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

1. If reference file exists, incorporate its content into the answer

Key Patterns

1. Basic Layout Container

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

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

2. Centering Content

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

    <Label> { text: "Centered" }
}

3. Horizontal Row Layout

rust
<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

rust
<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.