Rules

State¶

Hoist all the things¶

Compose is built upon the idea of a unidirectional data flow, which can be summarised as: data/state flows down, and events fire up. To implement that, Compose advocates for the pattern of hoisting state upwards, enabling the majority of your composable functions to be stateless. This has many benefits, including far easier testing.

In practice, there are a few common things to look out for:

Do not pass ViewModels (or objects from DI) down.
Do not pass MutableState<Bar> instances down.
Do not pass inherently mutable types, that can't be observed types, down.

Instead pass down the relevant data to the function, and optional lambdas for callbacks.

More information: State and Jetpack Compose

compose:vm-forwarding-check ktlint ViewModelForwarding detekt

State should be remembered in composables¶

Be careful when using mutableStateOf (or any of the other State<T> builders) to make sure that you remember the instance. If you don't remember the state instance, a new state instance will be created when the function is recomposed.

compose:remember-missing-check ktlint RememberMissing detekt

Use mutableStateOf type-specific variants when possible¶

mutableIntStateOf, mutableLongStateOf, mutableDoubleStateOf, mutableFloatStateOf are essentially counterparts to mutableStateOf, but with the added advantage of circumventing autoboxing on JVM platforms. This distinction renders them more memory efficient, making them the preferable choice when dealing with primitive types such as double, float, int, and long.

Functionally are the same, but they are preferred when dealing with these specific types.

compose:mutable-state-autoboxing ktlint MutableStateAutoboxing detekt

Composables¶

Do not use inherently mutable types as parameters¶

This practice follows on from the 'Hoist all the things' item above, where we said that state flows down. It might be tempting to pass mutable state down to a function to mutate the value.

This is an anti-pattern though as it breaks the pattern of state flowing down, and events firing up. The mutation of the value is an event which should be modelled within the function API (a lambda callback).

There are a few reasons for this, but the main one is that it is very easy to use a mutable object which does not trigger recomposition. Without triggering recomposition, your composables will not automatically update to reflect the updated value.

Passing ArrayList<T> or ViewModel are common examples of this (but not limited to those types).

compose:mutable-params-check ktlint MutableParams detekt

Do not use MutableState as a parameter¶

This practice also follows on from the 'Hoist all the things' item above. When using MutableState<T> in a @Composable function signature as a parameter, this is promoting joint ownership over a state between a component and its user.

Instead, if possible, consider making the component stateless and concede the state change to the caller. If mutation of the parent’s owned property is required in the component, consider creating a ComponentState class with the domain specific meaningful field that is backed by mutableStateOf(...).

When a component accepts MutableState as a parameter, it gains the ability to change it. This results in the split ownership of the state, and the usage side that owns the state now has no control over how and when it will be changed from within the component’s implementation.

More info: Compose API guidelines

compose:mutable-state-param-check ktlint MutableStateParam detekt

Be mindful of the arguments you use inside of a restarting effect¶

In Compose, effects like LaunchedEffect, produceState, or DisposableEffect can take multiple keys as arguments to control when the effect restarts. The typical form for these APIs is:

EffectName(key1, key2, key3, ...) { block }

Using the wrong keys to restart the effect can lead to:

Bugs if the effect restarts less often than needed.
Inefficiency if the effect restarts more often than necessary.

To ensure proper behavior:

Include mutable and immutable variables from the effect block as parameters.
Additional parameters can be added for explicit restart control.
Use rememberUpdatedState to prevent unnecessary restarts.
- This is usually useful whenever it wouldn't be a good idea to restart the effect, e.g. it's invoked inside of a flow collector method.
If a variable never changes due to remember with no keys, no need to pass it as a key to the effect.

Let's see some sample cases.

