Composable UIs with Jetpack Compose

Modern Android development has shifted from XML-based layouts to Jetpack Compose, a declarative UI toolkit that makes building user interfaces faster and more intuitive.

Why Compose Changes Everything

Traditional Android layouts relied on XML files and imperative updates — a system that was often verbose and hard to maintain.
Compose, on the other hand, treats UI as a function of state. When the state changes, the UI re-renders automatically.

@Composable
fun Greeting(name: String) {
    Text(text = "Hello, $name!")
}

This small function describes a piece of UI — no XML, no adapters, no boilerplate.

Reusability and Composition

The real power of Compose lies in its composability.
You can combine simple building blocks into complex UIs:

@Composable
fun ProfileCard(user: User) {
    Row(
        verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
        modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp)
    ) {
        Avatar(user.image)
        Column {
            Text(user.name, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleMedium)
            Text(user.role, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall)
        }
    }
}

Each element is self-contained, reusable, and easy to preview.

State Management Made Simple

Compose integrates naturally with Kotlin’s state handling.
No more juggling between fragments, XML, and findViewById() — just pure reactive UI:

@Composable
fun Counter() {
    var count by remember { mutableStateOf(0) }
    Button(onClick = { count++ }) {
        Text("Clicked $count times")
    }
}

Conclusion

Jetpack Compose makes Android UI development simpler, faster, and more maintainable.
By embracing declarative patterns, you focus on what your app should display, not how it gets drawn.

If you haven’t already switched, your next mobile project might be the perfect opportunity to start building with Compose.