compose-state-authoring

Compose state authoring

Not every remember { … } belongs here. This skill covers local UI state (remember { mutableStateOf(…) }, mutableStateListOf / mutableStateMapOf) and @ReadOnlyComposable. Other remembered APIs live in focused skills:

• rememberCoroutineScope / rememberUpdatedState → compose-side-effects
• rememberLazyListState / rememberScrollState used for frame-rate reads → compose-state-deferred-reads
• Focus navigation, focus state, FocusRequester ownership, behavior → compose-focus-navigation

Core principle

A @Composable is a function the runtime re-runs whenever its inputs change. Writing local state correctly comes down to two questions:

1. Mutable local state — does my var survive recomposition and trigger it? If not, it silently resets on every recompose and writes are invisible.
2. What kind of composable is this? — do I mutate composition (place layout nodes, allocate slots, remember) or only read it? If only read, @ReadOnlyComposable lets the runtime skip work.

Get either wrong and the symptoms are subtle: state that vanishes or optimizations that don't apply.

When to use this skill

You're writing or reviewing Compose code and you see any of these:

• var x = … inside a @Composable fun or any composable lambda (Column { var x = … })
• A @Composable fun (or @Composable get() property accessor) whose body never lays anything out
• @ReadOnlyComposable on a function that calls Text, Box, Column, remember, …
• A composable whose visible state mysteriously resets on rotation, theme change, or recomposition

1. var in a composable must be State-backed

Recomposition re-executes the composable from the top. A local var is re-initialized on every pass — last recompose's value is gone, and writing to it doesn't tell the runtime to recompose.

// ❌ BAD — counter resets on every recomposition; clicks never update the UI
@Composable
fun Counter() {
    var count = 0
    Button(onClick = { count++ }) { Text("$count") }
}

// ❌ ALSO BAD — same rule applies inside composable content lambdas
@Composable
fun Wrapper() {
    Row {
        var count = 0         // Row's content lambda is @Composable too
        // …
    }
}

// ✅ GOOD — `remember` survives recomposition, `mutableStateOf` triggers it
@Composable
fun Counter() {
    var count by remember { mutableStateOf(0) }
    Button(onClick = { count++ }) { Text("$count") }
}

Two pieces and both matter:

• remember { … } — survives recomposition. Without it the value is re-created each time.
• mutableStateOf(…) — triggers recomposition. Without it, mutations are invisible to the runtime.

For collections, prefer mutableStateListOf / mutableStateMapOf (also remember-ed). They emit Snapshot reads on every read and Snapshot writes on every mutation. A remember { mutableStateOf(mutableListOf<X>()) } followed by list.add(x) will not recompose, because MutableList.add doesn't go through the State setter — you'd have to replace the value (state = state + x).

Back-writing snapshot state during composition

Back-writing means writing observable state in a phase that triggers invalidation of an earlier (or the current) phase. Mutating mutableState* from the composable body back-writes into the same composition pass and schedules another. Do not rebuild derived data this way:

// ❌ BAD — clear + putAll on every composition
val merged = remember { mutableStateMapOf<Key, ViewState>() }
merged.clear()
merged.putAll(parent)
merged.putAll(overlay)

// ✅ GOOD — immutable snapshot remembered from inputs
val merged = remember(parent, overlay) {
    if (overlay.isEmpty()) parent else parent + overlay
}

If the result is read-only for the current inputs, remember(keys) { … } is enough. See compose-state-deferred-reads for cross-row measurement and measure-phase fixes.

When this rule does NOT apply

• Inside remember { … }'s producer block. That runs once per key change, not on every recompose. A local var there is fine: val builder = remember { mutableListOf<X>().apply { var n = 0; … } }.
• In non-@Composable lambdas passed out of a composable. onClick = { var a = 0; … } is a plain () -> Unit. Local vars there are normal Kotlin.
• In plain (non-@Composable) helper functions. Only composable scopes are affected.

2. The @ReadOnlyComposable contract

@ReadOnlyComposable declares that a composable only reads composition state — no Text, no Box, no remember, no layout nodes, no positional slots. The runtime can then skip allocating a group for the call, which matters for fast accessor-style composables (MaterialTheme.colorScheme, LocalDensity.current, design-system token accessors).

