Makepad 2.0 DSL Syntax Skill

Overview

Makepad 2.0 replaced the compile-time

live_design!

script_mod!

Key Syntax Rules

Property Assignment: Colon, NOT Equals

key: value          // CORRECT - colon syntax
key = value         // WRONG - old 1.x syntax, no longer works

Properties are whitespace/newline separated. No commas between siblings.

View{
    width: Fill
    height: Fit
    flow: Down
    spacing: 10
    padding: 15
}

Named Instances:

:=

Operator

Use

:=

my_button := Button{ text: "Click me" }
title := Label{ text: "Hello" }

Named instances are:

• Addressable from Rust code via

  id!(my_button)

  or

  ids!(my_button)

• Overridable via dot-path syntax:

  MyTemplate{ title.text: "New text" }

• Stored in the script object's

  vec

  (not

  map

  )

Regular properties use

:

map

width: Fill       // regular property -> map
label := Label{}  // named child -> vec

Merge Operator:

+:

The

+:

draw_bg +: {
    color: #f00    // Only overrides color, keeps all other draw_bg properties
}

Without

+:

draw_bg: { color: #f00 }    // REPLACES all of draw_bg - loses hover, border, etc.
draw_bg +: { color: #f00 }  // MERGES - only changes color, keeps everything else

Dot-Path Shorthand

Dot-path is syntactic sugar for merge:

draw_bg.color: #f00
// is equivalent to:
draw_bg +: { color: #f00 }

draw_text.text_style.font_size: 14
// is equivalent to:
draw_text +: { text_style +: { font_size: 14 } }

Let Bindings: Local Templates

let

script_mod!

let MyCard = RoundedView{
    width: Fill height: Fit
    padding: 16 flow: Down spacing: 8
    draw_bg.color: #2a2a3d
    draw_bg.border_radius: 8.0
    title := Label{ text: "Default Title" draw_text.color: #fff }
    body := Label{ text: "" draw_text.color: #aaa }
}

// Instantiate and override:
MyCard{ title.text: "Card 1" body.text: "Content here" }
MyCard{ title.text: "Card 2" body.text: "More content" }

IMPORTANT:

let

script_mod!

script_mod!

mod.widgets.*

Spread Operator:

..

Inherit all properties from another definition:

set_type_default() do #(DrawMyShader::script_shader(vm)){
    ..mod.draw.DrawQuad   // Inherit from DrawQuad
}

Script Module Structure

Basic App Structure

use makepad_widgets::*;

app_main!(App);

script_mod!{
    use mod.prelude.widgets.*

    load_all_resources() do #(App::script_component(vm)){
        ui: Root{
            main_window := Window{
                window.inner_size: vec2(800, 600)
                body +: {
                    // UI content here
                    my_button := Button{ text: "Click" }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

impl App {
    fn run(vm: &mut ScriptVm) -> Self {
        crate::makepad_widgets::script_mod(vm);  // 1. Register base widgets
        App::from_script_mod(vm, self::script_mod)
    }
}

#[derive(Script, ScriptHook)]
pub struct App {
    #[source] source: ScriptObjectRef,   // REQUIRED for Script-derived structs
    #[live] ui: WidgetRef,
}

impl MatchEvent for App {
    fn handle_actions(&mut self, cx: &mut Cx, actions: &Actions) {
        if self.ui.button(ids!(my_button)).clicked(actions) {
            log!("Button clicked!");
        }
    }
}

impl AppMain for App {
    fn handle_event(&mut self, cx: &mut Cx, event: &Event) {
        self.match_event(cx, event);
        self.ui.handle_event(cx, event, &mut Scope::empty());
    }
}

Widget Definition Module

script_mod!{
    use mod.prelude.widgets_internal.*   // For widget library internals
    use mod.widgets.*                     // Access other registered widgets

    // Step 1: Register the Rust struct as a widget base
    mod.widgets.MyWidgetBase = #(MyWidget::register_widget(vm))

    // Step 2: Create a styled variant with default properties
    mod.widgets.MyWidget = set_type_default() do mod.widgets.MyWidgetBase{
        width: Fill
        height: Fit
        padding: theme.space_2

        draw_bg +: {
            color: theme.color_bg_app
        }
    }
}

Registration Patterns

Widget Registration

For structs that implement the

Widget

mod.widgets.MyWidgetBase = #(MyWidget::register_widget(vm))

Rust side:

