Jetpack Compose has revolutionized Android UI development with its declarative approach, but mastering it requires avoiding common pitfalls that can impact performance and maintainability. Whether you’re new to Jetpack Compose or looking to refine your skills, this checklist will help you sidestep frequent mistakes and write cleaner, more efficient code.
1. Mind Modifier Order
Modifiers in Jetpack Compose are order-sensitive, meaning the sequence in which they’re applied affects behavior. For instance, placing .padding() before .background() might lead to unexpected layout issues compared to applying them in reverse. Always ensure modifiers are arranged logically to achieve the desired outcome .
2. Minimize Re-Compositions
Excessive re-composition—when Compose redraws parts of the UI unnecessarily—can degrade performance. To avoid this, ensure that state changes are localized and do not trigger unnecessary recompositions across unrelated components. Use remember and derivedStateOf wisely to optimize how often certain values are recalculated .
3. Avoid Expanding Size Modifiers on Reusable Components
Using modifiers like .fillMaxSize() on reusable composables can lead to unpredictable layouts when used within different parent containers. Instead, let the parent dictate size constraints unless absolutely necessary .
4. Hoist State Properly
State management is crucial in Jetpack Compose. Follow best practices by hoisting state to a shared ancestor or ViewModel when needed, ensuring one-way data flow and making your composables more testable and reusable .
5. Don’t Read State from Too High a Scope
Reading state from scopes higher than necessary can cause unnecessary recompositions. Keep state as close to where it’s used as possible while still maintaining good separation of concerns .
6. Follow Best Practices for Side Effects
Handling side effects improperly—such as launching coroutines inside composables without proper cleanup—can lead to memory leaks or crashes. Prefer using LaunchedEffect, DisposableEffect, or other lifecycle-aware constructs to manage side effects safely .
7. Write Stable Classes
Ensure that classes passed into composables are stable, meaning their properties don’t change unexpectedly. This helps Compose optimize recompositions and improves overall app performance .
8. Use Sealed Classes for Limited Set of States
When modeling UI states (e.g., loading, success, error), prefer sealed classes over enums or booleans. They make the code more expressive and easier to maintain, especially when handling complex UI logic .
9. Break Down Large Composables
Large, monolithic composables are harder to read, test, and debug. Break them into smaller, focused functions to improve readability and facilitate reuse across your app .
10. Test UI Logic Independently
Jetpack Compose makes it easy to preview UI components in isolation using @Preview. Leverage this feature to test layout behavior and appearance without running the entire app .
By following these guidelines, developers can build robust, performant, and scalable applications using Jetpack Compose. Staying mindful of these common mistakes not only enhances code quality but also streamlines future updates and debugging efforts. As always, staying updated with official documentation and community insights ensures your knowledge remains current in this evolving ecosystem.
