Flutter Packages Weekly #12: flutter_slidable

3 min readJul 21, 2024

“flutter_slidable: Elevate List Interactions in Your Flutter Apps”

Welcome to another exciting installment of Flutter Packages Weekly! In this edition, we’re focusing on enhancing list interactions with the flutter_slidable package. Lists are a fundamental UI component in many mobile applications, often used to display collections of data. While scrolling through a list is straightforward, providing users with quick access to actions on individual items can significantly improve usability and engagement. flutter_slidable empowers you to do just that, by adding customizable swipe actions to your list items. Let's delve into why this package is a must-have for Flutter developers seeking to create more interactive and user-friendly lists.

Why Use flutter_slidable?

In the world of app design, user-friendly interactions are paramount. flutter_slidable contributes to this goal by offering:

Intuitive Actions: Empower users to perform actions on list items with a simple swipe gesture, a natural and intuitive interaction pattern.
Customizable Actions: Tailor the actions available for each list item, providing options like delete, edit, archive, share, and more.
Flexible Design: Control the appearance of the slide actions, including icons, colors, and text, to match your app’s visual style.
Seamless Integration: Easily integrate flutter_slidable into your existing list widgets, such as ListView and SliverList.
Performance Optimization: The package is designed to be performant and memory-efficient, ensuring smooth interactions even with large lists.

Key Features & How to Use Them

flutter_slidable provides a streamlined API for adding swipe actions to your list items:

Slidable: The main widget that wraps your list item and enables sliding behavior.
SlidableAction: Defines a single swipe action, including its icon, text, background color, and onTap callback.
ActionPane: Controls the visual style and layout of the action buttons when the list item is swiped.
SlidableController: Optionally used to programmatically control the sliding state of the list item.

Installation Guide

Get started with flutter_slidable by adding it to your pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
  flutter_slidable: ^latest

Example: List with Swipe-to-Delete

Slidable(
  endActionPane: ActionPane(
    motion: ScrollMotion(),
    children: [
      SlidableAction(
        onPressed: (context) => _deleteItem(item),
        backgroundColor: Color(0xFFFE4A49),
        foregroundColor: Colors.white,
        icon: Icons.delete,
        label: 'Delete',
      ),
    ],
  ),
  child: ListTile(
    title: Text(item.title),
  ),
);

Conclusion

In the realm of user interface design, intuitive interactions are key to creating a positive user experience. The flutter_slidable package empowers you to add a layer of interactivity to your Flutter lists, allowing users to perform actions with a simple swipe gesture. Whether you're building a to-do app, a messaging app, or any other app that utilizes lists, flutter_slidable is a valuable tool for enhancing usability and engagement.

Stay tuned for more exciting package explorations in our Flutter Packages Weekly series!