Performance 🚀 #

• ⚡ 75% Faster Keyboard Opening: Dramatically improved keyboard response time
  • Animation Duration: Reduced from 300ms to 150ms (50% faster)
  • Setup Process: Eliminated 50ms keyboard type setup delay (now immediate)
  • System Integration: Reduced system keyboard hiding delay from 50ms to 25ms
  • Scroll Response: Reduced scroll delay from 300ms to 50ms (83% faster)
  • Focus Animation: Reduced from 200ms to 100ms (50% faster)
  • Total Response Time: Improved from ~700ms to ~175ms
• 🎯 Enhanced Animation Curves: More responsive Curves.easeOutQuart for snappier feel
• ⚙️ Parallel Processing: Keyboard setup, animations, and scrolling now run concurrently
• 📱 Better User Experience: Keyboard feels as responsive as system keyboard

Technical Improvements #

• Optimized Focus Handling: Immediate keyboard display without unnecessary delays
• Streamlined Animation Controllers: Faster, more efficient animation management
• Improved State Management: Better coordination between keyboard state and UI updates
• Enhanced Process Flow: Eliminated bottlenecks in keyboard initialization sequence

Backwards Compatibility #

• ✅ Zero Breaking Changes: All existing code works unchanged
• ✅ Automatic Benefits: All implementations get performance improvements instantly
• ✅ Preserved Functionality: All features, animations, and behaviors maintained
• ✅ Same APIs: No changes to public interfaces or usage patterns

Performance Metrics #

• Time to Keyboard Visible: 700ms → 175ms (75% improvement)
• Animation Completion: 300ms → 150ms (50% improvement)
• Focus Response: 200ms → 100ms (50% improvement)
• User Perceived Responsiveness: Significantly improved across all interactions

Breaking Changes #

• None (performance optimizations only)

Migration Notes #

• No Migration Required: All improvements are automatic and backwards compatible
• Immediate Benefits: Simply update to v1.1.1 to get 75% faster keyboard performance
• Enhanced Experience: Users will notice immediate responsiveness improvements

Added #

• 🎯 Input Formatter Support: Complete implementation of Flutter TextInputFormatter support
  • Added inputFormatters parameter to CustomTextField for validation and filtering
  • Added inputFormatters parameter to AdaptiveTextField for enhanced form control
  • Full compatibility with all standard Flutter input formatters:
    • FilteringTextInputFormatter.allow() and FilteringTextInputFormatter.deny()
    • LengthLimitingTextInputFormatter for character limits
    • MaskTextInputFormatter and other third-party formatters
    • Custom formatters implementing TextInputFormatter interface
• 📝 Enhanced Widget APIs: Extended widget APIs for better form integration
  • Added decoration parameter to CustomTextField for flexible styling
  • Enhanced AdaptiveTextField with comprehensive formatter support
  • Updated all example apps to demonstrate formatter usage

Fixed #

• 🔧 Critical Input Rejection Bug: Fixed text field clearing when restricted characters are entered
  • Root Cause: FilteringTextInputFormatter returns empty string "" for rejected input
  • Solution: Added intelligent rejection detection with multiple pattern matching:
    • Pattern 1: Detects empty string returns from filtering formatters
    • Pattern 2: Detects unchanged old value returns from limiting formatters
    • Pattern 3: Handles combined formatter scenarios
  • Behavior: Invalid characters are now properly ignored instead of clearing the field
  • Impact: Numbers-only fields no longer clear when typing letters or symbols

Enhanced #

• 🎮 Keyboard Manager API: Extended KeyboardManager with formatter support
  • Updated setCurrentControllerWithType() to accept optional input formatters
  • Enhanced _handleTextInput() and _handleBackspace() with rejection detection
  • Added proper cleanup of formatter references in controller lifecycle
• 📱 Smart Type Detection: Improved automatic keyboard type selection
  • Enhanced test form with dynamic formatter assignment based on input type
  • Added helper methods for getting appropriate formatters per input type
  • Updated example usage with real-world formatting scenarios

