FAPanels
A Swift library for creating customizable side panel menus (left/right) with smooth animations and transitions in iOS apps.
What is FAPanels?
FAPanels is an iOS library written in Swift that provides a container view controller for implementing side panel navigation menus. It allows developers to easily add left and/or right sliding panels (like drawers) to their apps, with a highly customizable center content area. The library solves the need for a robust, animation-rich navigation system without requiring extensive custom UI code.
iOS developers building apps that require side menu navigation, such as dashboards, media players, or productivity tools. It's particularly useful for those seeking a drop-in solution with extensive customization options.
Developers choose FAPanels for its extensive feature set, including 15+ built-in animations, flexible panel positioning, and granular configuration—all while maintaining a simple API. It's a lightweight, pure-Swift alternative to heavier navigation libraries.
Overview
FAPanels - Swift
Use Cases
Best For
- Adding sliding side menus (hamburger menus) to iOS apps
- Creating dashboard-style apps with multiple navigation panels
- Implementing customizable drawer navigation with smooth animations
- Building media or utility apps with left/right panel controls
- Prototyping iOS apps with complex navigation layouts quickly
- Enhancing existing apps with interactive panel gestures
Not Ideal For
- Projects built entirely with SwiftUI that require native side menu components without UIKit bridging
- Apps where minimizing third-party dependencies is critical due to strict bundle size or security policies
- Teams needing out-of-the-box accessibility features like VoiceOver support, as the README focuses on visual customization
- Complex navigation flows requiring deep linking or state restoration that might not be fully supported by the panel controller
Pros & Cons
Pros
Includes 15+ built-in transition types like flip, curl, and cross-dissolve, enabling polished UI effects without custom animation code, as shown in the GIF examples.
Offers granular control over panel widths, positions, gestures, and shadows through FAPanelConfigurations, allowing fine-tuned behavior for diverse app needs.
Can be set up entirely in code or via Interface Builder, catering to different development workflows, as demonstrated in the usage steps.
Supports Swift 5.0, Xcode 10, and Swift Package Manager, indicating ongoing updates and compatibility with modern iOS toolchains.
Cons
Tied to UIKit, so it doesn't natively support SwiftUI, requiring extra bridging work for projects adopting Apple's newer declarative UI framework.
The multitude of options can lead to a steep learning curve and subtle bugs, as evidenced by past issues like frame distortions with navigation controllers that needed fixes.
Has fewer stars and contributions compared to more popular libraries, which might affect the availability of tutorials, third-party integrations, and long-term support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
RESideMenuiOS 7/8 style side menu with parallax effect.
SideMenuSimple side/slide menu control for iOS, no code necessary! Lots of customization. Add it to your project in 5 minutes or less.
ViewDeckAn implementation of the sliding menu found in various iOS apps.
PageMenuA paging menu controller built from other view controllers placed inside a scroll view (like Spotify, Windows Phone, Instagram)
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