Changing the Background Color of an Elevated Button in Flutter

Changing the Background Color of an Elevated Button in Flutter

19 December 2024 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Tech-Help

If you’re a Flutter developer, you might have encountered the need to customize the appearance of your buttons, particularly the background color of ElevatedButton. This task can be straightforward but can also lead to errors if not implemented correctly. Below, we provide a comprehensive guide to help you achieve this customization effectively.

Understanding the Error

When attempting to change the background color of an ElevatedButton, you might encounter an error such as:

type ‘_MaterialStatePropertyAll’ is not a subtype of type ‘MaterialStateProperty<Color?>?’

This error typically arises when there’s a mismatch in the expected type for the backgroundColor property. Let’s explore how to resolve this.

Solution 1: Using ElevatedButton.styleFrom

The most straightforward method to style an ElevatedButton is by using the styleFrom method. This approach is both convenient and effective for setting the background color.


ElevatedButton(
  child: Text('Button'),
  onPressed: () {},
  style: ElevatedButton.styleFrom(
    backgroundColor: Colors.purple,
    padding: EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 50, vertical: 20),
    textStyle: TextStyle(
      fontSize: 30,
      fontWeight: FontWeight.bold
    )
  ),
)
  

Solution 2: Using ButtonStyle

Alternatively, you can use the ButtonStyle class to define a more customized style for different button states. This method provides greater flexibility but requires a bit more setup.


ElevatedButton(
  child: Text('Button'),
  onPressed: () {},
  style: ButtonStyle(
    backgroundColor: MaterialStateProperty.all(Colors.red),
    padding: MaterialStateProperty.all(EdgeInsets.all(50)),
    textStyle: MaterialStateProperty.all(TextStyle(fontSize: 30))
  ),
)
  

Practical Considerations

When using these methods, ensure that your Flutter version supports the parameters you are using, as some parameters like primary have been deprecated in newer versions in favor of backgroundColor.

Enhancing Your Workflow with Repeato

Testing UI changes, such as button styling, can be time-consuming. This is where Repeato, a no-code test automation tool for iOS and Android, comes in handy. It allows you to create, run, and maintain automated tests quickly, utilizing computer vision and AI to ensure your app’s UI behaves as expected. This can significantly streamline your development process, especially when dealing with frequent UI updates.

For more insights into Flutter development, consider visiting our other articles on showing/hiding passwords in Flutter or managing constants effectively.

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