Technical Improvements #

• 🧪 Comprehensive Testing: Added extensive test coverage for formatter functionality
  • Created debug tests to verify FilteringTextInputFormatter behavior patterns
  • Added rejection detection verification tests with multiple formatter scenarios
  • Implemented integration tests demonstrating fix effectiveness
• 📚 Documentation: Enhanced documentation with formatter usage examples
  • Created INPUT_FORMATTER_FIX.md with detailed technical explanation
  • Updated example apps with practical formatter demonstrations
  • Added test applications for manual verification of fix

User Experience #

• ✅ Predictable Behavior: Input formatters now work exactly like system keyboard
  • Typing restricted characters: Simply ignored (no action)
  • Exceeding length limits: Additional characters ignored (no clearing)
  • Invalid patterns: Field content remains stable and unchanged
• 🔄 Seamless Integration: Zero migration required for existing implementations
  • All existing code automatically benefits from the formatter fix
  • New formatter parameters are optional and backwards compatible
  • Enhanced functionality available through simple parameter addition

Usage Examples #

// Numbers only with length limit
CustomTextField(
  controller: controller,
  keyboardType: TextInputType.number,
  inputFormatters: [
    FilteringTextInputFormatter.allow(RegExp(r'^[0-9]*$')),
    LengthLimitingTextInputFormatter(10),
  ],
)

// Decimal numbers with precision control
CustomTextField(
  controller: controller,
  keyboardType: TextInputType.numberWithOptions(decimal: true),
  inputFormatters: [
    FilteringTextInputFormatter.allow(RegExp(r'^\d+\.?\d{0,2}$')),
  ],
)

// Email with character filtering
CustomTextField(
  controller: controller,
  keyboardType: TextInputType.emailAddress,
  inputFormatters: [
    FilteringTextInputFormatter.allow(RegExp(r'^[a-zA-Z0-9@._-]*$')),
    LengthLimitingTextInputFormatter(50),
  ],
)

Breaking Changes #

• None (fully backward compatible)

Migration Notes #

• Automatic Benefits: All existing implementations automatically receive the input rejection fix
• Optional Enhancement: Add inputFormatters parameter to widgets for validation/filtering
• Zero Breaking Changes: All existing APIs remain unchanged and fully functional

Enhanced #

• Version Alignment: Updated package version for consistency with latest feature set
• Release Preparation: Prepared package for publication with comprehensive feature set

Stability #

• Production Ready: All features tested and validated for production use
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Verified functionality across Android, iOS, and web platforms
• Performance Optimization: Confirmed no performance regressions in latest build

Documentation #

• Complete Coverage: All new features documented in changelog and code comments
• Usage Examples: Updated examples demonstrate global setup and per-screen configurations
• Migration Guide: Clear guidance for upgrading from previous versions

Quality Assurance #

• Layout Testing: Verified resolution of all layout constraint issues
• Integration Testing: Confirmed global KeyboardScaffold works across complex app architectures
• Edge Case Handling: Tested behavior with various scroll configurations and widget hierarchies

Breaking Changes #

• None (fully backward compatible)

Fixed #

• Layout Constraints: Fixed RenderFlex overflow errors and infinite height constraint issues
• Global Architecture: Resolved layout conflicts when using KeyboardScaffold globally in MaterialApp builder
• Scroll Integration: Fixed auto-scroll functionality to work with individual screen ScrollViews

Enhanced #

• Global Setup Support: KeyboardScaffold can now be applied globally in MaterialApp builder for app-wide functionality
• Flexible Scrolling: Redesigned scroll architecture to work with existing ScrollViews in screens
• Layout Compatibility: Improved compatibility with complex widget hierarchies and nested layouts

Technical Improvements #

• Architecture Redesign: Removed internal ScrollController from KeyboardScaffold
• Dynamic Scroll Detection: Uses Scrollable.maybeOf(context) to find existing scroll widgets
• Layout Optimization: Simplified widget tree structure to prevent constraint conflicts
• Widget Integration: Better integration with existing app architectures

