Properties

Properties#

All elements have properties. Built-in elements come with common properties such as color or dimensional properties. You can assign values or entire expressions to them:

export component Example inherits Window {
    // Simple expression: ends with a semi colon
    width: 42px;
    // or a code block (no semicolon needed)
    height: { 42px }
}

The default value of a property is the default value of the type. For example a boolean property defaults to false, an int property to zero, etc.

In addition to the existing properties, define extra properties by specifying the type, the name, and optionally a default value:

export component Example {
    // declare a property of type int with the name `my-property`
    property<int> my-property;

    // declare a property with a default value
    property<int> my-second-property: 42;
}

Annotate extra properties with a qualifier that specifies how the property can be read and written:

  • private (the default): The property can only be accessed from within the component.

  • in: The property is an input. It can be set and modified by the user of this component, for example through bindings or by assignment in callbacks. The component can provide a default binding, but it can’t overwrite it by assignment

  • out: An output property that can only be set by the component. It’s read-only for the users of the components.

  • in-out: The property can be read and modified by everyone.

export component Button {
    // This is meant to be set by the user of the component.
    in property <string> text;
    // This property is meant to be read by the user of the component.
    out property <bool> pressed;
    // This property is meant to both be changed by the user and the component itself.
    in-out property <bool> checked;

    // This property is internal to this component.
    private property <bool> has-mouse;
}

All properties declared at the top level of a component that aren’t private are accessible from the outside when using a component as an element, or via the language bindings from the business logic.

Bindings#

The binding expression is automatically re-evaluated when properties accessed in the expression change.

In the following example, the text of the button automatically changes when the user presses the button. Incrementing the counter property automatically invalidates the expression bound to text and triggers a re-evaluation.

import { Button } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Example inherits Window {
    preferred-width: 50px;
    preferred-height: 50px;
    Button {
        property <int> counter: 3;
        clicked => { self.counter += 3 }
        text: self.counter * 2;
    }
}

The re-evaluation happens lazily when the property is queried.

Internally, a dependency is registered for any property accessed while evaluating a binding. When a property changes, the dependencies are notified and all dependent bindings are marked as dirty.

Callbacks in native code by default don’t depend on any properties unless they query a property in the native code.

Two-way Bindings#

Create two-way bindings between properties with the <=> syntax. These properties will be linked together and always contain the same value.

The right hand side of the <=> must be a reference to a property of the same type. The property type is optional with two-way bindings, it will be inferred if not specified. The initial value of a linked property will be the value of the right hand side of the binding. The two linked properties must be compatible in terms of input/output.

export component Example  {
    in property<brush> rect-color <=> r.background;
    // It's allowed to omit the type to have it automatically inferred
    in property rect-color2 <=> r.background;
    r:= Rectangle {
        width: parent.width;
        height: parent.height;
        background: blue;
    }
}

Relative Lengths#

Sometimes it’s convenient to express the relationships of length properties in terms of relative percentages. For example the following inner blue rectangle has half the size of the outer green window:

export component Example inherits Window {
    preferred-width: 100px;
    preferred-height: 100px;

    background: green;
    Rectangle {
        background: blue;
        width: parent.width * 50%;
        height: parent.height * 50%;
    }
}

This pattern of expressing the width or height in percent of the parent’s property with the same name is common. For convenience, a short-hand syntax exists for this scenario:

  • The property is width or height

  • A binding expression evaluates to a percentage.

If these conditions are met, then it’s not necessary to specify the parent property, instead you can simply use the percentage. The earlier example then looks like this:

export component Example inherits Window {
    preferred-width: 100px;
    preferred-height: 100px;

    background: green;
    Rectangle {
        background: blue;
        width: 50%;
        height: 50%;
    }
}

Change Callbacks#

In Slint, it’s possible to define a callback that is invoked when a property’s value changes.

import { LineEdit } from "std-widgets.slint";
export component Example inherits Window  {
    VerticalLayout {
        LineEdit {
            // This callback is invoked when the `text` property of the LineEdit changes
            changed text => { t.text = self.text; }
        }
        t := Text {}
    }
}

Note that these callbacks aren’t invoked immediately. Instead, they’re queued for invocation in the subsequent iteration of the event loop. A callback is invoked only if the property’s value has indeed changed. If a property’s value changes multiple times within the same event loop cycle, the callback is invoked only once. Additionally, if a property’s value changes and then reverts to its original state before the callback is executed, the callback won’t be invoked.

Warning: Altering properties during a change event in a way that could lead to the same property being affected is undefined behaviour.

export component Example {
    in-out property <int> foo;
    property bar: foo + 1;
    // This setup creates a potential loop between `foo` and `bar`, and the outcome is undefined.
    changed bar => { foo += 1; }
}

The above represents an infinite loop. Slint will break the loop after a few iterations. Consequently, if there’s a sequence of changed callbacks where one callback triggers another change callback, this sequence might break, and further callbacks won’t be invoked.

Therefore, it’s crucial not to overuse changed callbacks.

Warning: Utilize changed callbacks only when an alternative through binding isn’t feasible.

For instance, avoid doing this:

changed bar => { foo = bar + 1; }

Instead, opt for:

foo: bar + 1;

Declarative bindings automatically manage dependencies. Using a changed callback forces immediate evaluation of bindings, which are typically evaluated lazily. This practice also compromises the purity of bindings, complicating edits via graphical editors. Accumulating excessive changed events can introduce issues and bugs, especially in scenarios involving loops, where a change callback modifies a property, potentially triggering changes to the same property.

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