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Tooltip

A versatile tooltip component that displays helpful information when hovering over or focusing on elements. Supports text content, custom elements, keyboard shortcuts, different trigger methods, and positioning options.

Import

rust
use gpui_component::tooltip::Tooltip;

Usage

Basic Tooltip with Text

rust
// Simple text tooltip
div()
    .child("Hover me")
    .id("basic-tooltip")
    .tooltip(|window, cx| {
        Tooltip::new("This is a helpful tooltip").build(window, cx)
    })

Button with Tooltip

rust
Button::new("save-btn")
    .label("Save")
    .tooltip("Save the current document")

Tooltip with Action/Keybinding

rust
actions!(my_actions, [SaveDocument]);

Button::new("save-btn")
    .label("Save")
    .tooltip_with_action(
        "Save the current document",
        &SaveDocument,
        Some("MyContext")
    )

Custom Element Tooltip

rust
div()
    .child("Hover for rich content")
    .id("rich-tooltip")
    .tooltip(|window, cx| {
        Tooltip::element(|_, cx| {
            h_flex()
                .gap_x_1()
                .child(IconName::Info)
                .child(
                    div()
                        .child("Muted Text")
                        .text_color(cx.theme().muted_foreground)
                )
                .child(
                    div()
                        .child("Danger Text")
                        .text_color(cx.theme().danger)
                )
                .child(IconName::ArrowUp)
        })
        .build(window, cx)
    })

Tooltip with Manual Keybinding

rust
div()
    .child("Custom keybinding")
    .id("custom-kb")
    .tooltip(|window, cx| {
        Tooltip::new("Delete item")
            .key_binding(Some(Kbd::new("Delete")))
            .build(window, cx)
    })

Advanced Usage

Components with Built-in Tooltip Support

Many components have built-in tooltip methods:

rust
// Button
Button::new("btn")
    .label("Click me")
    .tooltip("This button performs an action")

// Switch
Switch::new("toggle")
    .label("Enable notifications")
    .tooltip("Toggle push notifications on/off")

// Checkbox
Checkbox::new("check")
    .label("Remember me")
    .tooltip("Keep me logged in for 30 days")

// Radio
Radio::new("option")
    .label("Option 1")
    .tooltip("Select this option to enable feature X")

Complex Tooltip Content

rust
div()
    .child("Hover for details")
    .id("complex-tooltip")
    .tooltip(|window, cx| {
        Tooltip::element(|_, cx| {
            v_flex()
                .gap_2()
                .child(
                    h_flex()
                        .gap_1()
                        .child(IconName::User)
                        .child("User Information")
                        .text_sm()
                        .font_semibold()
                )
                .child(
                    div()
                        .child("Last login: 2 hours ago")
                        .text_xs()
                        .text_color(cx.theme().muted_foreground)
                )
                .child(
                    div()
                        .child("Status: Active")
                        .text_xs()
                        .text_color(cx.theme().success)
                )
        })
        .build(window, cx)
    })

Tooltip in Form Elements

rust
v_flex()
    .gap_4()
    .child(
        Input::new("email")
            .placeholder("Enter your email")
            .tooltip("We'll never share your email address")
    )
    .child(
        Input::new("password")
            .input_type(InputType::Password)
            .placeholder("Password")
            .tooltip("Must be at least 8 characters with special characters")
    )

API Reference

Tooltip

MethodDescription
new(text)Create a tooltip with text content
element(builder)Create a tooltip with custom element content
action(action, context)Set action to display keybinding information
key_binding(kbd)Set manual keybinding information
build(window, cx)Build and return the tooltip as AnyView

Built-in Tooltip Methods

Components with tooltip support typically provide these methods:

MethodDescription
tooltip(text)Add simple text tooltip
tooltip_with_action(text, action, context)Add tooltip with action keybinding
tooltip(closure)Add custom tooltip with builder closure

Tooltip Styling

The tooltip automatically applies theme-appropriate styling:

  • Background: theme.popover
  • Text color: theme.popover_foreground
  • Border: theme.border
  • Shadow: Medium drop shadow
  • Border radius: 6px
  • Font: System UI font

