Setting the data tip offset in a Slider control in Flex

By Peter deHaan On May 9, 2008 · 10 Comments

The following example shows how you can control the data tip offset in a Flex HSlider control by setting the dataTipOffset style.

Full code after the jump.

View MXML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/05/09/setting-the-data-tip-offset-in-a-slider-control-in-flex/ -->
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="middle"
        backgroundColor="white">

    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            private function init():void {
                slider.value = slider.getStyle("dataTipOffset");
            }
        ]]>
    </mx:Script>

    <mx:Form>
        <mx:FormItem label="dataTipOffset:" direction="horizontal">
            <mx:HSlider id="slider"
                    minimum="-10"
                    maximum="30"
                    snapInterval="1"
                    tickInterval="5"
                    liveDragging="true"
                    dataTipOffset="{slider.value}"
                    dataTipPrecision="0"
                    showTrackHighlight="true"
                    initialize="init();" />
            <mx:Label text="{slider.value}" width="30" />
        </mx:FormItem>
    </mx:Form>

</mx:Application>

View source is enabled in the following example.

And due to popular demand, here is the “same” example, in ActionScript:

View MXML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- http://blog.flexexamples.com/2008/05/09/setting-the-data-tip-offset-in-a-slider-control-in-flex/ -->
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        xmlns:comps="comps.*"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="middle"
        backgroundColor="white">

    <comps:MySlider />

</mx:Application>

comps/MySlider.as

package comps {
    import mx.containers.Form;
    import mx.containers.FormItem;
    import mx.containers.FormItemDirection;
    import mx.controls.HSlider;
    import mx.controls.Label;
    import mx.events.SliderEvent;

    public class MySlider extends Form {
        public var slider:HSlider
        public var lbl:Label;
        public var formItem:FormItem;

        public function MySlider() {
            super();
            init();
        }

        private function init():void {
            slider = new HSlider();
            slider.minimum = -10;
            slider.maximum = 30;
            slider.value = slider.getStyle("dataTipOffset");
            slider.snapInterval = 1;
            slider.tickInterval = 5;
            slider.liveDragging = true;
            slider.setStyle("dataTipPrecision", 0);
            slider.setStyle("showTrackHighlight", true);
            slider.addEventListener(SliderEvent.CHANGE, slider_change);

            lbl = new Label();
            lbl.width = 30;

            formItem = new FormItem();
            formItem.label = "dataTipOffset:";
            formItem.direction = FormItemDirection.HORIZONTAL;
            formItem.addChild(slider);
            formItem.addChild(lbl);
            addChild(formItem);
        }

        private function slider_change(evt:SliderEvent):void {
            slider.setStyle("dataTipOffset", evt.value);
            lbl.text = evt.value.toString();
        }
    }
}

View source is enabled in the following example.

Tagged with: dataTipOffset

About The Author

Peter deHaan

Peter deHaan currently works for Adobe on the Flex SDK QA team. While not working on Flex, Flash, and ColdFusion applications, Peter enjoys making up bios and writing in 3rd person. Peter's rarely updated blog can be found at blogs.adobe.com/pdehaan/, actionscriptexamples.com, airexamples.com, and coldfusionexamples.com.

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10 Responses to Setting the data tip offset in a Slider control in Flex

Pierre says:

May 26, 2008 at 6:50 am

Hello,

Your example is very interesting. I add a function but i have no result. Can you help me please.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
        layout="vertical"
        verticalAlign="middle"
        backgroundColor="white">

    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[

        	import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;

            private function init():void {
               slider.value = slider.getStyle("dataTipOffset");
            }

           [Bindable]
			public var myAC:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection([
				{Year:"2004", Sales:8000, Cost:1300},
			]);

			public function get Net():Number {
				var a:Number =	myAC.getItemAt(0).Sales;
				var b:Number =	slider.value;
				return ( a - slider.value );
				}

        ]]>
    </mx:Script>

    <mx:Form>
        <mx:FormItem label="dataTipOffset:" direction="horizontal">
            <mx:HSlider id="slider"
                    minimum="100"
                    maximum="300"
                    snapInterval="100"
                    tickInterval="100"
                    liveDragging="true"
                    dataTipOffset="{slider.value}"
                    dataTipPrecision="0"
                    showTrackHighlight="true"
                    initialize="init();" />
            <mx:Label text="{slider.value}" width="80" />
            <mx:Label text="{Net}" width="80" />
        </mx:FormItem>
    </mx:Form>
</mx:Application>

peterd says:

May 26, 2008 at 11:00 pm

Pierre,

Instead of using bindings, I’d probably create a listener for the Slider control’s change event.