User Experience #

• Seamless Global Setup: Configure once in MyApp, works across all screens automatically
• Natural Scrolling: Works with existing screen scroll behavior without conflicts
• Consistent Behavior: Same keyboard functionality across entire app with one setup

Migration #

• Global Setup: Recommended pattern now uses MaterialApp builder for app-wide keyboard support
• Per-Screen Setup: Still supported for apps requiring selective keyboard functionality
• Backward Compatibility: All existing implementations continue to work unchanged

Breaking Changes #

• None (fully backward compatible)

Fixed #

• Auto-Scroll Optimization: Completely redesigned scroll behavior to eliminate excessive scrolling when keyboard opens
• Precise Field Positioning: Input fields now position exactly at keyboard edge with minimal movement
• Enhanced Keyboard Dismissal: Improved tap-outside-to-dismiss responsiveness with instant feedback
• Android Back Button Handling: Fixed app closing when back button pressed with keyboard open

Enhanced #

• Smart Scroll Logic: New algorithm calculates exact scroll amount needed without additional buffers
  • Removed all unnecessary spacing calculations (reduced from 50px total buffer to 0px)
  • Fields position precisely at keyboard boundary for optimal space usage
  • Eliminated over-scrolling that pushed fields too far above keyboard
• Ultra-Responsive Dismissal: Enhanced tap-outside-to-dismiss functionality
  • Added onTapDown callback for immediate keyboard dismissal on touch start
  • Changed to HitTestBehavior.opaque for better tap detection coverage
  • Added keyboard visibility state checking for smarter gesture handling
  • Keyboard now starts closing instantly when user touches outside area
• Natural Scrolling Experience: Auto-scroll now behaves like system keyboards
  • Minimal movement to position focused field just above keyboard
  • No excessive screen jumping or unnecessary spacing
  • Smooth positioning that feels natural and responsive
• Android Back Button Integration: Implemented smart back button handling
  • Back button closes keyboard when open instead of exiting app
  • Maintains normal navigation behavior when keyboard is closed
  • Follows standard Android UX patterns for keyboard dismissal

Technical Improvements #

• Scroll Algorithm: Simplified calculation logic for precise field positioning

  final targetFieldBottom = screenHeight - keyboardHeight;
  final scrollAmount = currentFieldBottom - targetFieldBottom;
  

• Gesture Handling: Enhanced tap detection with dual callback system
  • onTapDown: Immediate response for ultra-fast feedback
  • onTap: Backup handling for reliability
• State Management: Added keyboard visibility checks to prevent unnecessary processing
• Navigation Control: Implemented PopScope wrapper for back button interception
  • canPop: !_keyboardVisible prevents navigation when keyboard is open
  • onPopInvoked callback handles keyboard dismissal on back press
  • Smart focus management and controller cleanup on dismissal

User Experience #

• Minimal Scrolling: Fields now position with just enough movement to clear keyboard
• Instant Dismissal: Keyboard responds immediately to tap-outside gestures
• Natural Feel: Scrolling behavior matches user expectations from system keyboards
• Precise Positioning: No wasted space above keyboard, optimal screen real estate usage
• Standard Android Behavior: Back button now follows platform conventions
  • First press closes keyboard, second press exits app
  • No accidental app exits when trying to dismiss keyboard

Validation #

• Cross-Platform Testing: Verified improved scroll behavior on Android and iOS
• Responsiveness Testing: Confirmed instant keyboard dismissal across all devices
• Positioning Accuracy: Validated precise field placement at keyboard boundary
• Performance: No regression in typing performance or animation smoothness
• Navigation Testing: Confirmed proper back button behavior on Android devices
  • Keyboard dismissal works correctly with back button
  • Normal app navigation preserved when keyboard is closed

Breaking Changes #

• None (fully backward compatible)

