Control the tick marks in BarLegend

Question

Consider a BarLegend showing a smooth gradient, like this one:

SeedRandom[36]
data = RandomReal[{-0.5, 1}, 10]

BarLegend[{"SolarColors", MinMax[data]}]

I would like to have two extra tick marks showing the actual minimal and maximal values.

MinMax[data]
(* {-0.289979, 0.789597} *)

Is there a simple way to do this using BarLegend?

---

I guess I could just use a DensityPlot instead. Here's an example, with the CustomTicks package. But this is a bit too complicated to write up when one is in a hurry and doesn't have personal utility functions handy. Is there an easier way?

DensityPlot[y, {x, 0, 1}, {y, Min[data], Max[data]},
 PlotRangePadding -> None, ColorFunction -> "SolarColors", 
 AspectRatio -> 15,
 ImageSize -> {Automatic, 250},
 FrameTicks -> {{None, 
    Sort@Join[
      LinTicks[Min[data], Max[data], TickDirection -> Out, 
       MajorTickLength -> 0.2, 
       MinorTickLength -> 
        0.1], ({#, NumberForm[#, 2], {0, 0.2}, {}} &) /@ 
       MinMax[data]]}, {None, None}}
 ]

Answer 1

It looks like BarLegend takes Ticks as an undocumented option. With a helper function:

makeTicks[range_, num_] := Rescale[#, {1, num}, range] & /@ Range[num]

BarLegend[{"SolarColors", MinMax[data]}, Ticks -> makeTicks[MinMax[data], 7]]

For more control, a more complicated function can be used:

makeTicks2[range_, num_] := 
 MapIndexed[{#1, 
    NumberForm[#1, If[(#2[[1]] == 1 || #2[[1]] == num), 2, 1]]} &, 
  Rescale[#, {1, num}, range] & /@ Range[num]]

BarLegend[{"SolarColors", MinMax[data]}, 
 Ticks -> makeTicks2[MinMax[data], 7]]

Answer 2

Maybe

SeedRandom[36]
data = RandomReal[{-0.5, 1}, 10];

vals = Select[FindDivisions[MinMax@data~Join~{0.2}, 6], 
     IntervalMemberQ[Interval@MinMax@data, #] &]~Join~MinMax[data] // 
   Sort;

ticks = Transpose[{vals, NumberForm[#, 2] & /@ vals}];

BarLegend[{"SolarColors", MinMax[data]}, Ticks -> ticks]