Compose Multiplatform: Upgraded iOS Support to Beta and Web Support to Alpha
JetBrains Elevates Compose Multiplatform: Stable API, Enhanced iOS & Web Support, and New Experimental Features
JetBrains has announced a significant update to its Compose Multiplatform framework with the release of version 1.6.10. This latest update not only stabilizes the multiplatform resources API but also advances support for iOS and Web targets while introducing new experimental features to enhance development experiences.
Released on May 23, Compose Multiplatform 1.6.10 brings substantial improvements across the board. One of the standout changes is the stabilization of the multiplatform resources API. This API now offers greater flexibility for developers by allowing them to organize resources across different modules and source sets, moving beyond the previous requirement of storing resources exclusively in commonMain. Additionally, Compose Multiplatform now automates the process of publishing the necessary files for each platform, simplifying resource management. The update also introduces new experimental functions for fetching fonts and images as byte arrays, which is expected to benefit third-party libraries needing access to Compose Multiplatform resources.
Another notable addition in this update is the introduction of an experimental navigation library, which builds upon Jetpack Compose Navigation. This new library allows developers to implement navigation hosts, graphs, and controllers, facilitating user transitions between screens. Although still in the experimental phase, the navigation library covers most of the core functionality needed for managing screen flows within applications.
The update also marks significant progress in support for various platforms. iOS support has been upgraded to beta, reflecting ongoing enhancements aimed at improving performance and fixing issues related to Compose components on iOS. Users can now expect a more seamless experience with improved interactions, including better handling of popups, dialogs, and other UI elements. Features such as scroll physics, native text fields, window insets, and a magnifying tool have been refined to make interactions feel more organic and intuitive.
Web support in Compose Multiplatform has also seen advancements, moving from experimental to alpha status. The new version includes functionality previously available on other platforms, now adapted for Web targets. However, JetBrains acknowledges that there is still work to be done to fully adapt most components for browser environments.
In addition to these improvements, Compose Multiplatform 1.6.10 introduces a new lifecycle library based on Jetpack Lifecycle. This library provides a common LifecycleOwner implementation, extending Jetpack Compose functionality to other platforms and enhancing the ability to observe lifecycle states. Furthermore, JetBrains has improved support for Compose development in the Fleet 1.35 IDE, ensuring a more robust development environment.
Compose Multiplatform 1.6.10 builds on the foundation laid by version 1.6.0, which was released in late February and introduced a UI testing API. These ongoing updates highlight JetBrains’ commitment to advancing the capabilities of Compose Multiplatform, making it a more versatile and powerful tool for developers working across different platforms.