Fixed #

• Critical Gesture Handling: Fixed backspace key only responding to long press instead of single tap
• Enter Key Responsiveness: Improved Enter/Cancel key single tap detection for reliable keyboard dismissal
• TextFormField Integration: Enhanced compatibility with standard Flutter TextFormField widgets
• Clear Button Conflicts: Resolved gesture conflicts between TextFormField suffix icons and custom keyboard
• Cursor Visibility: Fixed missing text cursor in TextFormField when using custom keyboard

Enhanced #

• Gesture Detection: Completely redesigned key gesture handling for better responsiveness
  • Added handleGestures parameter to CustomKey for flexible gesture management
  • Implemented proper gesture delegation for backspace key with parent-child coordination
  • Enhanced HitTestBehavior configuration for reliable tap detection across all keys
• TextFormField Support: Full compatibility with Flutter's standard TextFormField
  • Added useCustomKeyboard flag for seamless switching between custom and system keyboards
  • Proper focus management with conditional readOnly and enableInteractiveSelection handling
  • Dynamic suffix icon support (clear buttons) without gesture conflicts
• Visual Feedback: Improved key press animations and visual states
  • Maintained haptic feedback and press animations even with parent gesture handling
  • Enhanced button press states with proper color transitions and shadows
  • Added showCursor: true support for proper text editing experience

Technical Improvements #

• Architecture: Separated visual feedback from action execution in key components
  • Created reusable _buildKeyContent() method for consistent key rendering
  • Implemented conditional gesture handling based on parent-child relationships
  • Enhanced CustomKey widget with configurable gesture behavior
• State Management: Improved focus and controller management
  • Added proper focus node lifecycle management with setup and disposal
  • Enhanced controller listeners for dynamic UI updates (clear button visibility)
  • Implemented smart keyboard dismissal with tap-outside-to-dismiss functionality
• Code Quality: Better separation of concerns and maintainability
  • Cleaner gesture detector hierarchy with proper behavior flags
  • Enhanced method organization with logical separation of visual and functional code
  • Improved error handling and edge case management

User Experience #

• Reliable Input: All keyboard keys now respond consistently to single taps
• Seamless Integration: TextFormField works exactly like standard Flutter components
• Smart Interactions: Intelligent gesture handling prevents conflicts between UI elements
• Visual Polish: Smooth animations and proper visual states across all interactions
• Accessibility: Enhanced touch targets and proper gesture recognition

Developer Experience #

• Flexible Integration: Easy switching between custom and system keyboards with simple flag
• Standard APIs: Full compatibility with Flutter's form validation and text editing patterns
• Documentation: Enhanced example implementations showing TextFormField integration
• Debugging: Better gesture handling makes touch interactions more predictable

Validation #

• Cross-Platform Testing: Verified gesture improvements on both Android and iOS
• Form Integration: Tested with complex forms containing multiple TextFormField widgets
• Edge Cases: Validated proper behavior with various suffix/prefix icon configurations
• Performance: Confirmed no regression in typing performance or animation smoothness

Breaking Changes #

• None (fully backward compatible)

Migration Notes #

• Existing CustomTextField implementations continue to work unchanged
• New TextFormField integration is opt-in with useCustomKeyboard flag
• No API changes to existing keyboard functionality

Enhanced #

• Landscape Mode Optimization: Complete redesign of keyboard behavior in landscape orientation
• Compact Design: Keyboard now uses 35% of screen height instead of 50% in landscape mode
• Visual Scaling: Added intelligent height-only scaling (scaleY: 0.8) to maintain full width coverage
• Responsive Sizing: Ultra-compact 25px key height for landscape mode (down from 42px)
• Zero Padding: Removed all horizontal and vertical padding in landscape for maximum space efficiency
• Smart Scrolling: Optimized auto-scroll behavior to position focused fields just above keyboard with minimal movement

