Flex - Style with CSS

Flex supports the use of CSS syntax and styles to apply to its UI controls in the same way as CSS to HTML components.

Way # 1: Using External Style Sheet File

You can refer to a style sheet available in the class path of the application. For example consider Style.css file in com/howcodex/client folder where HelloWorld.mxml file also lies.

/* CSS file */
@namespace s "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark";
@namespace mx "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx";
...
.container {
   cornerRadius :10;
   horizontalCenter :0;	
   borderColor: #777777;
   verticalCenter:0;
   backgroundColor: #efefef;
}

Then css file can be referred by following code snippet

<fx:Style source = "/com/howcodex/client/Style.css" />

Assign styles to UI component using styleName property

<s:BorderContainer width = "500" height = "500" id = "mainContainer" 
   styleName = "container"> 
   ...
</s:BorderContainer>		  

Way # 2: Using Styles Within Ui Container Component

You can define styles within UI container component using <fx:Style> tag

Class Level Selector

<fx:Style>
   @namespace s "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark";
   @namespace mx "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx";

   /* class level selector  */
   .errorLabel {
      color: red;
   }		
</fx:Style>

Assign styles to UI component using styleName property.

<s:Label id = "errorMsg" text = "This is an error message" styleName = "errorLabel" />

Id Level Selector

Style UI component using id selector.

<fx:Style> 
   /* id level selector  */ 
   #msgLabel { 
      color: gray; 
   } 
</fx:Style>

<s:Label id = "msgLabel" text = "This is a normal message" /> 

Type Level Selector

Style one type of UI Component in one GO.

<fx:Style> 
   /* style applied on all buttons  */ 
   s|Button {  
      fontSize: 15; 
      color: #9933FF; 
   } 
</fx:Style>

<s:Button label = "Click Me!" id = "btnClickMe"
   click = "btnClickMe_clickHandler(event)" />

Flex Style with CSS Example

Let us follow the steps to check CSS styling of a Flex application by creating a test application −

Following is the content of the modified CSS file src/com.howcodex/Style.css.

/* CSS file */
@namespace s "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark";
@namespace mx "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx";

.heading
{
   fontFamily: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
   fontSize: 17px;
   color: #9b1204;
   textDecoration:none;
   fontWeight:normal;
}

.button {
   fontWeight: bold;			
}

.container {
   cornerRadius :10;
   horizontalCenter :0;	
   borderColor: #777777;
   verticalCenter:0;
   backgroundColor: #efefef;
}

Following is the content of the modified mxml file src/com.howcodex/HelloWorld.mxml.

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx = "http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
   xmlns:s = "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
   xmlns:mx = "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
   width = "100%" height = "100%" minWidth = "500" minHeight = "500"
   initialize = "application_initializeHandler(event)">
   
   <!--Add reference to style sheet -->
   <fx:Style source = "/com/howcodex/client/Style.css" />

   <!--Using styles within mxml file -->
   <fx:Style>
      @namespace s "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark";
      @namespace mx "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx";

      /* class level selector  */
      .errorLabel {
         color: red;
      }

      /* id level selector  */
      #msgLabel {
         color: gray;
      }

      /* style applied on all buttons  */
      s|Button {
         fontSize: 15;
         color: #9933FF;
      }
   </fx:Style>

   <fx:Script>
      <![CDATA[
         import mx.controls.Alert;
         import mx.events.FlexEvent;
         protected function btnClickMe_clickHandler(event:MouseEvent):void {
            Alert.show("Hello World!");
         }

         protected function application_initializeHandler(event:FlexEvent):void {
            lblHeader.text = "CSS Demonstrating Application";
         }
      ]]>
   </fx:Script>
   
   <s:BorderContainer width = "560" height = "500" id = "mainContainer"
      styleName = "container">
      <s:VGroup width = "100%" height = "100%" gap = "50"
         horizontalAlign = "center" verticalAlign = "middle">
         <s:Label width = "100%" id = "lblHeader" fontSize = "40"
            color = "0x777777" styleName = "heading" />
         <s:Button label = "Click Me!" id = "btnClickMe"
            click = "btnClickMe_clickHandler(event)"  />
         <s:Label id = "errorMsg"
            text = "This is an error message" styleName = "errorLabel" />
         <s:Label id = "msgLabel" text = "This is a normal message" />
      </s:VGroup>
   </s:BorderContainer>
</s:Application>

Once you are ready with all the changes done, let us compile and run the application in normal mode as we did in Flex - Create Application chapter. If everything is fine with your application, this will produce following result: [ Try it online ]