How i remove Drawer Routes From BackStack in jetpack compose?

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Summary

The issue at hand is related to Jetpack Compose Navigation and managing the back stack when dealing with both a bottom navigation bar and a navigation drawer. The problem arises when navigating between screens from the bottom bar and the navigation drawer, resulting in unexpected behavior when revisiting a bottom bar screen.

Root Cause

The root cause of this issue is the way the back stack is managed when navigating between the bottom bar and navigation drawer screens. Specifically:

  • When navigating to a screen from the navigation drawer, the previous screen (which could be from the bottom bar) is not properly removed from the back stack.
  • The use of launchSingleTop and restoreState in the navigation commands can lead to unexpected behavior when revisiting a screen.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This issue can occur in real systems due to the following reasons:

  • Complex navigation flows: When dealing with multiple navigation components (e.g., bottom bar and navigation drawer), the navigation flow can become complex, leading to unexpected behavior.
  • Incorrect use of navigation commands: Using navigation commands like launchSingleTop and restoreState without properly understanding their implications can lead to issues with the back stack.

Real-World Impact

The impact of this issue can be significant, leading to:

  • Confused users: Users may become confused when the app does not behave as expected, leading to a poor user experience.
  • Increased support requests: Users may report issues with the app’s navigation, leading to increased support requests and a higher burden on development teams.

Example or Code

@Composable
fun MainNavGraph(navController: NavHostController) {
    NavHost(
        navController = navController,
        startDestination = HomeRoute,
    ) {
        homeScreen()
        searchScreen()
        libraryScreen()
        premiumScreen()
        createScreen()
        navigation(startDestination = HistoryRoute) {
            historyScreen()
            newsScreen()
            settingsScreen()
        }
    }
}

// Switching bottom bar screens
navController.navigate(item.route) {
    popUpTo(navController.graph.startDestinationId) {
        saveState = true
    }
    launchSingleTop = true
    restoreState = true
}

// Switching navigation drawer screens
navController.navigate(item.route) {
    popUpTo(navController.graph.startDestinationId) {
        saveState = true
    }
    launchSingleTop = true
    restoreState = false
}

How Senior Engineers Fix It

To fix this issue, senior engineers would:

  • Properly manage the back stack: Use popUpTo and saveState to ensure that the previous screen is properly removed from the back stack when navigating to a new screen.
  • Use navigation commands correctly: Understand the implications of using launchSingleTop and restoreState and use them judiciously to achieve the desired navigation behavior.
  • Test thoroughly: Test the app’s navigation flow thoroughly to ensure that it behaves as expected in all scenarios.

Why Juniors Miss It

Juniors may miss this issue due to:

  • Lack of experience: Limited experience with complex navigation flows and navigation commands can lead to a lack of understanding of how to properly manage the back stack.
  • Insufficient testing: Inadequate testing of the app’s navigation flow can lead to unexpected behavior going unnoticed.
  • Incomplete understanding of navigation commands: Not fully understanding the implications of using launchSingleTop and restoreState can lead to incorrect use of these commands.