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Last updated on Apr 3, 2025
•7 mins read
Last updated on Nov 7, 2023
•7 mins read
Software Development Executive - II
A Flutter and iOS developer.
Software Development Executive - II
Passionate Flutter developer crafting engaging mobile experiences. Turning coffee into beautiful UIs and bad jokes into commit messages. When not coding, he is probably debugging his life decisions.
Today, we're exploring an essential aspect of user input in mobile apps - the keyboard. This might seem minor, but as we'll see, it can significantly enhance your app's user experience (UX).
In mobile app development, the keyboard is a fundamental tool for user interaction. Different types of input require different keyboard configurations. You wouldn't want to use a standard text keyboard for a field that requires a numeric input, would you? For instance, when a user inputs their phone number, the numeric keyboard should ideally come up, making the process smoother.
This is where keyboardType comes in. It is a property that allows us to control and customize the type of keyboard that pops up for text input in Flutter applications. Let's dive into the details.
In the world of Flutter, the TextField widget plays a pivotal role in capturing user input. It's an essential component that developers use to create interactive applications.
The TextField widget is a user interface (UI) element that allows users to interact with the application by entering text. It's a crucial part of any application that requires user input, such as a search bar, a form, or a chat interface. This widget is highly customizable, allowing developers to control various aspects like the decoration, style, and controller.
1TextField( 2 decoration: InputDecoration( 3 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 4 labelText: 'Enter text here', 5 ), 6) 7
The KeyboardType property is a significant aspect of the TextField widget. It controls the type of keyboard that appears when a user focuses on the TextField. This property can be set to various values like text, number, email, etc., depending on the kind of input expected from the user.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.number, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: 'Enter number here', 6 ), 7) 8
In the above code snippet, the keyboardType property is set to TextInputType.number, which means when the user taps on the TextField, a numeric keyboard will pop up.
Flutter provides a variety of keyboard types that can be used with the TextField widget. The type of keyboard that pops up when a user interacts with a TextField is determined by the keyboardType property. Let's explore some of the most commonly used keyboard types.
The numeric keyboard is a keyboard layout that only contains numbers. It's useful in scenarios where the user is expected to provide numeric input, such as entering a phone number or a pin code. You can set the keyboardType property to TextInputType.number to bring up the numeric keyboard.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.number, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: 'Enter number here', 6 ), 7) 8
The text input keyboard is the default keyboard that pops up when a user interacts with a TextField. It contains both letters and numbers, allowing the user to enter any form of text. This keyboard type is suitable for general purposes like entering a name or writing a message.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.text, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: 'Enter text here', 6 ), 7) 8
Flutter also allows developers to create custom keyboards. This can be useful when you want to provide a unique input experience tailored to your application's specific needs.
Creating a custom keyboard involves creating a new widget that mimics the behavior of a keyboard. This widget should then be displayed whenever the TextField is in focus.
The KeyboardType property and TextField widget work hand in hand in Flutter to facilitate user input. Let's delve into how to create a TextField widget with a KeyboardType property, handle user clicks, and change the KeyboardType property dynamically.
Creating a TextField widget with a KeyboardType property is straightforward in Flutter. You must instantiate a TextField widget and set its keyboardType property to the desired keyboard type.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.emailAddress, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: 'Enter email here', 6 ), 7) 8
In the above code snippet, the keyboardType property is set to TextInputType.emailAddress, which means when the user taps on the TextField, an email keyboard will pop up.
When a user clicks or taps on a TextField widget, the keyboard type specified by the keyboardType property is displayed. You can handle user clicks by adding interactivity to your TextField widget, such as showing a different widget or navigating to a different screen when the TextField is in focus.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.datetime, 3 onTap: () { 4 // Handle user click here 5 }, 6 decoration: InputDecoration( 7 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 8 labelText: 'Enter date and time here', 9 ), 10) 11
In some scenarios, you might want to change the keyboardType property dynamically based on certain conditions. This can be achieved by maintaining the state of the keyboardType property and updating it as needed.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: _isNumeric ? TextInputType.number : TextInputType.text, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: _isNumeric ? 'Enter number here' : 'Enter text here', 6 ), 7) 8
In the above code snippet, the keyboardType property is set based on the value of the isNumeric variable. If isNumeric is true, the keyboardType is set to TextInputType.number; otherwise, it's set to TextInputType.text.
The soft keyboard, also known as the on-screen keyboard, is an integral part of any touchscreen-based application. In Flutter, you can control the behavior of the soft keyboard using the TextField widget and the keyboardType property.
The soft keyboard is a virtual keyboard that pops up on the screen when the user interacts with a TextField widget. It allows the user to provide input without needing a physical keyboard. The soft keyboard's layout and keys can vary depending on the keyboardType property of the TextField widget.
The TextField widget provides several properties that allow you to control the behavior of the soft keyboard. For instance, you can control whether the soft keyboard should be displayed or hidden using the autofocus property.
1TextField( 2 autofocus: true, 3 keyboardType: TextInputType.text, 4 decoration: InputDecoration( 5 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 6 labelText: 'Enter text here', 7 ), 8) 9
In the above code snippet, the autofocus property is set to true, which means the soft keyboard will automatically pop up when the TextField widget is displayed.
The keyboardType property plays a significant role in controlling the soft keyboard. It determines the layout of the soft keyboard that is displayed when the user interacts with the TextField widget.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.url, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: 'Enter URL here', 6 ), 7) 8
In the above code snippet, the keyboardType property is set to TextInputType.url, which means when the user taps on the TextField, a URL keyboard will pop up.
The KeyboardType property in Flutter allows developers to optimize the user input experience across different devices. Let's explore how this property behaves on Android and iOS devices.
On Android devices, the keyboardType property works seamlessly with the TextField widget. When the user interacts with the TextField, the Android system brings up the soft keyboard corresponding to the keyboardType specified.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.phone, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: 'Enter phone number here', 6 ), 7) 8
In the above code snippet, when the TextField is in focus, Android displays a phone keyboard, which includes digits and special characters like '+', '*', and '#', making it easier for the user to enter a phone number.
On iOS devices, the keyboardType property also uses the TextField widget to bring up the appropriate soft keyboard. However, it's worth noting that the keyboard layouts can vary slightly compared to Android due to the differences in the operating systems.
1TextField( 2 keyboardType: TextInputType.emailAddress, 3 decoration: InputDecoration( 4 border: OutlineInputBorder(), 5 labelText: 'Enter email here', 6 ), 7) 8
In the above code snippet, when TextField focuses on an iOS device, the system displays an email keyboard, which includes '@' and '.' characters, making it easier for the user to enter an email address.
The KeyboardType property in Flutter is a powerful tool that helps developers create interactive and user-friendly applications. It plays a vital role in controlling the type of keyboard that pops up when a user interacts with a TextField widget, enhancing the user input experience. Whether you're working with numeric inputs, text inputs, or even custom inputs, the KeyboardType property has got you covered.
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