Overlay Explained | Flutter for Web Developers

What’s Overlay?

The Overlay class in Flutter is a powerful tool that allows developers to display widgets on top of other widgets. It is particularly useful for creating overlays, dialogs, and popups. Some important methods include ‘insert’, which adds a new overlay entry, and ‘remove’, which removes an overlay entry.

Check the official documentation for more.

Overlay explained for Web Developers

From a Web Developer’s perspective, the Overlay class can be compared to modal dialogs in web frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue. Just as these frameworks allow developers to create components that can overlay on top of existing content, the Overlay class provides a similar functionality in Flutter, enabling developers to manage the display of widgets dynamically without disrupting the underlying layout.

Example Code

Here is an example of how to use Overlay:

OverlayEntry overlayEntry = OverlayEntry(
  builder: (context) => Positioned(
    top: 100.0,
    left: 100.0,
    child: Material(
      child: Container(
        width: 200.0,
        height: 200.0,
        color: Colors.red,
        child: Center(child: Text('Overlay')),
      ),
    ),
  ),
);

Overlay.of(context).insert(overlayEntry);

Overlay Remarks

In conclusion, the Overlay class is an essential tool for Flutter developers, providing a flexible way to manage overlays and dialogs. Understanding its functionality can enhance the user experience in your applications.