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UI.Modal

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

Creates an accessible dialog above the current screen, moves focus to an optional declared child, relates visible descriptive text, traps navigation, and restores the originating focus after dismissal.

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.Modal for short blocking decisions or focused information that must be handled before returning to the page. Declare initialFocus and descriptionId when the default focus order or label needs explicit relationships.

Shared parameter groups

modalsemantic

Parameters

ParameterType / valuesDescription
idlowercase path, requiredUnique dialog ID.
openboolean, requiredShows or hides the modal.
labelstring, requiredAccessible dialog name.
initialFocuscomponent ID?Optional focusable descendant to focus after insertion.
descriptionIdcomponent ID?Optional visible descriptive descendant.
childrenUI.Node[]Heading, content, and close action.
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.
classNamesafe string ≤ 256 bytesAdditional admitted class tokens. Group: Layout and surfaces.
hiddenbooleanVisibility state. Group: State and semantics.
busybooleanaria-busy state. 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.
onDismissaction stringModal dismissal action. Group: Events and motion.
motion{ [property]: Tween | Sequence }Opacity, rotation, scale, and translation channels. Group: Events and motion.

Children and layout

Heading, content, and close action.

Accessibility and keyboard

The host traps focus inside the open dialog, Escape invokes onDismiss, and closing restores focus to the trigger.

Common mistakes

  • Removing the close button and relying only on Escape.
  • Rendering interactive content outside and above an open modal.

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.Modal {
    id = "help/modal",
    open = helpOpen,
    label = "Help",
    onDismiss = "help.close",
    UI.Text { id = "help/title", text = "Help", variant = "heading" },
    UI.Button { id = "help/close", text = "Close", onTap = "help.close" },
}

Continue learning

Prerequisites

UI.Button

Companions

UI.LinkUI.ActionsUI.Field

Complete inventory

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