#[derive(Script, ScriptHook, Widget)]
pub struct MyWidget {
    #[source] source: ScriptObjectRef,  // REQUIRED
    #[walk] walk: Walk,
    #[layout] layout: Layout,
    #[redraw] #[live] draw_bg: DrawQuad,
    #[live] draw_text: DrawText,
    #[rust] my_state: i32,  // Runtime-only, not exposed to script
}

Component Registration

For non-widget structs that need script integration:

mod.widgets.MyComponentBase = #(MyComponent::script_component(vm))

Draw Shader Registration

For custom draw types with shader fields:

set_type_default() do #(DrawMyShader::script_shader(vm)){
    ..mod.draw.DrawQuad   // Inherit from DrawQuad
}

Rust side:

#[derive(Script, ScriptHook)]
#[repr(C)]
pub struct DrawMyShader {
    #[deref] draw_super: DrawQuad,
    #[live] my_param: f32,
}

Setting Type Defaults

mod.widgets.MyWidget = set_type_default() do mod.widgets.MyWidgetBase{
    width: Fill height: Fit
    draw_bg +: { color: theme.color_bg_app }
}

Registration Order (CRITICAL)

Widget modules MUST be registered BEFORE UI modules that use them:

impl App {
    fn run(vm: &mut ScriptVm) -> Self {
        crate::makepad_widgets::script_mod(vm);   // 1. Base widgets FIRST
        crate::my_widgets::script_mod(vm);         // 2. Custom widgets SECOND
        crate::app_ui::script_mod(vm);             // 3. UI using widgets THIRD
        App::from_script_mod(vm, self::script_mod) // 4. App component LAST
    }
}

Multi-Module Aggregation (lib.rs pattern)

pub fn script_mod(vm: &mut ScriptVm) {
    crate::module_a::script_mod(vm);
    crate::module_b::script_mod(vm);
    // ... all widget modules
}

Prelude System

Available Preludes

mod.prelude.widgets.*

mod.prelude.widgets_internal.*

Prelude Alias Syntax

mod.prelude.widgets = {
    ..mod.std,            // Spread all of mod.std into scope
    theme:mod.theme,      // Create 'theme' as alias for mod.theme
    draw:mod.draw,        // Create 'draw' as alias for mod.draw
}

Without the alias (

mod.theme,

theme:

Cross-Module Sharing

The

mod

Object is the ONLY Way to Share

// In widget_module.rs - export to mod.widgets namespace
script_mod!{
    use mod.prelude.widgets_internal.*
    mod.widgets.MyWidget = set_type_default() do mod.widgets.MyWidgetBase{ ... }
}

// In app_ui.rs - import via mod.widgets
script_mod!{
    use mod.prelude.widgets.*
    use mod.widgets.*   // Now MyWidget is in scope
    // ...
    MyWidget{}
}

use crate.module.*

crate.

Runtime Property Updates

Use

script_apply_eval!

apply_over

live!

// Old system
item.apply_over(cx, live!{ height: (height) });

// New system - use #(expr) for Rust expression interpolation
script_apply_eval!(cx, item, {
    height: #(height)
    draw_bg: { is_even: #(if is_even { 1.0 } else { 0.0 }) }
});

Debug Logging

Use

~expression

script_mod!{
    ~mod.theme           // Logs the theme object
    ~mod.prelude.widgets // Logs what's in the prelude
    ~some_variable       // Logs a variable's value
}

Common Pitfalls

1. Missing

#[source] source: ScriptObjectRef

All

Script

#[derive(Script, ScriptHook)]
pub struct MyStruct {
    #[source] source: ScriptObjectRef,  // REQUIRED - will fail without it
    // ...
}

2. Missing

height: Fit

on Containers

Default height is

Fill

Fit

Fill

// WRONG - invisible!
View{ flow: Down
    Label{ text: "You can't see me" }
}

// CORRECT
View{ height: Fit flow: Down
    Label{ text: "Visible!" }
}

3. Confusing

:

vs

:=

• key: value

  -- sets a property (stored in map)

• name := Widget{}

  -- creates a named, addressable child (stored in vec)

• label := Label{ text: "x" }

  -- named, overridable via

  Template{ label.text: "y" }

• label: Label{ text: "x" }

  -- anonymous, NOT addressable, overrides fail silently

4. Forgetting

+:

Merge Operator

// WRONG - replaces ALL of draw_bg (loses hover, border, animations)
draw_bg: { color: #f00 }

