Effective Styling of SwiftUI TextEditor and TextField in macOS Forms

How to Properly Style SwiftUI TextEditor Using Custom Styles

This approach uses a modular and reusable SwiftUI structure to style the TextEditor and TextField. It focuses on creating custom editor styles to manage border visibility and text binding.

import SwiftUI
struct FlippableFieldEditorStyle: TextEditorStyle {
    @Binding var isBordered: Bool
    @Binding var text: String
    func makeBody(configuration: Configuration) -> some View {
        TextEditor(text: $text)
            .modifier(BaseTextEntryModifier(isBordered: $isBordered))
            .frame(maxHeight: 100)
    }
}
struct ContentView: View {
    @State private var isEditing = false
    @State private var textEntry = "Enter text here"
    var body: some View {
        TextEditor(text: $textEntry)
            .textEditorStyle(FlippableFieldEditorStyle(isBordered: $isEditing,
                                                     text: $textEntry))
    }
}

Alternative Approach Using View Modifiers for Custom Styling

This technique solves the problem by leveraging SwiftUI view modifiers to apply uniform styling across both TextEditor and TextField, focusing on a shared border modifier.

import SwiftUI
struct BaseTextEntryModifier: ViewModifier {
    @Binding var isBordered: Bool
    func body(content: Content) -> some View {
        content
            .padding(10)
            .border(isBordered ? Color.gray : Color.clear, width: 1)
    }
}
struct ContentView: View {
    @State private var isEditing = false
    @State private var textEntry = "Enter text here"
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            TextField("Placeholder", text: $textEntry)
                .modifier(BaseTextEntryModifier(isBordered: $isEditing))
            TextEditor(text: $textEntry)
                .modifier(BaseTextEntryModifier(isBordered: $isEditing))
        }
    }
}

Combining TextEditor and TextField Styles via Custom Components

This solution takes a modular approach by developing a reusable custom SwiftUI component that applies the same style to both TextField and TextEditor while retaining code clarity.

import SwiftUI
struct CustomTextFieldView: View {
    @Binding var text: String
    @Binding var isBordered: Bool
    var body: some View {
        TextField("Enter text", text: $text)
            .modifier(BaseTextEntryModifier(isBordered: $isBordered))
    }
}
struct CustomTextEditorView: View {
    @Binding var text: String
    @Binding var isBordered: Bool
    var body: some View {
        TextEditor(text: $text)
            .modifier(BaseTextEntryModifier(isBordered: $isBordered))
    }
}
struct ContentView: View {
    @State private var isEditing = false
    @State private var textEntry = "Enter text here"
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            CustomTextFieldView(text: $textEntry, isBordered: $isEditing)
            CustomTextEditorView(text: $textEntry, isBordered: $isEditing)
        }
    }
}

Common Questions and Solutions for SwiftUI TextEditor Styling

1. How can I customize the border of a TextEditor?
2. To adjust the border appearance of TextEditor, use a custom view modifier like BaseTextEntryModifier. This allows you to set dynamic border visibility based on states such as editing.
3. Can I limit the height of a TextEditor?
4. Yes, you may use the frame(maxHeight:) modifier to limit the height of the TextEditor, preventing it from growing forever with big amounts of text.
5. How do I dynamically update the content of a TextEditor?
6. Binding a variable to the text property of the TextEditor enables the editor's content to alter in real-time as the user inputs.
7. How do I handle validation in a SwiftUI TextEditor?
8. To add custom validation, use the onChange modifier to notice changes in the TextEditor and update the view depending on specific rules, such as character limitations.
9. Is it possible to add padding inside a TextEditor?
10. Yes, you may use the padding() modifier to create spacing within the TextEditor, increasing text readability and layout.

Final Thoughts on Customizing TextEditor in SwiftUI

Achieving consistent styling across TextField and TextEditor in SwiftUI can be challenging, but possible using bespoke components. Using view modifiers like BaseTextEntryModifier helps developers retain visual consistency and facilitate future interface modifications.

Focusing on modularity and leveraging TextEditorStyle ensures reusable and easy-to-maintain code. These solutions not only improve the UI but also the entire user experience by providing responsive and adaptable text input fields.