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UI.Card

luastra/ui
UI.Card(input: Input): Node

Creates a themed surface for grouping related content, with consistent padding, border, elevation, inherited colors, and optional motion. It is a layout container rather than a playing-card animation primitive.

Mental model

This is a declarative node: app.render describes it again from current state, while the host matches its stable id to the existing view.

Before you use it

Add luastra/ui to this module's dependencies in luastra.json, then import it with require("luastra/ui"). The project must declare the ui.render capability. app.render must return one UI.Screen root; place this node inside that tree rather than invoking it for a hidden side effect.

How it fits

The constructor validates its fields immediately and returns a UI.Node. After app.render returns, the host reconciles that node by stable id with the current semantic DOM-based interface. Current desktop and mobile hosts package the same web artifact; native adapters are used at capability boundaries.

When to use it

Use UI.Card to visually group one concept such as a result, article preview, or setting. Use FlipCard for two-sided reveals and plain Column when no surface treatment is needed.

Shared parameter groups

layoutsurfacemotionsemantic

Parameters

ParameterType / valuesDescription
idlowercase path, requiredUnique ID.
childrenUI.Node[]Content of one visual card.
gapnone | xs | sm | md | lg | xlSpace between children. Group: Layout and surfaces.
paddingnone | xs | sm | md | lg | xl | responsiveAll-side inner spacing; responsive is supported only by padding. Group: Layout and surfaces.
marginnone | xs | sm | md | lg | xlAll-side outer spacing. Group: Layout and surfaces.
paddingX / paddingYnone | xs | sm | md | lg | xlAxis-specific inner spacing. Group: Layout and surfaces.
paddingTop / paddingBottom / paddingStart / paddingEndnone | xs | sm | md | lg | xlLogical side-specific inner spacing. Group: Layout and surfaces.
marginX / marginYnone | xs | sm | md | lg | xlAxis-specific outer spacing. Group: Layout and surfaces.
marginTop / marginBottom / marginStart / marginEndnone | xs | sm | md | lg | xlLogical side-specific outer spacing. Group: Layout and surfaces.
surfaceplain | card | elevated | accentBackground, border, and elevation. Group: Layout and surfaces.
widthfull | content | wideAvailable width, 720 px maximum, or 1180 px maximum. Group: Layout and surfaces.
alignstart | center | end | stretch | betweenCross-axis alignment. Group: Layout and surfaces.
justifystart | center | end | betweenMain-axis alignment. Group: Layout and surfaces.
flowwrap | nowrapFlex wrapping. Group: Layout and surfaces.
responsivebooleanNarrow-screen adaptation. Group: Layout and surfaces.
classNamesafe string ≤ 256 bytesAdditional admitted class tokens. Group: Layout and surfaces.
tonemuted | error | successSemantic text tone. Group: State and semantics.
appearanceprimary | secondary | danger | ghostAction appearance. Group: State and semantics.
variantbody | subheading | heading | titleBody text or h3, h2, and h1 heading semantics. Group: State and semantics.
rolealert | group | statusSupported ARIA role. Group: State and semantics.
labelstringAccessible name. Group: State and semantics.
hiddenbooleanVisibility state. Group: State and semantics.
disabledbooleanDisabled state. Group: State and semantics.
busybooleanaria-busy state. Group: State and semantics.
requiredbooleanRequired input state. Group: State and semantics.
errorIdcomponent idAssociates a visible role=alert. Group: State and semantics.
textColortoken | #RRGGBBLocal or inherited foreground. Group: Text and local colors.
backgroundColortoken | #RRGGBBComponent-box background. Group: Text and local colors.
Color tokensaccent | danger | muted | surface | success | text | transparent | warningCurrent Screen theme colors. Group: Text and local colors.
motion{ [property]: Tween | Sequence }Opacity, rotation, scale, and translation channels. Group: Events and motion.

Children and layout

Content of one visual card.

Accessibility and keyboard

A stable id, logical render-tree order, and visible labels preserve predictable keyboard and screen-reader navigation.

Common mistakes

  • Using a duplicate id or an uppercase path segment.
  • Passing a shared-group parameter that is not listed on this component page.

Returns

Node — a validated declarative UI node that becomes part of the next host-neutral render tree.

What happens next

A validated declarative node appears after it is returned as part of the current render tree.

Failures and fixes

Invalid fields, duplicate IDs, unsupported child combinations, or a missing ui.render capability fail during check, render-tree validation, or host startup.

Availability

Source API in 0.5.0-alpha; the public installer targets 0.5.0-alpha. Verify host-specific behavior against the selected SDK.

Focused example

UI.Card {
    id = "result/card",
    width = "full",
    surface = "elevated",
    padding = "lg",
    gap = "sm",
    UI.Text { id = "result/title", text = "Result", variant = "heading" },
    UI.Text { id = "result/value", text = "42" },
}

Continue learning

Prerequisites

UI.FlipCard

Companions

UI.LayerUI.Shape

Next steps

UI.Image

Complete inventory

View all pages in Interface components
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