// ❌ onClick changes, but the effect won't be pointing to the right one!
@Composable
fun MyComposable(onClick: () -> Unit) {
    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        delay(10.seconds) // something that takes time, a flow collection, etc
        onClick()
    }
    // ...
}
// ✅ onClick changes and the LaunchedEffect won't be rebuilt -- but will point at the correct onClick!
@Composable
fun MyComposable(onClick: () -> Unit) {
    val latestOnClick by rememberUpdatedState(onClick)
    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        delay(10.seconds) // something that takes time, a flow collection, etc
        latestOnClick()
    }
    // ...
}
// ✅ _If we don't care about rebuilding the effect_, we can also use the parameter as key
@Composable
fun MyComposable(onClick: () -> Unit) {
    // This effect will be rebuilt every time onClick changes, so it will always point to the latest one.
    LaunchedEffect(onClick) {
        delay(10.seconds) // something that takes time, a flow collection, etc
        onClick()
    }
}

More info: Restarting effects and rememberUpdatedState

compose:lambda-param-in-effect ktlint LambdaParameterInRestartableEffect detekt

Do not emit content and return a result¶

Composable functions should either emit layout content, or return a value, but not both.

If a composable should offer additional control surfaces to its caller, those control surfaces or callbacks should be provided as parameters to the composable function by the caller.

More info: Compose API guidelines

compose:content-emitter-returning-values-check ktlint compose:content-emitter-returning-values-check detekt

Note: To add your custom composables so they are used in this rule (things like your design system composables), you can add composeEmitters to this rule config in Detekt, or compose_emitters to your .editorconfig in ktlint.

Do not emit multiple pieces of content¶

A composable function should emit either 0 or 1 pieces of layout, but no more. A composable function should be cohesive, and not rely on what function it is called from.

You can see an example of what not to do below. InnerContent() emits a number of layout nodes and assumes that it will be called from a Column:

// This will render:
// <text>
// <image>
// <button>
Column {
    InnerContent()
}

// ❌ Unclear UI, as we emit multiple pieces of content at the same time
@Composable
private fun InnerContent() {
    Text(...)
    Image(...)
    Button(...)
}

However InnerContent could just as easily be called from a Row or a Box which would break all assumptions. Some other examples of interaction with InnerContent could be:

// ❌ This will render: <text><image><button>
Row {
    InnerContent()
}
// ❌ This will render all elements on top of each other.
Box {
    InnerContent()
}

Instead, InnerContent should be cohesive and emit a single layout node itself:

// ✅
@Composable
private fun InnerContent() {
    Column {
        Text(...)
        Image(...)
        Button(...)
    }
}

Nesting of layouts has a drastically lower cost vs the view system, so developers should not try to minimize UI layers at the cost of correctness.

There is a slight exception to this rule, which is when the function is defined as an extension function of an appropriate scope, like so:

// ✅
@Composable
private fun ColumnScope.InnerContent() {
    Text(...)
    Image(...)
    Button(...)
}

This effectively ties the function to be called from a Column, but is still not recommended (although permitted).

compose:multiple-emitters-check ktlint MultipleEmitters detekt

Note: To add your custom composables so they are used in this rule (things like your design system composables), you can add composeEmitters to this rule config in Detekt, or compose_emitters to your .editorconfig in ktlint.

Slots for main content should be the trailing lambda¶

The slots used to display the main content for a composable, which are typically in the form of content: @Composable () -> Unit (or their nullable counterpart) should always be placed as the last parameter of a composable function, so they can be written as the trailing lambda. This makes following the flow of the main pieces of UI / content more natural and easy to reason about.

// ❌
@Composable
fun Avatar(content: @Composable () -> Unit, subtitle: String, modifier: Modifier = Modifier) { ... }

// ✅ The usage of the main content as a trailing lambda is more natural
@Composable
fun Avatar(subtitle: String, modifier: Modifier = Modifier, content: @Composable () -> Unit) { ... }

@Composable
fun Profile(user: User, modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
    Column(modifier) {
        Avatar(subtitle = user.name) {
            AsyncImage(url = user.avatarUrl)
        }
    }
}

compose:content-trailing-lambda ktlint ContentTrailingLambda detekt

Content slots should not be reused in branching code¶

Content slot parameters should not be disposed and recomposed when the parent composable changes, structurally or visually (changes that are typically due to branching code).

Developers should ensure that the lifecycle of visible slot parameter composables either matches the lifecycle of the composable accepting the slot or is connected to the slot's visibility within the viewport.

To ensure proper behavior, you could either:

Use remember { movableContentOf { ... } } to make sure the content is preserved correctly; or
Create a custom layout where the internal state of the slot is preserved.

