pull_tab_menu - Dart API docs

PullTabMenu brings elegant context menus to Flutter apps through a discreet, pull-out tab interface. Preserve your interface's clean aesthetic while providing immediate access to actions when users need them. Perfect for creative applications where screen space and functionality must be balanced.

Try it out in the example app.

Features

Edge-anchored pull tab with customizable appearance
Multiple menu positions (centerLeft, centerRight, topLeft, topRight, bottomLeft, bottomRight)
Slide-out menu with smooth animations
Support for both vertical and horizontal menu layouts
Menu items with icons, tooltips, and tap actions
Built-in divider support
Material Design 3 theme integration
Auto-hide functionality with configurable delay
Configurable animations (duration and curves)
Gesture-based interactions (tap, swipe, drag)
Hover interactions for desktop/web platforms
Optional background overlay
Smart automatic layout selection based on item count
Programmatic control via controller
Customizable colors, opacity, and dimensions

Usage

Basic Usage

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:pull_tab_menu/pull_tab_menu.dart';

// Basic example of using a pull tab menu
Scaffold buildBasicExample(BuildContext context) {
  // Create menu items
  final menuItems = [
    PullTabMenuItem(
      label: 'Home',
      icon: Icons.home,
      onTap: () {
        // Handle tap action
      },
    ),
    PullTabMenuItem(
      label: 'Settings',
      icon: Icons.settings,
      onTap: () {
        // Handle tap action
      },
    ),
    PullTabMenuItem(
      label: 'Profile',
      icon: Icons.person,
      onTap: () {
        // Handle tap action
      },
    ),
  ];

  return Scaffold(
    appBar: AppBar(
      title: const Text('Pull Tab Menu Demo'),
    ),
    body: PullTabMenu(
      menuItems: menuItems,
      child: const Center(
        child: Text('Pull from the right edge to open the menu'),
      ),
    ),
  );
}

Using a Controller for Programmatic Control

class _MyHomePageState extends State<MyHomePage> {
  final PullTabController _controller = PullTabController();

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    // Demonstrate opening/closing the menu programmatically
    // Give the user a quick peek of the menu to show they can open/close it
    Future.delayed(Durations.short2, () => _controller.openMenu()).then(
      (value) => Future.delayed(Durations.long2, () => _controller.closeMenu()),
    );
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(title: const Text('Pull Tab Menu Examples')),
      body: PullTabMenu(
        controller: _controller,
        menuItems: [
          PullTabMenuItem(
            label: 'Example 1',
            icon: Icons.draw,
            onTap: () {
              // Handle navigation
              Navigator.pushNamed(context, '/example1');
            },
          ),
          PullTabMenuItem(
            label: 'Example 2',
            icon: Icons.style_outlined,
            onTap: () {
              // Handle navigation
              Navigator.pushNamed(context, '/example2');
            },
          ),
        ],
        child: Center(
          child: MaterialButton(
            child: Text('Open Menu'),
            onPressed: () {
              // Open the menu
              _controller.openMenu();
            },
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Customization Options

The PullTabMenuConfiguration class provides extensive customization options:

PullTabMenuConfiguration(
  // Menu Alignment
  initialAlignment: MenuAlignment.centerRight,
  allowRepositioning: true,

  // Layout
  axis: Axis.vertical,
  margin: 8.0,
  borderRadius: 8.0,
  itemExtent: 48.0,
  menuBreadth: 60.0,

  // Tab Size
  tabWidth: 40.0,
  tabHeight: 80.0,

  // Colors
  baseColor: null, // Defaults to theme's inverseSurface
  tabColor: null, // Defaults to the base color
  foregroundColor: null, // Defaults to theme's onInverseSurface
  selectedItemBorderColor: null, // Defaults to the foreground color
  selectedItemBackgroundColor: null, // Defaults to the base color

  // Divider Appearance
  dividerThickness: 0.5,
  dividerIndent: 8.0,

  // Opacity
  tabOpacity: 0.7,
  menuOpacity: 1.0,
  useBackgroundOverlay: true,
  backgroundOverlayOpacity: 0.5,

  // Animation
  showDuration: Duration(milliseconds: 250),
  showCurve: Curves.easeInOut,
  hideDuration: Duration(milliseconds: 250),
  hideCurve: Curves.easeInOut,

  // Behavior
  openOnTabHover: false,
  closeMenuOnTap: true,
  autoHide: false,
  autoHideDelay: Duration(seconds: 3),
);

The menu can be positioned at various points along the screen edges:

MenuAlignment.topLeft
MenuAlignment.centerLeft
MenuAlignment.bottomLeft
MenuAlignment.topRight
MenuAlignment.centerRight
MenuAlignment.bottomRight

Auto Layout

The menu will automatically choose between vertical and horizontal layouts based on the number of items, unless overridden:

For 3 or fewer items: Horizontal layout
For 4 or more items: Vertical layout

You can explicitly set the axis parameter to override this behavior.

Theme Integration

The menu automatically integrates with Material Design 3 theme colors:

Base color defaults to colorScheme.inverseSurface
Foreground color defaults to colorScheme.onInverseSurface

This provides a nice contrast with your app's primary colors while maintaining theme consistency.

Dividers

You can add dividers to your menu to visually separate groups of items:

final menuItems = [
  PullTabMenuItem(label: 'Logout', icon: Icons.logout),
  PullTabMenuItem.divider(), // Add a divider
  PullTabMenuItem(label: 'Home', icon: Icons.home),
  PullTabMenuItem(label: 'Profile', icon: Icons.person),
  PullTabMenuItem(label: 'Settings', icon: Icons.settings),
];

Dividers automatically adapt to the menu orientation (horizontal or vertical).

Pull Tab Menu