How do I add custom animations to ExpandedTabBar?

Implement the AnimationProtocol to create custom animations and use the .custom(AnimationProtocol) option in animationType. The README shows an example with TransformAnimation for scaling and rotation effects.

ExpandedTabBar vs Apple's default more navigation: which is better?

ExpandedTabBar offers more UI flexibility and smoother animations compared to the default, which uses a navigation controller. However, it requires more setup and customization, so it's better for apps needing enhanced design over simplicity.

Can I use ExpandedTabBar with SwiftUI?

No, it's designed for UIKit and UITabBarController. To use it in SwiftUI, you'd need to wrap it in a UIViewRepresentable, which adds complexity and may not be straightforward for SwiftUI-centric projects.

How to handle tab selection events in ExpandedTabBar?

Implement the ExpandedTabBarControllerDelegate protocol and set the expandedDelegate. The delegate method provides callbacks with the selected view controller and tab bar item for custom logic, as shown in the examples.

What installation methods does ExpandedTabBar support?

It supports CocoaPods and Swift Package Manager, with clear instructions in the README for adding dependencies via Podfile or Package.swift, making integration straightforward.

What are the indicator types available in ExpandedTabBar?

It supports .none, .connectedLine, and .triangle indicators. You can set these via the indicatorType property in options to visually highlight the selected tab, with .triangle as the default.

Open-Awesome

ExpandedTabBar

NOASSERTIONSwift3.0.1

A creative iOS solution for handling overflow tab bar items with an expandable "more" menu and customizable animations.

GitHub

308 stars19 forks0 contributors

What is ExpandedTabBar?

ExpandedTabBar is an open-source iOS library that extends UITabBarController to handle overflow tab items through an expandable "more" menu. It solves the problem of limited tab bar space by providing a customizable popup interface with smooth animations, replacing the default iOS navigation controller approach. This creates a more comfortable and intuitive user interface for apps with many tabs.

Target Audience

iOS developers building apps with UITabBarController that need to accommodate more tabs than the screen can fit, especially those prioritizing custom UI/UX and smooth animations.

Value Proposition

Developers choose ExpandedTabBar for its high customizability, native iOS feel, and creative design options—offering multiple animation types, dark mode support, and extensive visual customization without external dependencies.

Overview

ExpandedTabBar is a very creative designed solution for "more" items in UITabBarController. It's greate experience to have more comfortable and intuitive UI.

Use Cases

Best For

iOS apps with many tab bar items that exceed screen width
Enhancing UITabBarController with custom animations and transitions
Implementing dark-mode compatible tab bar interfaces
Replacing the default iOS "More" navigation controller
Creating visually distinctive tab bars with custom indicators
Building apps requiring programmatic or storyboard-based tab bar setup

Not Ideal For

Apps that strictly adhere to Apple's default UI without any custom tab bar modifications
Projects where all tab bar items fit on screen and no overflow handling is needed
Cross-platform applications requiring consistent tab behavior across iOS and Android
Teams looking for a drop-in solution with zero configuration and minimal learning curve

Pros & Cons

Pros

Rich Animation Library

Offers multiple pre-built animations like translate, zoom, and rotate, plus the ability to create custom animations via AnimationProtocol, enhancing user experience with smooth transitions.

Comprehensive Visual Control

Provides extensive customization options for backgrounds, containers, tabs, and shadows, allowing developers to match any app design precisely through protocols like Options and ContainerOptions.

Seamless iOS Integration

Supports both programmatic and storyboard setup, making it easy to integrate into existing UITabBarController-based projects without external dependencies.

Built-in Dark Mode

Uses pattern-based color definitions (e.g., .pattern(light:dark:)) to automatically support light and dark modes, ensuring UI consistency with system themes.

Cons

iOS Version Limitation

Requires iOS 11.0 or higher, which may exclude support for older devices and limit app compatibility for projects targeting earlier iOS versions.

Setup Complexity for Advanced Features

Configuring custom animations and detailed visual options can be cumbersome, requiring a deeper understanding of protocols like AnimationProtocol and TransformAnimation.

Narrow Use Case

Primarily beneficial only when dealing with overflow tab items; for standard tab bars without overflow, it introduces unnecessary overhead and complexity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

animated-tab-bar

:octocat: RAMAnimatedTabBarController is a Swift UI module library for adding animation to iOS tabbar items and icons. iOS library made by @Ramotion

Stars11,085

Forks1,305

Last commit4 years ago

XLPagerTabStrip

Android PagerTabStrip for iOS.

Stars6,995

Forks1,311

Last commit2 years ago

FoldingTabBar.iOS

Folding Tab Bar and Tab Bar Controller

Stars3,662

Forks449