Author | Lightnews

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 6d

3/3 I realized this after spending some time improving my layout for the medium layout and checking it on a single device. We should design layouts based on screen sizes, not device types.

Does your application support foldable devices?

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 6d

2/3 Here's the problem:
Google's window size classes aren't device categories—they're viewport measurements. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold jumps straight from compact to expanded, never using medium.

On the other side, Samsung's Z Fold 5 uses medium.

Same device category, but different screen sizes.

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 6d

1/3 Foldable devices always use the medium window size class.

I believed this too. Then I opened my app on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold and was surprised that the "foldable" layout was skipped, and the "tablet" layout appeared on the screen.

#AndroidDev #KMP #MaterialDesign

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 12d

Did you know that the OutputTransformation API lets you format text fields in Jetpack Compose in real time?

Here's how to improve entering a card number. You can also use it for phone numbers, dates, postcodes, and more.

Do you already use OutputTransformation in your project?

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 13d

Your preview functions can be used not only for development but also as a tool to releasing apps without pixel imperfections.

Want to dive deeper into visual testing? Subscribe to my newsletter. Plus, you’ll be the first to know when my book on visual testing is released!

alexzh.com/

#AndroidDev

Mobile development with Alex

A blog about Android development & testing, Best Practices, Tips and Tricks

alexzh.com

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 13d

You now need only to make minor adjustments to implement visual tests.

Start strategically:
• Convert your design system and/or common components first
• Add preview functions for the most critical screens
• Gradually expand coverage to less critical screens

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 13d

But if you are already using Jetpack Compose, you can use ComposablePreviewScanner or the Compose Preview Screenshot Testing framework to transform your preview functions into visual tests.

You likely already created a preview function, which was the hard part.

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 13d

“We don’t have time for visual testing.” That’s what many Android developers say.

Many developers think that creating visual tests is hard, as they require separate test cases, learning new frameworks and approaches, and dealing with flaky CI pipelines.

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · 24d

I’ll be speaking at @droidcon.it in Turin about Android UI testing.

Here’s what I’ll cover:
• Getting started with natural language UI tests
• A technical comparison between Journeys, Espresso, UiAutomator, and Compose UI Test

Spoiler: There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

Droidcon Italy @droidcon.it · 27d

👤🟢 Welcome back @alexzh.com to Droidcon Italy 2025!
Mobile Engineer, Educator & Author 🇮🇹🎤

🔎 “The Complete Android UI Testing Landscape: From Journey to Traditional Approaches”
it.droidcon.com/2025/agenda/

👉🏻 Curious who else is speaking at hashtag#DroidconItaly25? it.droidcon.com/2025/speakers/

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Sep 25

The ButtonGroup component from Material 3 Expressive replaces the SegmentedButtons component. It supports more shapes and includes overflow buttons for additional components that can't fit on the screen.

#JetpackCompose

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Sep 18

Compose Multiplatform 1.9.0 is here! It now supports parameters for preview functions, including:

• name
• group
• locale
• widthDp
• heightDp
• showBackground
• backgroundColor

More details: github.com/JetBrains/c...

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Sep 17

3. Number formatting varies between countries.

Let's compare:

• US: 12,345,678.9
• FR: 12 345 678,9

Use "NumberFormat.getNumberInstance(locale)." for number formatting.

Which of these has caused issues in your apps?

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Sep 17

2. Date formats are often a reason for user confusion.

Is "01/02/2025" January 2nd or February 1st? Actually, it depends on the locale.

• US: MM/DD/YYYY
• UK: DD/MM/YYYY

Use "DateTimeFormatter" to format dates based on locale.

Apply a similar approach to time formatting.

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Sep 17

1. Currency formatting differs by country:

• US: $1,234.56
• DE: 1.234,56 €

Use "NumberFormat.getCurrencyInstance(locale)" for proper currency symbol positioning.

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Sep 17

Building global software isn't just about translation - it's about understanding cultural context.

Here are 3 critical locale pitfalls to solve before shipping globally:

1. Currency formatting
2. Date interpretation
3. Number separators

Details 🔽

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Sep 5

Thanks for joining my @droidconLisbon talk on visual testing for adaptive layouts!

Here are the slides:
speakerdeck.com/alexzhukovi...

Mastering Adaptive Layouts: Visual Testing for Every Screen

Android’s device ecosystem has expanded beyond phones - from foldable devices and tablets to Android TVs. Building truly adaptive layouts needs more tha…

speakerdeck.com

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Aug 30

Need to build list and detail screens in your Jetpack Compose project that adapt to different device types?

Check out the ListDetailPaneScaffold component from the Material3 adaptive-layout dependency.

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Aug 14

Did you know you can control the tooltip's position relative to its anchor starting from "material3:1.5.0-alpha01"?

Tooltips support the following positions:
• Above
• Below
• Start
• End

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Jul 23

Here is one more reason why you need visual tests which will verify your components and screens against system configuration options, like font scale.

Remember: Not everyone uses the default font size.

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Jul 13

Documentation: developer.android.com/reference/k...

MaterialShapes | API reference | Android Developers

developer.android.com

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Jul 13

Did you know that Material 3 Expressive introduces many additional shapes that you can use in Jetpack Compose?

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Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Jul 2

Want to see how your UI adapts to different wallpapers?

You can preview dynamic colors directly in Android Studio using the "wallpaper" parameter for preview annotation.

Does your app support dynamic colors?

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Jun 18

Compose Multiplatform 1.8.2 is now available. With this update, you can use preview parameters for Compose Multiplatform previews.

⚠️ Currently, the multiple previews are rendered in IntelliJ IDEA 2025.1.2 (stable version) and not rendered in Android Studio.

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Jun 17

Add this dependency to use the component:
implementation("androidx.compose.material3:material3-android:1.4.0-alpha15")

Alex Zhukovich @alexzh.com · Jun 17

Are you looking for a simple way to give access to important actions and keep the UI clean? Then, try HorizontalFloatingToolbar. It was recently released as part of Material 3 Expressive components.

⚠️ Currently in alpha

#AndroidDev #MaterialDesign #JetpackCompose

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