Hi everyone. I’d like to get your opinion on the <current tooltips API> vs. an API where you would p...

# compose-desktop

[Alexander Maryanovsky]

Hi everyone. I’d like to get your opinion on the current tooltips API vs. an API where you would provide a TooltipHost (similar to SnackbarHost) somewhere near the root of the window, and then use Modifier.tooltip(String) or Modifier.tooltip(@Composable () -> Unit) to specify the tooltip on elements.

[Greg Steckman]

Material3 has a TooltipBox - I'd prefer to see harmonization of the API so they can be used from Common code and behave in an expected way on every supported platform. I have less of a preference between using it with Modifers vs the way currently implemented. The last time I tried RichTooltipBox on Desktop it didn't do anything, I believe because it only responds to long presses, e.g. on a mobile device, and not mouse events. Is ToolTipArea going to be available from Common code also?

[Alexander Maryanovsky]

It’s more likely that TooltipBox will be commonized, rather than TooltipArea.

But the reason I’m asking is that I personally find it inconvenient to have to wrap each widget in another box/area just to add a tooltip to it. So I want to understand whether others shared this.

[Alexander Maryanovsky]

But I guess everyone’s on their xmas vacation.

[Greg Steckman]

I see your point, the Modifier approach is more compact, but if it is Desktop only then that will limit its use to Desktop-only applications.

[Alexander Maryanovsky]

Whatever the eventual stable API there will be, it will be commonized, you don’t need to worry about that.

[Michael Paus]

I also feel that the current TooltipArea approach is somewhat cumbersome but, as others have said already, the most annoying aspect is that it is currently not cross-platform.