How to set up deep linking with RouteComposer?

RouteComposer simplifies deep linking by allowing you to define navigation configurations that can be triggered via URLs. In the app delegate, extract parameters like product IDs and use the router to navigate to the appropriate screen, as shown in the deep-linking example in the README.

RouteComposer or Coordinator: which should I use?

RouteComposer is designed as a drop-in replacement for the Coordinator pattern, offering more modularity and less boilerplate with declarative configurations. However, if your team is already experienced with Coordinators and has a simple setup, refactoring might not be worth the initial overhead.

Can RouteComposer work with SwiftUI?

Yes, RouteComposer is compatible with SwiftUI and can handle mixed UIKit and SwiftUI navigation. The example app includes SwiftUI integration, but it's primarily optimized for UIKit-based flows, so SwiftUI usage might require additional bridging.

What's the performance impact of using RouteComposer?

RouteComposer adds abstraction layers that might introduce minor runtime overhead due to protocol conformance and dynamic lookups. However, for most apps, this impact is negligible compared to the benefits of maintainable, decoupled navigation code, as it uses standard UIKit methods under the hood.

How do I handle authentication before routing with RouteComposer?

Implement a RoutingInterceptor to check authentication status. If the user isn't logged in, you can present a login screen and resume routing after success, as demonstrated in the LoginInterceptor example in the README. This keeps authentication logic separate from view controllers.

Is RouteComposer suitable for large-scale iOS apps?

Yes, testimonials from companies like Hudson's Bay Company and B.W.A. indicate it's effective for large-scale applications with complex navigation needs, such as deep linking and A/B testing. However, ensure your team is prepared for the initial configuration complexity.

Open-Awesome

RouteComposer

MITSwift2.22.1

A protocol-oriented iOS library for declarative view controller composition, navigation, and deep linking, replacing the Coordinator pattern.

GitHub

926 stars64 forks0 contributors

What is RouteComposer?

RouteComposer is a protocol-oriented Swift library for iOS that handles view controller composition, navigation, and deep linking through declarative configurations. It solves the problem of tangled navigation code by separating routing logic from view controllers, enabling flexible and reusable navigation flows. It can replace the Coordinator pattern and works alongside UIKit and SwiftUI.

Target Audience

iOS developers building complex navigation flows, deep linking, or A/B testing scenarios, especially those using UIKit and seeking to decouple navigation logic from view controllers.

Value Proposition

Developers choose RouteComposer for its declarative configuration, deep linking out-of-the-box, and ability to replace Coordinator patterns with a more modular, protocol-oriented approach that reduces boilerplate and improves testability.

Overview

Protocol oriented, Cocoa UI abstractions based library that helps to handle view controllers composition, navigation and deep linking tasks in the iOS application. Can be used as the universal replacement for the Coordinator pattern.

Use Cases

Best For

Replacing Coordinator patterns in iOS apps
Implementing deep linking and universal links
Building A/B tests with different navigation layouts
Decoupling navigation logic from view controllers
Handling complex view controller compositions
Integrating navigation interceptors like authentication checks

Not Ideal For

iOS projects with simple, linear navigation that don't require complex flows or deep linking
Teams exclusively using SwiftUI who prefer its native navigation stack over UIKit integration
Applications prioritizing minimal external dependencies where Apple's built-in navigation suffices

Pros & Cons

Pros

Declarative Navigation Flows

Enables defining navigation steps with a fluent API, cleanly separating routing logic from view controllers, as shown in the Configuration.productScreen example in the README.

Built-in Deep Linking

Makes every view controller deep-linkable by default, simplifying universal link handling without extra code, highlighted in the deep-linking section of the README.

Coordinator Pattern Replacement

Reduces boilerplate associated with the Coordinator pattern by providing a modular, protocol-oriented alternative, evidenced by testimonials from companies like Viz.ai in the README.

Flexible Interceptor Hooks

Supports routing interceptors for tasks like authentication checks and post-routing analytics, allowing seamless integration of business logic into navigation, as described in the interceptor examples.

Cons

Verbose Configuration

Requires implementing multiple protocols (Factory, Finder, Action, etc.) for each view controller, leading to a steeper initial setup compared to simpler solutions, as seen in the implementation examples.

UIKit-Centric Design

While compatible with SwiftUI, the library is fundamentally built around UIKit abstractions, which might not align well with pure SwiftUI projects and adds complexity for SwiftUI-only teams.

Limited Community Adoption

Has a smaller ecosystem and community support compared to more established navigation libraries, which could impact long-term maintenance, third-party resources, and troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

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