// ❌
@Composable
fun Avatar(user: User, content: @Composable () -> Unit) {
    if (user.isFollower) {
        content()
    } else {
        content()
    }
}

// ✅
@Composable
fun Avatar(user: User, content: @Composable () -> Unit) {
    val content = remember { movableContentOf { content() } }
    if (user.isFollower) {
        content()
    } else {
        content()
    }
}

More information: Lifecycle expectations for slot parameters

compose:content-slot-reused ktlint ContentSlotReused detekt

Avoid using the trailing lambda for event lambdas in UI Composables¶

In Compose, trailing lambdas in composable functions are typically used for content slots. To avoid confusion and maintain consistency, event lambdas (e.g., onClick, onValueChange) should generally not be placed in the trailing position.

Recommendations:

Required Event Lambdas: Place required event lambdas before the Modifier parameter. This clearly distinguishes them from content slots.
Optional Event Lambdas: When possible, avoid placing optional event lambdas as the last parameter. If an optional event lambda must be positioned at the end, consider adding a clarifying comment to the function definition.

// ❌ Using an event lambda (like onClick) as the trailing lambda when in a composable makes it error prone and awkward to read
@Composable
fun MyButton(modifier: Modifier = Modifier, onClick: () -> Unit) { /* ... */ }

@Composable
fun SomeUI(modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
    MyButton {
        // This is an onClick, but by reading it people would assume it's a content slot
    }
}

// ✅ By moving the event lambda to be before Modifier, we avoid confusion
@Composable
fun MyBetterButton(onClick: () -> Unit, modifier: Modifier = Modifier) { /* ... */ }

@Composable
fun SomeUI(modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
    MyBetterButton(
        onClick = {
            // Now this param is straightforward to understand
        },
    )
}

compose:lambda-param-event-trailing ktlint LambdaParameterEventTrailing detekt

Naming CompositionLocals properly¶

CompositionLocals should be named by using the adjective Local as prefix, followed by a descriptive noun that describes the value they hold. This makes it easier to know when a value comes from a CompositionLocal. Given that these are implicit dependencies, we should make them obvious.

More information: Naming CompositionLocals

compose:compositionlocal-naming ktlint CompositionLocalNaming detekt

Naming multipreview annotations properly¶

Multipreview annotations should be named by using Previews as a prefix. These annotations have to be explicitly named to make sure that they are clearly identifiable as a @Preview alternative on its usages.

More information: Multipreview annotations and Google's own predefined annotations

compose:preview-annotation-naming ktlint PreviewAnnotationNaming detekt

Naming @Composable functions properly¶

Composable functions that return Unit should start with an uppercase letter. They are considered declarative entities that can be either present or absent in a composition and therefore follow the naming rules for classes.

However, Composable functions that return a value should start with a lowercase letter instead. They should follow the standard Kotlin Coding Conventions for the naming of functions for any function annotated @Composable that returns a value other than Unit

More information: Naming Unit @Composable functions as entities and Naming @Composable functions that return values

compose:naming-check ktlint ComposableNaming detekt

Naming Composable annotations properly¶

Custom Composable annotations (tagged with @ComposableTargetMarker) should have the Composable suffix (for example, @GoogleMapComposable or @MosaicComposable).

compose:composable-annotation-naming-check ktlint ComposableAnnotationNaming detekt

Ordering @Composable parameters properly¶

When writing Kotlin, it's a good practice to write the parameters for your methods by putting the mandatory parameters first, followed by the optional ones (aka the ones with default values). By doing so, we minimize the number times we will need to write the name for arguments explicitly.

Modifiers occupy the first optional parameter slot to set a consistent expectation for developers that they can always provide a modifier as the final positional parameter to an element call for any given element's common case.

Additionally, if there is a content lambda, it should be used as a trailing lambda.