Fixed #

• Tablet Detection: Improved landscape detection using MediaQuery.orientation instead of size comparison
• Device Classification: Fixed tablet detection using shortestSide > 600 for more reliable cross-device compatibility
• Layout Consistency: Resolved width scaling issues that caused keyboards to appear narrower than screen width
• Border Radius Matching: Added consistent 16px rounded corners to bottom modal sheet
• Scroll Behavior: Fixed excessive scrolling by implementing smart field coverage detection (>50% threshold)
• Static Analysis: Resolved deprecated withOpacity warnings and removed debug print statements

Technical #

• Transform Optimization: Implemented separate X/Y scaling (scaleX: 1.0, scaleY: 0.8) for landscape mode
• Alignment Control: Added Alignment.bottomCenter to maintain proper keyboard positioning
• Cross-File Consistency: Updated tablet detection logic across all scaffold files for unified behavior
• Performance: Maintained typing performance while adding landscape optimizations
• Scroll Algorithm: Reduced buffer from 150px to 50px total with intelligent field coverage detection
• Animation Tuning: Faster scroll animations (200ms) with smoother easeOut curve

User Experience #

• Android-like Behavior: Landscape keyboard now behaves similarly to default Android keyboard
• Screen Real Estate: Significantly more content visible in landscape mode
• Visual Polish: Seamless rounded corners between modal sheet and keyboard container
• Responsive Design: Automatic adaptation between portrait and landscape orientations
• Natural Scrolling: Focused text fields now appear with comfortable spacing above keyboard
• Reduced Motion: Eliminated excessive screen movement when keyboard appears

Validation #

• Mobile Testing: Verified compact landscape behavior on Android devices
• Orientation Switching: Confirmed smooth transitions between portrait and landscape modes
• Cross-Device: Tested tablet detection accuracy across different screen sizes
• Visual Consistency: Validated matching design elements and corner radius alignment

Fixed #

• Critical Layout Bug: Fixed keyboard not updating visually when switching between QWERTY, numeric, and symbol layouts
• State Management: Resolved issue where layout data was cached outside AnimatedBuilder preventing UI updates
• Layout Switching Logic: Ensured proper keyboard rebuilding when tapping 123, !@#, and ABC keys

Enhanced #

• Debug Support: Added comprehensive debug logging for layout switching operations
• Error Tracking: Improved debugging capabilities for layout state changes
• Development Tools: Enhanced development experience with better error reporting

Technical #

• Widget Lifecycle: Moved layout data retrieval inside AnimatedBuilder for proper state updates
• Performance: Optimized layout switching without affecting typing performance
• State Synchronization: Improved synchronization between keyboard state and visual representation

Validation #

• Layout Testing: Verified all three keyboard layouts (QWERTY → Numeric → Symbols) switch correctly
• User Experience: Confirmed smooth transitions between different input modes
• Production Ready: Thoroughly tested layout switching in production-like scenarios

Breaking Changes #

• None (backward compatible)

Migration Notes #

• No migration required - all changes are internal improvements
• Existing implementations will automatically benefit from the fixes

Fixed #

• Layout Switching: Fixed critical bug where number and symbol keyboards weren't displaying after tapping layout switch keys (123, !@#, ABC)
• UI Refresh: Fixed keyboard not rebuilding when layout state changes by moving layout data retrieval inside AnimatedBuilder
• Backspace Long Press: Improved continuous backspace deletion with proper gesture handling and faster repeat rate (50ms intervals)

Improved #

• Ultra-Fast Response: Optimized key tap responsiveness for instant character input
  • Moved text input to onTapDown for zero-delay typing experience
  • Reduced animation durations (80ms → 40ms) for faster visual feedback
  • Streamlined haptic feedback for better performance
• Code Quality: Significant improvements to code structure and documentation
  • Fixed 43 → 39 static analysis issues
  • Added comprehensive dartdoc comments to all public APIs
  • Improved import structure using proper package imports
  • Enhanced example app with publish_to: none configuration

Performance #

• Memory Optimization: Cleaned up unused animation controllers and variables
• Widget Building: Optimized layout caching and reduced unnecessary rebuilds
• State Management: Improved keyboard state updates with synchronous processing
• Gesture Detection: Enhanced long press detection for backspace functionality

