DisplaySwitcher
A custom iOS transition between list and grid layouts in UICollectionView with smooth animations.
What is DisplaySwitcher?
DisplaySwitcher is an iOS library that enables smooth animated transitions between list and grid layouts in UICollectionView. It solves the problem of jarring layout switches by providing a polished, interactive transition that maintains scroll position and enhances user experience in apps displaying collections of items.
iOS developers building apps with UICollectionView who need to offer users a choice between list and grid views, such as in social networking apps, dating apps, email clients, or any app featuring lists of contacts or items.
Developers choose DisplaySwitcher because it provides a ready-made, production-tested solution for layout transitions with smooth animations, precise scroll position handling, and easy integration via CocoaPods or Carthage, saving development time compared to building custom transition logic from scratch.
Overview
Custom transition between two collection view layouts
Use Cases
Best For
- Adding list/grid toggle functionality to social networking apps
- Implementing smooth layout transitions in dating app profiles
- Enhancing email clients with animated contact list views
- Building iOS apps with switchable display modes for collections
- Creating polished UICollectionView layout transitions without custom CADisplayLink code
- Improving user experience in apps with friend or contact lists
Not Ideal For
- Apps requiring layout transitions beyond simple list/grid switches, such as between three or more distinct layouts
- Projects built with SwiftUI or targeting iOS versions below 10.0
- Developers seeking a drop-in component without overriding UICollectionView delegate methods
- Teams prioritizing minimal code over custom animations for basic layout toggles
Pros & Cons
Pros
Uses CADisplayLink in TransitionManager for precise frame-by-frame timing, ensuring fluid transitions as detailed in the under-the-hood explanation.
BaseLayout implements custom content offset calculations to maintain user scroll position during layout changes, enhancing UX without jarring jumps.
While demoed for contacts, the library works with any UICollectionView content type, as explicitly stated in the use cases section.
Designed with Sketch and Principle for native iOS feel, offering out-of-the-box polished transitions that save development time.
Cons
Specifically built for only list-to-grid transitions, not adaptable to other layout combinations without significant code modification.
Requires overriding multiple UICollectionView methods and managing custom layout classes, increasing setup complexity and potential for errors.
Documentation targets Xcode 11 and Swift 5, which may lag behind current iOS development standards and frameworks like SwiftUI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
IGListKitA data-driven UICollectionView framework for building fast and flexible lists.
CollectionKitReimagining UICollectionView
ReusableA Swift mixin for reusing views easily and in a type-safe way (UITableViewCells, UICollectionViewCells, custom UIViews, ViewControllers, Storyboards…)
DwifftSwift Diff
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.