Required parameters (no default values)
Optional parameters (have default values)
1. modifier: Modifier = Modifier
2. The rest of optional params
[Optionally] A trailing lambda. If there is a content slot, it should be it.

  flowchart LR
    A[Required parameters] --> B[Modifier, if any]
    B --> C[Optional parameters]
    C --> D[Optionally a trailing lambda, eg a content slot]

An example of the above could be this:

// ✅
@Composable
fun Avatar(
    imageUrl: String,               // Required parameters go first
    contentDescription: String,
    onClick: () -> Unit,
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,  // Optional parameters, start with modifier
    enabled: Boolean = true,        // Other optional parameters
    loadingContent: @Composable (() -> Unit)? = null,
    errorContent: @Composable (() -> Unit)? = null,
    content: @Composable () -> Unit, // A trailing lambda _can_ be last. Recommended for `content` slots.
) { ... }

More information: Kotlin default arguments, Modifier docs and Elements accept and respect a Modifier parameter.

compose:param-order-check ktlint ComposableParamOrder detekt

Naming parameters properly¶

The parameters in composable functions that send events are typically named on + verb in the present tense, like in the very common examples in Compose foundation code: onClick or onTextChange. To try to enforce common standard, and for consistency’s sake, we'll want to adjust the tense of the verbs to present.

// ❌
@Composable
fun Avatar(onShown: () -> Unit, onChanged: () -> Unit) { /* ... */ }

// ✅
@Composable
fun Avatar(onShow: () -> Unit, onChange: () -> Unit) { /* ... */ }

compose:parameter-naming ktlint ParameterNaming detekt

Movable content should be remembered¶

The methods used to create movable composable content (movableContentOf and movableContentWithReceiverOf) need to be used inside a remember function.

To work as intended, they need to persist through compositions - as if they get detached from the composition, they will be immediately recycled.

compose:remember-content-missing-check ktlint RememberContentMissing detekt

Make dependencies explicit¶

ViewModels¶

When designing our composables, we should always try to be explicit about the dependencies they take in. If you acquire a ViewModel or an instance from DI in the body of the composable, you are making this dependency implicit, which has the downsides of making it hard to test and harder to reuse.

To solve this problem, you should inject these dependencies as default values in the composable function.

Let's see it with an example.

// ❌ The VM dependency is implicit here.
@Composable
private fun MyComposable() {
    val viewModel = viewModel<MyViewModel>()
    // ...
}

In this composable, the dependencies are implicit. When testing it you would need to fake the internals of viewModel somehow to be able to acquire your intended ViewModel.

But, if you change it to pass these instances via the composable function parameters, you could provide the instance you want directly in your tests without any extra effort. It would also have the upside of the function being explicit about its external dependencies in its signature.

// ✅ The VM dependency is explicit
@Composable
private fun MyComposable(
    viewModel: MyViewModel = viewModel(),
) {
    // ...
}

compose:vm-injection-check ktlint ViewModelInjection detekt

`CompositionLocal`s¶

CompositionLocal makes a composable function's behavior harder to reason about. As they create implicit dependencies, callers of composables that use them need to make sure that a value for every CompositionLocal is satisfied, which is not apparent from the composable API alone.

Although uncommon, there are legit usecases for them, so this rule provides an allowlist so that you can add your CompositionLocal names to it so that they are not flagged by the rule.

compose:compositionlocal-allowlist ktlint CompositionLocalAllowlist detekt

Note: To add your custom CompositionLocal to your allowlist, you can add allowedCompositionLocals to this rule config in Detekt, or compose_allowed_composition_locals to your .editorconfig in ktlint.

Preview composables should not be public¶

When a composable function exists solely because it's a @Preview, it doesn't need to have public visibility because it won't be used in actual UI. To prevent folks from using it unknowingly, we should restrict its visibility to private.

compose:preview-public-check ktlint PreviewPublic detekt

Note: If you are using Detekt, this may conflict with Detekt's UnusedPrivateMember rule. Be sure to set Detekt's ignoreAnnotated configuration to ['Preview'] for compatibility with this rule.

Modifiers¶

When should I expose modifier parameters?¶

Modifiers are the beating heart of Compose UI. They encapsulate the idea of composition over inheritance, by allowing developers to attach logic and behavior to layouts.

They are especially important for your public components, as they allow callers to customize the component to their wishes.