// CORRECT - merges, only changes color
draw_bg +: { color: #f00 }

5. Wrong Theme Access

// WRONG
color: THEME_COLOR_BG     // old 1.x constant syntax
color: (THEME_COLOR_BG)   // old 1.x parenthesized reference

// CORRECT
color: theme.color_bg_app
padding: theme.space_2
font_size: theme.font_size_p

6. Hex Colors Containing 'e' Need

#x

Prefix

The Rust tokenizer interprets

e

E

// WRONG - Rust parse error: "expected at least one digit in exponent"
color: #2ecc71
color: #1e1e2e

// CORRECT - use #x prefix
color: #x2ecc71
color: #x1e1e2e

// Colors without 'e' work fine with plain #
color: #ff4444    // OK
color: #44cc44    // OK

7.

pub

Keyword Invalid in script_mod

// WRONG
pub mod.widgets.MyWidget = ...

// CORRECT - visibility is controlled by Rust module system
mod.widgets.MyWidget = ...

8.

Inset{...}

Constructor Syntax for Margins/Padding

// WRONG
margin: { left: 10 }
align: { x: 0.5 y: 0.5 }

// CORRECT - use constructor syntax
margin: Inset{ left: 10 }
align: Align{ x: 0.5 y: 0.5 }
padding: Inset{ top: 5 bottom: 5 left: 10 right: 10 }

// Bare number for uniform values is OK
padding: 15
margin: 0.

9. Draw Shader Struct Field Ordering with

#[repr(C)]

Non-instance data (

#[rust]

#[live]

#[deref]

// CORRECT
#[derive(Script, ScriptHook)]
#[repr(C)]
pub struct MyDrawShader {
    #[live] pub svg: Option<ScriptHandleRef>,  // non-instance, BEFORE deref
    #[rust] my_state: bool,                     // non-instance, BEFORE deref
    #[deref] pub draw_super: DrawQuad,          // contains DrawVars + base instances
    #[live] pub tint: Vec4f,                    // instance field, AFTER deref - OK
}

// WRONG - #[rust] after instance fields corrupts GPU buffer
#[derive(Script, ScriptHook)]
#[repr(C)]
pub struct MyDrawShader {
    #[deref] pub draw_super: DrawQuad,
    #[live] pub tint: Vec4f,
    #[rust] my_state: bool,      // BAD: between instance fields
}

10. No Comments Before First Code in script_mod!

Rust proc macro token stream strips comments, which shifts error positions:

// WRONG
script_mod!{
    // This comment shifts error line info
    use mod.prelude.widgets.*
}

// CORRECT - start with real code immediately
script_mod!{
    use mod.prelude.widgets.*
    // Comments after first code are fine
}

Additional Pitfalls

• Cursor values: Use

  cursor: MouseCursor.Hand

  not

  cursor: Hand

  or

  cursor: @Hand

• Resource paths: Use

  crate_resource("self://path")

  not

  dep("crate://self/path")

• Texture declarations: Use

  tex: texture_2d(float)

  not

  tex: texture2d

• Shader

  mod

  vs

  modf

  : Use

  modf(a, b)

  for float modulo, NOT

  mod(a, b)

• Enum defaults: Use

  default: @off

  with

  @

  prefix for enum default values
• DefaultNone derive: Don't use

  DefaultNone

  derive; use

  #[derive(Default)]

  with

  #[default]

  attribute
• Method chaining in shaders: Use

  .method()

  not

  ::method()

  (e.g.,

  Sdf2d.viewport(...)

  )
• Color mixing: Prefer

  color1.mix(color2, hover)

  chaining over nested

  mix()

  calls
• Missing widget registration: Call

  crate::makepad_widgets::script_mod(vm)

  in

  App::run()

  BEFORE your own modules

Syntax Quick Reference

<BaseWidget>

mod.widgets.BaseWidget{}

BaseWidget{}

{{StructName}}

#(Struct::register_widget(vm))

(THEME_COLOR_X)

theme.color_x

<THEME_FONT>

theme.font_regular

instance hover: 0.0

hover: instance(0.0)

uniform color: #fff

color: uniform(#fff)

draw_bg: {}

draw_bg +: {}

default: off

default: @off

fn pixel(self)

pixel: fn()

item.apply_over(cx, live!{...})

script_apply_eval!(cx, item, {...})

Reference Files

• DSL Syntax Reference -- Complete syntax grammar and examples
• Property System -- Walk, Layout, Draw, and shader properties