You can apply additional styling using the Styled trait:

rust
Tooltip::new("Custom styled tooltip")
    .bg(cx.theme().accent)
    .text_color(cx.theme().accent_foreground)
    .build(window, cx)

Examples

Toolbar with Tooltips

rust
h_flex()
    .gap_1()
    .child(
        Button::new("new")
            .icon(IconName::Plus)
            .tooltip_with_action("Create new file", &NewFile, Some("Editor"))
    )
    .child(
        Button::new("open")
            .icon(IconName::FolderOpen)
            .tooltip_with_action("Open file", &OpenFile, Some("Editor"))
    )
    .child(
        Button::new("save")
            .icon(IconName::Save)
            .tooltip_with_action("Save file", &SaveFile, Some("Editor"))
    )

Status Indicators with Tooltips

rust
h_flex()
    .gap_2()
    .child(
        div()
            .size_3()
            .rounded_full()
            .bg(cx.theme().success)
            .tooltip(|window, cx| {
                Tooltip::new("Connected to server").build(window, cx)
            })
    )
    .child(
        div()
            .size_3()
            .rounded_full()
            .bg(cx.theme().warning)
            .tooltip(|window, cx| {
                Tooltip::new("Limited connectivity").build(window, cx)
            })
    )

Interactive Elements with Rich Tooltips

rust
v_flex()
    .gap_3()
    .child(
        div()
            .p_2()
            .border_1()
            .border_color(cx.theme().border)
            .rounded(cx.theme().radius)
            .child("File: document.txt")
            .id("file-item")
            .tooltip(|window, cx| {
                Tooltip::element(|_, cx| {
                    v_flex()
                        .gap_1()
                        .child(
                            h_flex()
                                .gap_2()
                                .child(IconName::File)
                                .child("document.txt")
                                .text_sm()
                                .font_medium()
                        )
                        .child(
                            div()
                                .child("Size: 2.4 KB")
                                .text_xs()
                                .text_color(cx.theme().muted_foreground)
                        )
                        .child(
                            div()
                                .child("Modified: 2 hours ago")
                                .text_xs()
                                .text_color(cx.theme().muted_foreground)
                        )
                        .child(
                            h_flex()
                                .gap_1()
                                .child(Kbd::new("Enter"))
                                .child("to open")
                                .text_xs()
                                .text_color(cx.theme().muted_foreground)
                        )
                })
                .build(window, cx)
            })
    )

Form Validation with Tooltips

rust
struct FormView {
    email_error: Option<String>,
    password_error: Option<String>,
}

v_flex()
    .gap_4()
    .child(
        Input::new("email")
            .placeholder("Email address")
            .when_some(self.email_error.clone(), |this, error| {
                this.tooltip(move |window, cx| {
                    Tooltip::element(|_, cx| {
                        h_flex()
                            .gap_1()
                            .child(IconName::AlertCircle)
                            .child(error.clone())
                            .text_color(cx.theme().destructive)
                    })
                    .build(window, cx)
                })
            })
    )

Best Practices

Content Guidelines

  • Be concise: Keep tooltip text short and to the point
  • Be helpful: Provide additional context, not redundant information
  • Use proper tone: Match your application's voice and tone
  • Avoid critical info: Don't put essential information only in tooltips

Usage Guidelines

  • Progressive disclosure: Use tooltips for additional context, not primary information
  • Consistency: Use consistent tooltip patterns throughout your application
  • Performance: Avoid complex content in frequently triggered tooltips
  • Testing: Test tooltips with both mouse and keyboard interaction

Examples of Good Tooltip Content

rust
// Good: Provides helpful context
Button::new("delete")
    .icon(IconName::Trash)
    .tooltip("Delete this item permanently")

// Good: Explains abbreviation
div()
    .child("CPU: 45%")
    .tooltip("Central Processing Unit usage")

// Good: Describes action with keybinding
Button::new("undo")
    .icon(IconName::Undo)
    .tooltip_with_action("Undo last action", &Undo, Some("Editor"))

Examples to Avoid

rust
// Avoid: Redundant information
Button::new("save")
    .label("Save")
    .tooltip("Save") // Doesn't add value

// Avoid: Critical information
Button::new("delete")
    .tooltip("This will permanently delete all your files") // Too important for tooltip only