More info: Always provide a Modifier parameter

compose:modifier-missing-check ktlint ModifierMissing detekt

Modifier order matters¶

The order of modifier functions is very important. Each function makes changes to the Modifier returned by the previous function, the sequence affects the final result. Let's see an example of this:

// ❌ The UI will be off, as the pressed state ripple will extend beyond the intended shape
@Composable
fun MyCard(modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
    Column(
        modifier
            // Tapping on it does a ripple, the ripple is bound incorrectly to the composable
            .clickable { /* TODO */ }
            // Create rounded corners
            .clip(shape = RoundedCornerShape(8.dp))
            // Background with rounded corners
            .background(color = backgroundColor, shape = RoundedCornerShape(8.dp))
    ) {
        // rest of the implementation
    }
}

The entire area, including the clipped area and the clipped background, responds to clicks. This means that the ripple will fill it all, even the areas that we wanted to trim from the shape.

We can address this by simply reordering the modifiers.

// ✅ The UI will be now correct, as the pressed state ripple will have the same shape as the element
@Composable
fun MyCard(modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
    Column(
        modifier
            // Create rounded corners
            .clip(shape = RoundedCornerShape(8.dp))
            // Background with rounded corners
            .background(color = backgroundColor, shape = RoundedCornerShape(8.dp))
            // Tapping on it does a ripple, the ripple is bound correctly now to the composable
            .clickable { /* TODO */ }
    ) {
        // rest of the implementation
    }
}

More info: Modifier documentation

compose:modifier-clickable-order ktlint ModifierClickableOrder detekt

Modifiers should be used at the top-most layout of the component¶

Modifiers should be applied once as a first modifier in the chain to the root-most layout in the component implementation. Since modifiers aim to modify the external behaviors and appearance of the component, they must be applied to the top-most layout and be the first modifiers in the hierarchy. It is allowed to chain other modifiers to the modifier passed as a param if needed.

More info: Compose Component API Guidelines

compose:modifier-not-used-at-root ktlint ModifierNotUsedAtRoot detekt

Don't re-use modifiers¶

Modifiers which are passed in are designed so that they should be used by a single layout node in the composable function. If the provided modifier is used by multiple composables at different levels, unwanted behaviour can happen.

In the following example we've exposed a public modifier parameter, and then passed it to the root Column, but we've also passed it to each of the descendant calls, with some extra modifiers on top:

// ❌ When changing `modifier` at the call site, it will the whole layout in unintended ways
@Composable
private fun InnerContent(modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
    Column(modifier) {
        Text(modifier.clickable(), ...)
        Image(modifier.size(), ...)
        Button(modifier, ...)
    }
}

This is not recommended. Instead, the provided modifier should only be used on the Column. The descendant calls should use newly built modifiers, by using the empty Modifier object:

// ✅ When changing `modifier` at the call site, it will only affect the external container of the UI
@Composable
private fun InnerContent(modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
    Column(modifier) {
        Text(Modifier.clickable(), ...)
        Image(Modifier.size(), ...)
        Button(Modifier, ...)
    }
}

compose:modifier-reused-check ktlint ModifierReused detekt

Modifiers should have default parameters¶

Composables that accept a Modifier as a parameter to be applied to the whole component represented by the composable function should name the parameter modifier and assign the parameter a default value of Modifier. It should appear as the first optional parameter in the parameter list; after all required parameters (except for trailing lambda parameters) but before any other parameters with default values. Any default modifiers desired by a composable function should come after the modifier parameter's value in the composable function's implementation, keeping Modifier as the default parameter value.

More info: Modifier documentation

compose:modifier-without-default-check ktlint ModifierWithoutDefault detekt

Naming modifiers properly¶

Composables that accept a Modifier as a parameter to be applied to the whole component represented by the composable function should name the parameter modifier.

In cases where Composables accept modifiers to be applied to a specific subcomponent should name the parameter xModifier (e.g. fooModifier for a Foo subcomponent) and follow the same guidelines above for default values and behavior.

More info: Modifier documentation

compose:modifier-naming ktlint ModifierNaming detekt

Avoid Modifier extension factory functions¶

For @Composable extension factory functions, there is an API for creating custom modifiers, composed {}. This API is no longer recommended due to the performance issues it created, and like with the extension factory functions case, Modifier.Node is recommended instead.

