Mastering Navigation with Custom Arguments in Jetpack Compose
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Navigation in Jetpack Compose
Navigating within Jetpack Compose can be quite intricate, even for those who have developed multiple applications using it. The absence of a singular, definitive method contributes to this complexity. Each new project often reveals a different way to manage navigation effectively. Recently, I encountered the challenge of passing custom objects during navigation in my latest project.
Section 1.2: Custom Argument Navigation
To facilitate navigation with custom objects, your first task is to ensure that the custom argument implements the Parcelable interface. For demonstration, we will consider the following Product class as an example.
Next, you will need to establish a NavType for your custom class. This is how we define it for our Product class.
When creating the NavType, you have several implementation options. I prefer implementing it as a companion object, which keeps my NavTypes organized since they are linked to their respective data classes. Alternatively, an independent class can also be used. In this instance, I utilize Gson to convert the object into a JSON string, though you can choose any converter that fits your needs. If your argument is optional, ensure to set isNullableAllowed to true.
At this stage, you've defined how the new navigation type should appear to Compose. The subsequent step is to inform the NavHost about this type, which is akin to adding arguments with basic types. For extensive details, refer to the Android documentation.
To navigate with your custom argument, you will need to parse it into JSON format, calling the navigate function as shown below:
This tutorial demonstrates how to manage custom NavTypes effectively within Jetpack Compose.