Something like the following:

<mx:Script>
    <![CDATA[
        import mx.events.SliderEvent;

        import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;

        private function init():void {
            slider.value = slider.getStyle("dataTipOffset");
        }

        [Bindable]
        public var myAC:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection([{Year:2004, Sales:8000, Cost:1300}]);

        public function get Net():Number {
            var a:Number = myAC.getItemAt(0).Sales;
            var b:Number = slider.value;
            return ( a - slider.value );
        }

        private function slider_change(evt:SliderEvent):void {
            lbl.text = Net.toString();
        }
    ]]>
</mx:Script>
...
<mx:FormItem label="dataTipOffset:" direction="horizontal">
    <mx:HSlider id="slider"
        minimum="100"
        maximum="300"
        snapInterval="100"
        tickInterval="100"
        liveDragging="true"
        dataTipOffset="{slider.value}"
        dataTipPrecision="0"
        showTrackHighlight="true"
        initialize="init();"
        change="slider_change(event);" />
    <mx:Label text="{slider.value}" width="80" />
    <mx:Label id="lbl" text="{Net}" width="80" />
</mx:FormItem>

Peter

Pierre says:

May 27, 2008 at 1:12 am

Hello Peter,

Thanks.

Taking the same example, i’m looking for to use mx:formatter.
How to have for the two labels, the formatter : $ ###,### with the precision 0:
I made the coode below but i have no result. Thank for your help

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute">
	<mx:Script>
    <![CDATA[
        import mx.events.SliderEvent;
        import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;

        private function init():void {
            slider.value = slider.getStyle("dataTipOffset");
        }

        [Bindable]
        public var myAC:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection([{Year:2004, Sales:8000, Cost:1300}]);

        public function get Net():Number {
            var a:Number = myAC.getItemAt(0).Sales;
            var b:Number = slider.value;
            return ( a - slider.value );
        }

        private function slider_change(evt:SliderEvent):void {
            lbl.text = Net.toString();
        }
    ]]>
</mx:Script>

<mx:NumberFormatter id="valDisplay"	thousandsSeparatorFrom="," precision="0"/>

<mx:FormItem label="dataTipOffset:" direction="horizontal">
    <mx:HSlider id="slider"
        minimum="100"
        maximum="300"
        snapInterval="100"
        tickInterval="100"
        liveDragging="true"
        dataTipOffset="{slider.value}"
        dataTipPrecision="0"
        showTrackHighlight="true"
        initialize="init();"
        change="slider_change(event);" />
    <mx:Label text="{slider.value}" width="80" />
    <mx:Label id="lbl" text="$ {valDisplay.format(Net)}" width="80" />
</mx:FormItem>

</mx:Application>

Best Regards

peterd says:

May 27, 2008 at 1:25 am

Pierre,

Change the <mx:NumberFormatter /> to <mx:CurrencyFormatter />, and then change the slider_change() method to the following:
```
private function slider_change(evt:SliderEvent):void {
    lbl.text = valDisplay.format(Net);
}
```
Peter

Reply
Pierre says:

May 27, 2008 at 2:10 am

Hello Peter

Wow, a million thanks Peter, that’s the fastest response I’ve got so far.

