Jetpack Compose: Essential Libraries Every Developer Should Know
To build production-ready apps efficiently, you need the right set of libraries. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the essential Jetpack Compose libraries that will boost your productivity and help you write clean, maintainable code.
Why Use Libraries in Jetpack Compose?
While Jetpack Compose provides a powerful core UI framework, it doesn't cover every aspect of app development. External libraries help by:
- Reducing boilerplate code
- Enhancing UI/UX with animations and gestures
- Handling networking, database, and state management efficiently
- Improving performance and debugging
Let’s explore the must-know libraries, categorized based on their functionality.
Jetpack Compose is a game-changer in Android development, but leveraging the right libraries can make your work much easier. Whether you're handling UI, networking, animations, or performance tuning, these libraries will help you build scalable, efficient, and visually stunning apps.
1. Core Jetpack Compose Libraries
Before anything, you must be familiar with the foundational libraries that power Jetpack Compose itself:
1.1 Compose UI
- Dependency: androidx.compose.ui:ui
- Provides the basic building blocks for creating UI components like buttons, text fields, and layouts.
1.2 Compose Material3
- Dependency: androidx.compose.material3:material3
- Implements Material Design 3 components, making it easy to create visually appealing apps.
1.3 Compose Foundation
- Dependency: androidx.compose.foundation:foundation
- Offers essential UI utilities like gestures, scrolling, and drawing on Canvas.
1.4 Compose Runtime
- Dependency: androidx.compose.runtime:runtime
- Handles state management and recomposition in Compose.
2. State Management and Architecture
Compose follows an event-driven approach, and managing state efficiently is crucial for smooth UI interactions.
2.1 ViewModel Integration
- Dependency: androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-viewmodel-compose
- Allows you to use Jetpack ViewModel with Compose for managing UI-related data.
2.2 LiveData and Flow Support
- Dependency: androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-runtime-compose
- Enables observing LiveData and Flow directly within Composables.
2.3 Navigation in Compose
- Dependency: androidx.navigation:navigation-compose
- Provides an easy way to handle screen transitions and deep links in a Compose app.
3. Networking and Data Storage
Most apps require fetching and storing data. These libraries make it seamless.
How to create a Simple Dictionary App using Retrofit Api
- Dependency: com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit
- A powerful HTTP client for making network requests and handling RESTful APIs.
3.2 Moshi/Gson for JSON Parsing
- Dependencies: Moshi: com.squareup.moshi:moshi Gson: com.google.code.gson:gson
- Converts JSON responses into Kotlin data classes.
3.3 Room Database
- Dependency: androidx.room:room-runtime
- A robust SQLite abstraction that simplifies database operations in Compose apps.
3.4 DataStore for Local Storage
- Dependency: androidx.datastore:datastore-preferences
- A modern alternative to SharedPreferences, offering better performance and reliability.
4. UI Enhancements and Animations
To make your app visually appealing and interactive, you’ll need advanced UI utilities.
4.1 Accompanist: Google’s Utility Collection
The Accompanist library provides multiple extensions to improve Compose development:
- System UI Control: accompanist-systemuicontroller (for customizing status and navigation bars)
- ViewPager Support: accompanist-pager (for horizontal swiping pages)
- Permissions Handling: accompanist-permissions (for managing Android runtime permissions)
- Animated Navigation: accompanist-navigation-animation (for smooth screen transitions)
4.2 Lottie for Animations
- Dependency: com.airbnb.android:lottie-compose
- Lets you use Lottie JSON animations in Compose with ease.
5. Image Loading and Media Handling
Displaying images and handling media efficiently is crucial for most apps.
5.1 Coil - Image Loading for Compose
- Dependency: io.coil-kt:coil-compose
- A lightweight and fast image-loading library designed specifically for Jetpack Compose.
5.2 Glide and Picasso (Alternatives to Coil)
- Glide: com.github.bumptech.glide:glide
- Picasso: com.squareup.picasso:picasso
- Popular choices for image caching and transformations.
6. Performance and Debugging
6.1 LeakCanary - Memory Leak Detection
- Dependency: com.squareup.leakcanary:leakcanary-android
- Helps detect memory leaks in your app, improving performance.
6.2 Flipper - Debugging Tool
- Dependency: com.facebook.flipper:flipper
- A powerful debugging tool for network requests, databases, and UI inspections.
7. Testing Libraries
Quality assurance is critical in app development. Here are some essential testing tools:
7.1 Compose UI Testing
- Dependency: androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-junit4
- Enables writing UI tests specifically for Jetpack Compose components.
7.2 Espresso (For Traditional UI Testing)
- Dependency: androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core
- Useful when combining Compose with existing Android Views.
