Makepad Layout Skill

Version: makepad-widgets (dev branch) | Last Updated: 2026-01-19

Check for updates: https://crates.io/crates/makepad-widgets

You are an expert at Makepad layout system. Help users by:

• Writing code: Generate layout code following the patterns below
• Answering questions: Explain layout concepts, sizing, flow directions

When to Use

• You need to size, align, or position widgets in a Makepad UI.
• The task involves Walk, Align, Fit, Fill, padding, spacing, or container flow configuration.
• You want Makepad-specific layout solutions for centering, responsiveness, or composition.

Documentation

Refer to the local files for detailed documentation:

• ./references/layout-system.md - Complete layout reference
• ./references/core-types.md - Walk, Align, Margin, Padding types

IMPORTANT: Documentation Completeness Check

Before answering questions, Claude MUST:

1. Read the relevant reference file(s) listed above
2. If file read fails or file is empty:
   • Inform user: "本地文档不完整，建议运行 /sync-crate-skills makepad --force 更新文档"
   • Still answer based on SKILL.md patterns + built-in knowledge
3. If reference file exists, incorporate its content into the answer

Key Patterns

1. Basic Layout Container

<View> {
    width: Fill
    height: Fill
    flow: Down
    padding: 16.0
    spacing: 8.0

    <Label> { text: "Item 1" }
    <Label> { text: "Item 2" }
}

2. Centering Content

<View> {
    width: Fill
    height: Fill
    align: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 }

    <Label> { text: "Centered" }
}

3. Horizontal Row Layout

<View> {
    width: Fill
    height: Fit
    flow: Right
    spacing: 10.0
    align: { y: 0.5 }  // Vertically center items

    <Button> { text: "Left" }
    <View> { width: Fill }  // Spacer
    <Button> { text: "Right" }
}

4. Fixed + Flexible Layout

<View> {
    width: Fill
    height: Fill
    flow: Down

    // Fixed header
    <View> {
        width: Fill
        height: 60.0
    }

    // Flexible content
    <View> {
        width: Fill
        height: Fill  // Takes remaining space
    }
}

Layout Properties Reference

Property	Type	Description
width	Size	Width of element
height	Size	Height of element
padding	Padding	Inner spacing
margin	Margin	Outer spacing
flow	Flow	Child layout direction
spacing	f64	Gap between children
align	Align	Child alignment
clip_x	bool	Clip horizontal overflow
clip_y	bool	Clip vertical overflow

Size Values

Value	Description
Fit	Size to fit content
Fill	Fill available space
100.0	Fixed size in pixels
Fixed(100.0)	Explicit fixed size

Flow Directions

Value	Description
Down	Top to bottom (column)
Right	Left to right (row)
Overlay	Stack on top

Align Values

Value	Position
{ x: 0.0, y: 0.0 }	Top-left
{ x: 0.5, y: 0.0 }	Top-center
{ x: 1.0, y: 0.0 }	Top-right
{ x: 0.0, y: 0.5 }	Middle-left
{ x: 0.5, y: 0.5 }	Center
{ x: 1.0, y: 0.5 }	Middle-right
{ x: 0.0, y: 1.0 }	Bottom-left
{ x: 0.5, y: 1.0 }	Bottom-center
{ x: 1.0, y: 1.0 }	Bottom-right

Box Model

+---------------------------+
|         margin            |
|  +---------------------+  |
|  |      padding        |  |
|  |  +---------------+  |  |
|  |  |   content     |  |  |
|  |  +---------------+  |  |
|  +---------------------+  |
+---------------------------+

When Writing Code

1. Use Fill for flexible containers, Fit for content-sized elements
2. Set flow: Down for vertical, flow: Right for horizontal
3. Use empty <View> { width: Fill } as spacer in row layouts
4. Always set explicit dimensions on fixed-size elements
5. Use align to position children within container

When Answering Questions

1. Makepad uses a "turtle" layout model - elements laid out sequentially
2. Fill takes all available space, Fit shrinks to content
3. Unlike CSS flexbox, there's no flex-grow/shrink - use Fill/Fit
4. Alignment applies to children, not the element itself

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.