More info: Modifier.Node, Compose Modifier.Node and where to find it, by Merab Tato Kutalia, Compose modifiers deep dive, with Leland Richardson and Composed modifier docs.

compose:modifier-composed-check ktlint ModifierComposed detekt

ComponentDefaults¶

ComponentDefaults object should match the composable visibility¶

If your composable has an associated Defaults object to contain its default values, this object should have the same visibility as the composable itself. This will allow consumers to be able to interact or build upon the original intended defaults, as opposed to having to maintain their own set of defaults by copy-pasting.

More info: Compose Component API Guidelines

compose:defaults-visibility ktlint DefaultsVisibility detekt

Opt-in rules¶

These rules are disabled by default

You'll need to explicitly enable them individually in your project's detekt/ktlint configuration.

Don't use Material 2¶

Material Design 3 is the next evolution of Material Design. It includes updated theming, components, and Material You personalization features like dynamic color. It supersedes Material 2, and using Material 3 usage is recommended instead of Material 2.

Enabling: ktlint, detekt

More info: Migration to Material 3

compose:material-two ktlint Material2 detekt

Avoid using unstable collections¶

Did you know?

You can add the kotlin collections to your stability configuration (kotlin.collections.*) to make this rule unnecessary.

Collections are defined as interfaces (e.g. List<T>, Map<T>, Set<T>) in Kotlin, which can't guarantee that they are actually immutable. For example, you could write:

// ❌ The compiler won't be able to infer that the list is immutable
val list: List<String> = mutableListOf()

The variable is constant, its declared type is not mutable but its implementation is still mutable. The Compose compiler cannot be sure of the immutability of this class as it just sees the declared type and as such declares it as unstable.

To force the compiler to see a collection as truly 'immutable' you have a couple of options.

You can use Kotlinx Immutable Collections:

// ✅ The compiler knows that this list is immutable
val list: ImmutableList<String> = persistentListOf<String>()

Alternatively, you can wrap your collection in an annotated stable class to mark it as immutable for the Compose compiler.

// ✅ The compiler knows that this class is immutable
@Immutable
data class StringList(val items: List<String>)
// ...
val list: StringList = StringList(yourList)

Note: It is preferred to use Kotlinx Immutable Collections for this. As you can see, the wrapped case only includes the immutability promise with the annotation, but the underlying List is still mutable.

More info: Jetpack Compose Stability Explained, Kotlinx Immutable Collections

compose:unstable-collections ktlint UnstableCollections detekt

Naming previews properly¶

You can configure the naming strategy for previews, so that they follow your project's naming conventions.

By default, enabling this rule will make sure that previews use Preview as suffix.

In case you want to change this, you can configure the previewNamingStrategy property to one of the following values:

suffix: Previews should have Preview as suffix.
prefix: Previews should have Preview as prefix.
anywhere: Previews should contain Preview in their names.

compose:preview-naming ktlint PreviewNaming detekt

Rules

State¶

Hoist all the things¶

State should be remembered in composables¶

Use mutableStateOf type-specific variants when possible¶

Composables¶

Do not use inherently mutable types as parameters¶

Do not use MutableState as a parameter¶

Be mindful of the arguments you use inside of a restarting effect¶

Do not emit content and return a result¶

Do not emit multiple pieces of content¶

Slots for main content should be the trailing lambda¶

Content slots should not be reused in branching code¶

Avoid using the trailing lambda for event lambdas in UI Composables¶

Naming CompositionLocals properly¶

Naming multipreview annotations properly¶

Naming @Composable functions properly¶

Naming Composable annotations properly¶

Ordering @Composable parameters properly¶

Naming parameters properly¶

Movable content should be remembered¶

Make dependencies explicit¶

ViewModels¶

CompositionLocals¶

Preview composables should not be public¶

Modifiers¶

When should I expose modifier parameters?¶

Modifier order matters¶

Modifiers should be used at the top-most layout of the component¶

Don't re-use modifiers¶

Modifiers should have default parameters¶

Naming modifiers properly¶

Avoid Modifier extension factory functions¶

ComponentDefaults¶

ComponentDefaults object should match the composable visibility¶

Opt-in rules¶

Don't use Material 2¶

Avoid using unstable collections¶

Naming previews properly¶

`CompositionLocal`s¶