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Components

Learn more about Retool's UI components.

Components are the fundamental building blocks of Retool apps. They are prebuilt interface elements to display data, and manipulate or interact with it based on user actions. Refer to the Retool Component Library to browse available components and view reference documentation.

How components work​

You drag and drop components in the App IDE to assemble your app's interface, then configure them to interact with data, perform actions, or render content. Any changes you make to the component's state in the App IDE or by interacting with the component are immediately reflected.

Component model​

Retool's components are functionally similar to React components. They are designed to be modular and reusable, and have internal state. Each component is represented by a JavaScript object that contains all of its properties and their current values. The following is an example of a Text Input component:

{
  "pluginType": "TextInputWidget2",
  "spellCheck": false,
  "readOnly": false,
  "iconAfter": "",
  "showCharacterCount": false,
  "autoComplete": false,
  "maxLength": null,
  "hidden": false,
  "customValidation": "",
  "patternType": "",
  "hideValidationMessage": false,
  "textBefore": "",
  "value": "Jenny Rosen",
  "_validate": false,
  "required": false,
  "disabled": false,
  "minLength": null,
  "pattern": "",
  "validationMessage": "",
  "textAfter": "",
  "showInEditor": false,
  "showClear": false,
  "tooltipText": "",
  "labelAlign": "left",
  "id": "textInput1",
  "formDataKey": "textInput1",
  "labelCaption": "Enter your username",
  "labelWidth": 33,
  "autoFill": "",
  "placeholder": "Enter value",
  "label": "Username",
  "labelWidthUnit": "%",
  "invalid": false,
  "iconBefore": "",
  "inputTooltip": "",
  "autoCapitalize": "none",
  "loading": false,
  "labelPosition": "left",
  "labelWrap": false,
  "maintainSpaceWhenHidden": false
}

Similar components often share characteristics, allowing you to switch a component from one to another with little to no change. This makes it possible to switch components as your needs grow without having to rebuild your UI from scratch.

Switch component

Configuration and properties​

You can write JavaScript almost anywhere in Retool using {{ }} and component property values are available globally. This makes it possible to reference other properties when configuring a value.

For example, you can configure a Text component to display the value of a Text Input component with {{ textInput1.value }} in the App IDE. This also makes it possible to control behavior through truthy or falsy values. You can use expressions like a ternary operator to use different values based on a condition, such as the value of a Checkbox component.

Style options​

note

Components inherit style options from either a parent component (if nested) or the current app theme. You can override style options directly as needed.

You can customize the style of each component, or the Header and Main frames in the canvas. Select the component or frame to customize, then use the Appearance section in the Inspect tab of the right panel. There are different style options, such as color or border radius, depending on the type of component or the frame.

Change table background color

Color is one of the most effective ways to communicate status or severity to your users. You can set custom color options using the color picker or entering a valid CSS color value. You can also select a color from one of the current theme's default colors.

As with other settings, you can write JavaScript to conditionally set style options. For example, you can customize the background color of a Table component column based on whether its quantity is less than or greater than 1000 using {{ currentSourceRow.quantity > 1000 ? '9ed692' : 'd68b7c' }}.

Conditionally set styles based on data

Events​

Many components trigger events based on certain user interactions, such as clicking a button or selecting a value. Event handling enables you to trigger queries or perform actions based on the type of event.

Retool's approach with components makes it possible for you to build complex UIs that reflect changes immediately and dynamically adjust based on any conditions you need.

Configure an event handler for a Button

Methods​

The majority of components include JavaScript methods that control their behavior. Component methods make it possible to write complex JavaScript statements to interact with components and change their state in ways that cannot be achieved with references or inline JavaScript using {{ }}.

Similar components often share the same methods. For example, setValue() is commonly supported by most inputs as a method to set the value of the component.

textInput1.setValue("Hello World");

Presets​

A preset is a preconfigured version of an existing component. Retool's component library includes a number of presets for commonly used configurations. For instance, the URL component is a Text Input component that is preconfigured with URL pattern matching and prefix text. The URL component has the same internal state as Text Input, but configured for URL inputs.

Custom components​

If you have a use case that isn't handled by Retool's built-in components, you can build your own custom component libraries using React and Typescript. Custom components are complex but enable you to develop a component that meets your exact needs.