetached()
• onLaidOut()
• onShown()
• onHidden()

For example, the onAttached() method may be overridden to load an image:

@Override
protected void onAttached() {
        this.image = ResourceImage.loadImage(this.imagePath);
}

Likewise, the onDetached() method may be overridden to close the image:

@Override
protected void onDetached() {
        this.image.close();
}

For example, the onShown() method may be overridden to start an animation:

@Override
protected void onShown() {
        Animator animator = getDesktop().getAnimator();
        animator.startAnimation(this);
}

Likewise, the onHidden() method may be overridden to stop an animation:

@Override
protected void onHidden() {
        Animator animator = getDesktop().getAnimator();
        animator.stopAnimation(this);
}