Reply

Pierre says:

June 5, 2008 at 5:36 am

Hello Peter,

Looking for the last modified script:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute"
				xmlns:component="comps.*">
<mx:Script>
    <![CDATA[
        import mx.events.SliderEvent;
        import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;

        private function init():void {
            slider.value = slider.getStyle("dataTipOffset");
        }

        [Bindable]
        public var myAC:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection([{Year:2004, Sales:8000, Cost:1300}]);

        public function get Net():Number {
            var a:Number = myAC.getItemAt(0).Sales;
            var b:Number = slider.value;
            return ( a - slider.value );
        }

        private function slider_change(evt:SliderEvent):void {
            //lbl.text = Net.toString();
            lbl.text = valDisplay.format(Net);
        }
    ]]>
</mx:Script>

<mx:NumberFormatter id="valDisplay"	thousandsSeparatorFrom="," precision="0"/>

<mx:FormItem label="dataTipOffset:" direction="horizontal">
    <mx:HSlider id="slider"
        minimum="100"
        maximum="300"
        snapInterval="100"
        tickInterval="100"
        liveDragging="true"
        dataTipOffset="{slider.value}"
        dataTipPrecision="0"
        showTrackHighlight="true"
        initialize="init();"
        change="slider_change(event);" />
    <mx:Label text="{slider.value}" width="80" />
</mx:FormItem>

<mx:Label id="lbl" x="400" text="$ {valDisplay.format(Net)}" width="80" />

</mx:Application>

I add xmlns:component=”comps.*” in order to have TWO components. The first one which contain the “formItem” and the second one the “label”. I have passed many time to try, but i don’t found the solution.
Can you help me Please.

Pierre says:

June 6, 2008 at 7:10 am

Hello,

Sorry, it’s me against. I write the two coponents, but i allways don’t find the solution. If you can help me it will be great.

main.mxml
——————————————————————

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute" xmlns:component="comps.*">
<mx:Script>
    <![CDATA[
        import mx.events.SliderEvent;
        import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;

        var aRs1:Number = 10;
	var aRs2:Number = 40;

	private function init():void {
            slider.value = slider.getStyle("dataTipOffset");
        }

        [Bindable]
        public var myAC:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection([{Year:2004, Sales:8000, Cost:1300}]);

        public function get Net():Number {
            var a:Number = myAC.getItemAt(0).Sales;
            return ( a - slider.value );
        }

        private function slider_change(evt:SliderEvent):void {
            lbl.text = valDisplay.format(Net);
        }
    ]]>
</mx:Script>

<mx:NumberFormatter id="valDisplay"	thousandsSeparatorFrom="," precision="0"/>

<component:AA x="10" 	y="20"/>
<component:BB x="110" 	y="20"/>

</mx:Application>

COMPONENT AA.mxml
——————————————————————

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Canvas xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" width="400" height="30">
	<mx:FormItem label="dataTipOffset:" direction="horizontal">
    	<mx:HSlider id="slider"
     	   	minimum="100"
     	   	maximum="300"
      	  	snapInterval="100"
       	 	tickInterval="100"
       	 	liveDragging="true"
        	dataTipOffset="{slider.value}"
        	dataTipPrecision="0"
        	showTrackHighlight="true"
        	initialize="init();"
        	change="slider_change(event);" />
	</mx:FormItem>
	<mx:Label text="{slider.value}" width="80" />
</mx:Canvas>

COMPONENT BB.mxml
——————————————————————

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Canvas xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" width="80" >
	<mx:Label id="lbl" text="$ {valDisplay.format(Net)}" />
	<mx:Label          text="{aRs1}" />
	<mx:Label          text="{aRs2}" />
</mx:Canvas>

Brandon says:

August 5, 2008 at 10:07 am

How about making datatips permanently visible? Have you had any luck trying that? I’d love to see how you do it – ’cause I’m at a dead-end.

Thanks!

B

Reply
Cesar says:

September 29, 2010 at 9:23 am

Is it possible to control the slider thumb position programatically, when we have two sliders? I tried modifying the HSlider.values property, but the thumbs do not pick up the data change. Maybe I am doing something wrong?

Reply
Amit Tamse says:

November 27, 2011 at 6:31 am

Is there any way to continously show the dataTip of the Slider when the value is increasing??

I tried a lot of things such as dispatching the thumbPress event after every valueCommit event is dispatched but was not able to display it continously.

Reply