Exploring Hidden Treasures in Flutter: Lesser-Known Widgets Unveiled — Part 3

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Stackademic

3 min readJun 24, 2024

Flutter is celebrated for its extensive widget catalog, allowing developers to build dynamic and visually stunning applications. While the commonly used widgets are well-known, Flutter also offers a variety of lesser-known yet highly useful widgets. Let’s uncover some of these hidden gems that can enhance the sophistication and functionality of your UI.

1. FadeInImage

FadeInImage is a widget that allows you to display a placeholder image while the main image is loading. This is particularly useful for improving the user experience when dealing with images from the network.

FadeInImage(
  placeholder: AssetImage('assets/placeholder.png'),
  image: NetworkImage('https://example.com/image.jpg'),
)

2. GridPaper

GridPaper is a handy widget for debugging layouts. It overlays a grid on your app, making it easier to visualize spacing, alignment, and layout issues.

GridPaper(
  color: Colors.blueAccent,
  divisions: 4,
  interval: 100.0,
  subdivisions: 2,
)

3. Hero

Hero enables smooth transitions between routes by animating a widget from one screen to another. This is perfect for creating visually appealing navigation animations.

Hero(
  tag: 'hero-image',
  child: Image.network('https://example.com/image.jpg'),
)

4. KeepAlive

KeepAlive helps keep a widget alive in the widget tree, even when it goes off-screen. This is particularly useful in ListView or PageView to maintain the state of the widgets.

class MyStatefulWidget extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _MyStatefulWidgetState createState() => _MyStatefulWidgetState();
}

class _MyStatefulWidgetState extends State<MyStatefulWidget> with AutomaticKeepAliveClientMixin<MyStatefulWidget> {
  @override
  bool get wantKeepAlive => true;

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    super.build(context);
    return Container();
  }
}

5. ListBody

ListBody arranges its children in a linear array along a given axis. It is a simpler alternative to Column and Row when you need a straightforward list layout.

ListBody(
  children: <Widget>[
    Text('Item 1'),
    Text('Item 2'),
    Text('Item 3'),
  ],
)

6. MenuRegion

MenuRegion is used to define areas for context menus in your app. This widget is helpful for desktop applications where right-click context menus are common.

MenuRegion(
  child: Container(
    color: Colors.blue,
    width: 100,
    height: 100,
  ),
)

7. LookUpBoundary

LookUpBoundary is a widget that restricts the scope of InheritedWidget lookups. This is useful for optimizing and controlling the widget tree's rebuild behavior.

LookUpBoundary(
  child: MyInheritedWidget(
    child: MyWidget(),
  ),
)

8. Listener

Listener detects pointer events such as touch, mouse, and stylus interactions. This widget is useful for implementing custom gestures and interactions.

Listener(
  onPointerDown: (PointerDownEvent event) => print('Pointer down event'),
  child: Container(
    color: Colors.red,
    width: 100,
    height: 100,
  ),
)

9. Magnifier

Magnifier provides a magnification effect on a particular region. This is great for accessibility and enhancing the user experience in specific scenarios.

Magnifier(
  child: Text('Magnify me!'),
)

10. MenuAnchor

MenuAnchor is used to anchor menus to a specific position. This is useful for creating custom dropdown menus and context menus.

MenuAnchor(
  menuChildren: <Widget>[
    Text('Menu Item 1'),
    Text('Menu Item 2'),
  ],
  child: Text('Open Menu'),
)

11. MenuBar

MenuBar is a traditional menu bar that you can use in desktop applications. It provides a familiar navigation experience for desktop users.

MenuBar(
  children: <Widget>[
    Text('File'),
    Text('Edit'),
    Text('View'),
  ],
)

12. MouseRegion

MouseRegion detects when the mouse enters, exits, or hovers over a widget. This is essential for creating interactive desktop applications.

MouseRegion(
  onEnter: (_) => print('Mouse entered'),
  onExit: (_) => print('Mouse exited'),
  child: Container(
    color: Colors.green,
    width: 100,
    height: 100,
  ),
)

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