The tech world witnesses another major enhancement as JetBrains unveils Compose Multiplatform 1.5.0, a refined version of its declarative UI framework designed for the Kotlin programming language. The fresh update brings in significant iOS-related improvements and dependable code APIs for a wide array of usage, including dialogs, popups, and WindowInsets.
Unveiled to the public on August 27, the Compose Multiplatform 1.5.0 broadens its application of dialogs to handle modal events that involve users making choices or inputting data. It extends the use pop-ups to cover non-modal behavior such as extended optional functionalities. The base types, Dialog and Popup, alongside DropdownMenu and AlertDialog, are all universally accessible from the common code, hence eliminating the necessity for platform-specific functionality.
The framework also ushers in the WindowInsets API which outlines the required adjustments to halt overlapping of the content with system UI, applicable seamlessly on both Android and iOS mobile platforms. Developers find this API particularly useful in drawing background content behind the notch.
Compose Multiplatform 1.5.0 has its foundation in Jetpack Compose 1.5, a toolkit from Google purpose-built for building native Android UIs. Besides, it incorporates elements from Google's Material Design 3 version 1.1 - a desirable open-source design system that debuted new components such as bottom sheets and time pickers.
Emphasizing its extensive range of application, Compose Multiplatform takes the stage by amplifying capabilities of the Jetpack Compose UI framework well beyond Android to the desktop, iOS, and web domains. While the desktop variant is stable, iOS is in an alpha stage and web deployment is under experimental phase. Developers can conveniently find Compose Multiplatform 1.5.0 on GitHub.
With this new release, several nourishing amendments come to iOS. It refines scrolling to emulate the platform's appearance and feels, streamlines resource management, and enhances text handling. The Dynamic Type feature on iOS empowers users to select their favored font size, for greater clarity or to accommodate more content— with such text sizing used app-wide relative to this system setting.
On top of the iOS upgrades, frame rates have been jacked up to 120 frames per second, moving away from the previous cap of 60 frames per second. This substantial increase is set to alleviate sluggish UI issues on devices that sport 120Hz screens.
Lastly, in an improvement aimed at easing the developers' journey, Compose Multiplatform 1.5.0 stabilizes support for testing on Compose for desktop use. Redefining the testing landscape, it eradicates previous limitations, enabling developers to craft extensive UI tests for applications. An additional exciting update is the experimental introduction of enhanced rendering for Compose panels within Swing components. This innovative feature curtails transitional rendering issues that occur when panels are displaying, resizing, or being hidden.
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