Documentation #

• API Documentation: Added detailed dartdoc comments for better developer experience
• Library Documentation: Comprehensive library-level documentation with usage examples
• Troubleshooting: Enhanced README with better examples and debugging guides

Added #

• 🎉 Initial release of Flutter Custom Keyboard package
• ⌨️ Complete custom keyboard widget with QWERTY, numeric, and symbols layouts
• 🎨 Modern UI design with gradients, shadows, and rounded corners
• ⚡ Multi-layer animations including scale, ripple, flash, and glow effects
• 📱 Cross-platform support for Android and iOS
• 💫 Haptic feedback with different patterns for different key types
• 🔄 Smart state management for shift/caps lock functionality
• 📏 Responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes
• 🎯 Easy integration with drop-in CustomTextField widget
• 📦 KeyboardScaffold for global keyboard management
• 🔒 Automatic input focus and scrolling management
• ✨ Visual feedback with instant response to key presses
• 🎮 Programmatic keyboard control via KeyboardManager
• 📖 Comprehensive documentation and examples
• 🧪 Example app demonstrating all features

Features #

• Keyboard Layouts:

  • QWERTY layout with full alphabet support
  • Numeric layout with number pad
  • Symbols layout with special characters and punctuation
  • Easy switching between layouts with dedicated keys

• Visual Effects:

  • Scale animation on key press
  • Ripple effect expanding from tap point
  • Flash animation for instant visual feedback
  • Glow effect for special keys (Enter, Backspace, Shift)
  • Dynamic elevation changes during interaction
  • Modern gradient backgrounds and shadows

• User Experience:

  • Haptic feedback with contextual vibration patterns
  • Smooth keyboard slide-in/out animations
  • Automatic scrolling to keep focused fields visible
  • Smart focus management between multiple text fields
  • System keyboard suppression to prevent conflicts

• Developer Experience:

  • Simple drop-in replacement for TextField
  • Minimal setup with KeyboardScaffold wrapper
  • Flexible CustomKeyboard widget for advanced usage
  • Comprehensive API with KeyboardManager
  • TypeScript-like API documentation
  • Rich example app with multiple use cases

• Technical:

  • Built with Flutter 3.10.0+ and Dart 3.0.0+
  • Uses TickerProviderStateMixin for smooth animations
  • Proper memory management with dispose methods
  • Cross-platform haptic feedback implementation
  • Optimized for performance with efficient state management

API Reference #

• KeyboardScaffold: Main wrapper widget for global keyboard functionality
• CustomTextField: Drop-in TextField replacement with keyboard integration
• CustomKeyboard: Core keyboard widget for advanced usage
• KeyboardManager: Static class for programmatic keyboard control
• KeyboardStateManager: State management for keyboard layouts and modes
• KeyboardLayouts: Predefined layout configurations
• KeyData: Individual key configuration model

Documentation #

• Comprehensive README.md with installation and usage guide
• API documentation with detailed property descriptions
• Multiple usage examples from basic to advanced
• Troubleshooting guide for common issues
• Platform-specific feature compatibility table
• Contributing guidelines and development setup

Known Issues #

• None reported in initial release

Breaking Changes #

• None (initial release)

---

Release Notes #

What's New in 1.0.0 #

This is the initial stable release of Flutter Custom Keyboard, providing a complete solution for custom keyboard implementation in Flutter applications.

Key Highlights:

• ✅ Production Ready: Thoroughly tested and optimized for performance
• ✅ Easy Integration: Drop-in replacement for standard TextField widgets
• ✅ Beautiful Design: Modern Material Design with smooth animations
• ✅ Cross-Platform: Works seamlessly on both Android and iOS
• ✅ Developer Friendly: Comprehensive documentation and examples

Perfect For:

• Login and registration forms
• Search functionality
• Chat applications
• Data entry forms
• Any app requiring custom text input

Get Started:

dependencies:
  flutter_custom_keyboard: ^1.0.0

We're excited to see what you build with Flutter Custom Keyboard! 🚀