Compose Multiplatform Patterns

Patterns for building shared UI across Android, iOS, Desktop, and Web using Compose Multiplatform and Jetpack Compose. Covers state management, navigation, theming, and performance.

When to Activate

• Building Compose UI (Jetpack Compose or Compose Multiplatform)
• Managing UI state with ViewModels and Compose state
• Implementing navigation in KMP or Android projects
• Designing reusable composables and design systems
• Optimizing recomposition and rendering performance

State Management

ViewModel + Single State Object

Use a single data class for screen state. Expose it as StateFlow and collect in Compose:

kotlin
data class ItemListState(
    val items: List<Item> = emptyList(),
    val isLoading: Boolean = false,
    val error: String? = null,
    val searchQuery: String = ""
)

class ItemListViewModel(
    private val getItems: GetItemsUseCase
) : ViewModel() {
    private val _state = MutableStateFlow(ItemListState())
    val state: StateFlow<ItemListState> = _state.asStateFlow()

    fun onSearch(query: String) {
        _state.update { it.copy(searchQuery = query) }
        loadItems(query)
    }

    private fun loadItems(query: String) {
        viewModelScope.launch {
            _state.update { it.copy(isLoading = true) }
            getItems(query).fold(
                onSuccess = { items -> _state.update { it.copy(items = items, isLoading = false) } },
                onFailure = { e -> _state.update { it.copy(error = e.message, isLoading = false) } }
            )
        }
    }
}

Collecting State in Compose

kotlin
@Composable
fun ItemListScreen(viewModel: ItemListViewModel = koinViewModel()) {
    val state by viewModel.state.collectAsStateWithLifecycle()

    ItemListContent(
        state = state,
        onSearch = viewModel::onSearch
    )
}

@Composable
private fun ItemListContent(
    state: ItemListState,
    onSearch: (String) -> Unit
) {
    // Stateless composable — easy to preview and test
}

Event Sink Pattern

For complex screens, use a sealed interface for events instead of multiple callback lambdas:

kotlin
sealed interface ItemListEvent {
    data class Search(val query: String) : ItemListEvent
    data class Delete(val itemId: String) : ItemListEvent
    data object Refresh : ItemListEvent
}

// In ViewModel
fun onEvent(event: ItemListEvent) {
    when (event) {
        is ItemListEvent.Search -> onSearch(event.query)
        is ItemListEvent.Delete -> deleteItem(event.itemId)
        is ItemListEvent.Refresh -> loadItems(_state.value.searchQuery)
    }
}

// In Composable — single lambda instead of many
ItemListContent(
    state = state,
    onEvent = viewModel::onEvent
)

Navigation

Type-Safe Navigation (Compose Navigation 2.8+)

Define routes as @Serializable objects:

kotlin
@Serializable data object HomeRoute
@Serializable data class DetailRoute(val id: String)
@Serializable data object SettingsRoute

@Composable
fun AppNavHost(navController: NavHostController = rememberNavController()) {
    NavHost(navController, startDestination = HomeRoute) {
        composable<HomeRoute> {
            HomeScreen(onNavigateToDetail = { id -> navController.navigate(DetailRoute(id)) })
        }
        composable<DetailRoute> { backStackEntry ->
            val route = backStackEntry.toRoute<DetailRoute>()
            DetailScreen(id = route.id)
        }
        composable<SettingsRoute> { SettingsScreen() }
    }
}

Dialog and Bottom Sheet Navigation

Use dialog() and overlay patterns instead of imperative show/hide:

kotlin
NavHost(navController, startDestination = HomeRoute) {
    composable<HomeRoute> { /* ... */ }
    dialog<ConfirmDeleteRoute> { backStackEntry ->
        val route = backStackEntry.toRoute<ConfirmDeleteRoute>()
        ConfirmDeleteDialog(
            itemId = route.itemId,
            onConfirm = { navController.popBackStack() },
            onDismiss = { navController.popBackStack() }
        )
    }
}

Composable Design

Slot-Based APIs

Design composables with slot parameters for flexibility:

kotlin
@Composable
fun AppCard(
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
    header: @Composable () -> Unit = {},
    content: @Composable ColumnScope.() -> Unit,
    actions: @Composable RowScope.() -> Unit = {}
) {
    Card(modifier = modifier) {
        Column {
            header()
            Column(content = content)
            Row(horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.End, content = actions)
        }
    }
}

Modifier Ordering

Modifier order matters — apply in this sequence:

kotlin
Text(
    text = "Hello",
    modifier = Modifier
        .padding(16.dp)          // 1. Layout (padding, size)
        .clip(RoundedCornerShape(8.dp))  // 2. Shape
        .background(Color.White) // 3. Drawing (background, border)
        .clickable { }           // 4. Interaction
)

KMP Platform-Specific UI

expect/actual for Platform Composables

kotlin
// commonMain
@Composable
expect fun PlatformStatusBar(darkIcons: Boolean)

// androidMain
@Composable
actual fun PlatformStatusBar(darkIcons: Boolean) {
    val systemUiController = rememberSystemUiController()
    SideEffect { systemUiController.setStatusBarColor(Color.Transparent, darkIcons) }
}

// iosMain
@Composable
actual fun PlatformStatusBar(darkIcons: Boolean) {
    // iOS handles this via UIKit interop or Info.plist
}

Performance

Stable Types for Skippable Recomposition

Mark classes as @Stable or @Immutable when all properties are stable:

kotlin
@Immutable
data class ItemUiModel(
    val id: String,
    val title: String,
    val description: String,
    val progress: Float
)

Use key() and Lazy Lists Correctly

kotlin
LazyColumn {
    items(
        items = items,
        key = { it.id }  // Stable keys enable item reuse and animations
    ) { item ->
        ItemRow(item = item)
    }
}

Defer Reads with derivedStateOf

kotlin
val listState = rememberLazyListState()
val showScrollToTop by remember {
    derivedStateOf { listState.firstVisibleItemIndex > 5 }
}

Avoid Allocations in Recomposition

kotlin
// BAD — new lambda and list every recomposition
items.filter { it.isActive }.forEach { ActiveItem(it, onClick = { handle(it) }) }

// GOOD — key each item so callbacks stay attached to the right row
val activeItems = remember(items) { items.filter { it.isActive } }
activeItems.forEach { item ->
    key(item.id) {
        ActiveItem(item, onClick = { handle(item) })
    }
}

Theming

Material 3 Dynamic Theming

kotlin
@Composable
fun AppTheme(
    darkTheme: Boolean = isSystemInDarkTheme(),
    dynamicColor: Boolean = true,
    content: @Composable () -> Unit
) {
    val colorScheme = when {
        dynamicColor && Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.S -> {
            if (darkTheme) dynamicDarkColorScheme(LocalContext.current)
            else dynamicLightColorScheme(LocalContext.current)
        }
        darkTheme -> darkColorScheme()
        else -> lightColorScheme()
    }

    MaterialTheme(colorScheme = colorScheme, content = content)
}

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Using mutableStateOf in ViewModels when MutableStateFlow with collectAsStateWithLifecycle is safer for lifecycle
• Passing NavController deep into composables — pass lambda callbacks instead
• Heavy computation inside @Composable functions — move to ViewModel or remember {}
• Using LaunchedEffect(Unit) as a substitute for ViewModel init — it re-runs on configuration change in some setups
• Creating new object instances in composable parameters — causes unnecessary recomposition

References

See skill: android-clean-architecture for module structure and layering. See skill: kotlin-coroutines-flows for coroutine and Flow patterns.

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