TextFormField

In Flutter, the TextField widget is a fundamental building block for user input. It allows users to enter
text within your application and is a core component for forms and data collection.expand_more Here's
a detailed breakdown of its functionalities and customization options:
Core Functionality:
• Displays a single-line text input field where users can type text.expand_more
• Integrates with the on-screen keyboard for easy text entry.exclamation
• Provides visual feedback as the user types, such as a blinking cursor and text style
changes.expand_more
Key Properties:
• controller: An optional TextEditingController object that manages the current text content and
text changes (explained in previous conversation).
• keyboardType: Specify the type of virtual keyboard to display (e.g., TextInputType.text for regular
text, TextInputType.number for numeric input).
• obscureText: Control whether to hide the entered text with masking characters (useful for
passwords).expand_more
• decoration: A rich set of properties to customize the visual appearance of the text field, including:
○ hintText: Placeholder text displayed when the field is empty.
○ labelText: Label text displayed above the field.
○ border: Define the border style of the text field.
○ icon: Add a leading or trailing icon to the text field.
Text Validation:
• You can validate user input using the validator property. This function receives the entered text
and should return an error message string if the input is invalid, or null if it's valid. The error
message will be displayed below the text field.
Example:
TextField(
controller: nameController, // Associate with a
TextEditingController
keyboardType: TextInputType.text,
decoration: InputDecoration(
labelText: 'Enter your name:',
hintText: 'John Doe',
icon: Icon(Icons.person),
border: OutlineInputBorder(), // Set the border style
),
validator: (value) {
if (value == null || value.isEmpty) {
return 'Please enter your name';
}
return null; // No error
},
),
Additional Features:
• Autocorrect and Autofill: Configure autocorrection and autofill behavior using the autocorrect
and autofillHints properties.
• Text Styling: Apply text styles using the style property to control font size, color, and other text
attributes.
• Input Formatting: Use packages like text_mask or flutter_formatted_text for advanced text
formatting needs (e.g., phone numbers, credit cards).
Best Practices:
• Provide clear and concise labels or hints to guide users on what type of input is expected.
• Use appropriate keyboardType based on the expected input type.
• Implement proper text validation to ensure data integrity.
• Consider using error messages that are clear, actionable, and user-friendly.

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