The contract is bidirectional:

• Add @ReadOnlyComposable when every composable call your body makes is itself @ReadOnlyComposable (or there are no composable calls at all — for example a function that only reads LocalFoo.current and returns a value).
• Don't add it if you call any non-read-only composable. The optimization assumes you don't participate in composition; violating that produces incorrect recomposition behaviour for callers.

// ✅ GOOD — only reads composition locals, no layout, no remember
@Composable
@ReadOnlyComposable
fun appSpacing(): Dp = LocalDimensions.current.spacing

// ✅ GOOD — composable property getter; same rule
val accent: Color
    @Composable @ReadOnlyComposable
    get() = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.tertiary

// ❌ BAD — annotated read-only but lays out a Box; contract violated
@Composable
@ReadOnlyComposable
fun Header(): Int {
    Box {}                  // ← non-read-only composable call
    return 42
}

// ❌ BAD — calls a normal composable from a read-only one
@Composable
@ReadOnlyComposable
fun computed(): Int = nonReadOnlyHelper()

Heuristic for "should I add it"

If the body contains any of these, do not add @ReadOnlyComposable:

• A layout call: Box, Column, Row, LazyColumn, Text, anything from androidx.compose.foundation.layout or androidx.compose.material*.
• A side-effect call: LaunchedEffect, DisposableEffect, SideEffect, produceState.
• remember { … } — positional memoization is composition state.
• A @Composable lambda invocation (content()).
• An invocation of a non-@ReadOnlyComposable composable function.

If the body is only reading Local*.current, calling other @ReadOnlyComposable functions, or doing pure computation, add it.

When this rule does NOT apply

• override fun declarations. The annotation is part of the contract; if the base isn't @ReadOnlyComposable, you can't make an override one. Refactor the base, or accept the override pays the group-creation cost.
• Abstract declarations. No body to check.

Related: side effects live in their own skill

If a composable needs LaunchedEffect, DisposableEffect, SideEffect, rememberCoroutineScope, rememberUpdatedState, snapshotFlow, snackbar/navigation handling, analytics, or Flow collection, use compose-side-effects.

Focus splits by question: navigation, focus state, FocusRequester ownership, behavior → compose-focus-navigation; when to call imperative requestFocus (effect timing, lifecycle, keys, API choice) → compose-side-effects.

This skill is about authoring Compose state correctly. rememberUpdatedState is effect capture state, not a general replacement for remember { mutableStateOf(...) }. Side effects have separate lifecycle and keying rules, and keeping them in one focused skill avoids two sources of truth.

Quick reference

Symptom	Diagnosis	Fix
var x = … inside @Composable fun body	Not recomposition-safe (§1)	var x by remember { mutableStateOf(…) }
var x = … inside Column { … } / Row { … } content lambda	Same — content lambdas are @Composable (§1)	Same fix
remember { mutableStateOf(list) } then .add(x) not recomposing	Mutation bypasses State setter	Use mutableStateListOf, or replace the value: state = state + x
stateMap.clear(); stateMap.putAll(...) in composable body	Back-writing composition → composition	remember(keys) { derivedSnapshot }
@Composable fun with no Text/Box/remember/effect calls	Could be @ReadOnlyComposable (§2)	Add @ReadOnlyComposable above @Composable
@ReadOnlyComposable function that calls Box {} / Column {} / a normal composable	Contract violation (§2)	Remove @ReadOnlyComposable

When NOT to apply

• Tests with composeTestRule.setContent { … } follow the same rules — they're production composables.
• produceState has its own producer block that runs in a coroutine; you don't need LaunchedEffect inside it.
• derivedStateOf has its own concerns around stability and equality — out of scope here; it's about preventing recomposition, not authoring state.
• overrides of read-only-composable declarations: the annotation is fixed by the base; you can't add or remove it locally.

Red flags during review

Thought	Reality
"It's a small composable, the bare var is fine"	Recomposition can fire at any time. The reset is non-deterministic by design — and a single bug report later.
"I'll add @ReadOnlyComposable because the function looks simple"	"Simple" isn't the criterion. "Makes only read-only calls" is.
"I always reach for LaunchedEffect because it's the one I know"	Use compose-side-effects; effect API choice depends on lifecycle and keys.
"I'll just .add() to the remembered list"	A mutableStateOf(List) doesn't observe internal mutation — use mutableStateListOf or replace the value.
"The override needs @ReadOnlyComposable to match what it does"	If the base isn't @ReadOnlyComposable, you can't add it to an override. Refactor the base instead.