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Developer Blog

Getting Started with Directus and Android with Kotlin

Published July 1st, 2024

Written By
Ekekenta Clinton
Ekekenta Clinton
Guest Author
TagsGuest AuthorGetting Started

In this tutorial, you will learn how to set up an Android project with Kotlin and Directus. We'll cover initializing the project, creating a helper library for the Directus SDK, setting up global configurations, and creating dynamic pages, including a blog listing and a blog single view.

Before You Start ​

You will need:

Initialize a Project ​

Open your Android Studio and create a new project by clicking Start a new Android Studio project from the welcome screen, or click on File -> New -> New Project if you created a project on Android Studio before. Select Empty Activity, name your project DirectusApp and, click the Finish button.

Open your build.gradule module file and add the following dependencies in the dependencies section:

groovy
dependencies {
    
    implementation("androidx.navigation:navigation-fragment-ktx:2.3.5")
    implementation("androidx.navigation:navigation-ui-ktx:2.3.5")
    implementation("com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit:2.9.0")
    implementation("com.squareup.retrofit2:converter-gson:2.9.0")
    implementation("org.jetbrains:markdown:0.7.3")
}
dependencies {
    
    implementation("androidx.navigation:navigation-fragment-ktx:2.3.5")
    implementation("androidx.navigation:navigation-ui-ktx:2.3.5")
    implementation("com.squareup.retrofit2:retrofit:2.9.0")
    implementation("com.squareup.retrofit2:converter-gson:2.9.0")
    implementation("org.jetbrains:markdown:0.7.3")
}

Once the changes are made, a modal will appear suggesting you sync the project. Click on the Sync button to install the dependencies.

Create a Helper Library for the Directus SDK ​

Right-click on the com.example.directusapp directory and select New -> New Kotlin FIle/Class -> File and name it Constants. This is where you will define all the constants for this app like your Directus URL. Add the code to the Constants.kt file:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp

object Constants {
    const val BASE_URL = "https://directus.example.com"
}
package com.example.directusapp

object Constants {
    const val BASE_URL = "https://directus.example.com"
}

Then right-click on the com.example.directusapp directory and select New -> Package to create a network package. In your network package, create a new Kotlin file named DirectusHelper and define the Directus API service:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory

interface DirectusApiService {
    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory

interface DirectusApiService {
    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}

The above code defines a DirectusAPIService that includes a create() function to set up a Retrofit instance. This function creates a Retrofit.Builder object, imports the Constants object and sets the base URL using baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL), adds the GsonConverterFactory for handling JSON data conversion, builds the Retrofit instance with build(), and creates an implementation of the DirectusApiService interface using create(DirectusApiService::class.java).

Similarly to the network package, create a model and create a new Kotlin file named Models in the model package and define the app models:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.model

data class Author(
    val id: Int,
    val name: String,
)

data class Blog(
    val id: Int,
    val title: String,
    val content: String,
    val dateCreated: String,
    val author: Author
)

data class Page(
    val slug: String,
    val title: String,
    val content: String,
)

data class Global(
    val id: Int,
    val title: String,
    val description: String,
)

data class BlogResponse(
    val data: Blog
)

data class BlogsResponse(
    val data: List<Blog>
)

data class PageResponse(
    val data: List<Page>
)

data class GlobalResponse(
    val data: Global
)
package com.example.directusapp.model

data class Author(
    val id: Int,
    val name: String,
)

data class Blog(
    val id: Int,
    val title: String,
    val content: String,
    val dateCreated: String,
    val author: Author
)

data class Page(
    val slug: String,
    val title: String,
    val content: String,
)

data class Global(
    val id: Int,
    val title: String,
    val description: String,
)

data class BlogResponse(
    val data: Blog
)

data class BlogsResponse(
    val data: List<Blog>
)

data class PageResponse(
    val data: List<Page>
)

data class GlobalResponse(
    val data: Global
)

The above code defines data classes for different Directus collections and their respective response models.

Using Global Metadata and Settings ​

In your Directus Data Studio, click on Settings -> Data Model and create a new collection named global. Select 'Treat as a single object' under the Singleton option because this will only have a single entry containing the app's global metadata. Create two text input fields - one with the key title and one with description.

Dirctus collections are not accessible to the public by default, click on Settings -> Access Control -> Public and give Read access to the global collection.

Then click on the content module and select the global collection. A collection would normally display a list of items, but since this is a singleton, it will launch directly into the one-item form. Enter information in the title and description field and hit save.

Creating global collection

Update the code in your DirectusHelper.kt file in your network package to define a Get endpoint to fetch the global metadata from Directus:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET

interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET

interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}

Right-click on your ui package, and create a new Kotlin file named HomePageScreen:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.*
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.network.DirectusApiService

@Composable
fun BlogHomeScreen() {
    var globalResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<GlobalResponse?>(null) }
    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    val scope = rememberCoroutineScope()

    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        scope.launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                globalResponse = apiService.getGlobal()

            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    if (errorMessage != null) {
        Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.error)
    } else {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier
                .fillMaxSize()
                .padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            globalResponse?.let { response ->
                Text(text = response.data.title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
                Text(text = response.data.description, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
            }
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.*
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.network.DirectusApiService

@Composable
fun BlogHomeScreen() {
    var globalResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<GlobalResponse?>(null) }
    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    val scope = rememberCoroutineScope()

    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        scope.launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                globalResponse = apiService.getGlobal()

            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    if (errorMessage != null) {
        Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.error)
    } else {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier
                .fillMaxSize()
                .padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            globalResponse?.let { response ->
                Text(text = response.data.title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
                Text(text = response.data.description, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
            }
        }
    }
}

Update your MainActivity class in the MainActivity.kt file to render the BlogHomeScreen screen.

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
import androidx.activity.compose.setContent
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.tooling.preview.Preview
import com.example.directusapp.ui.BlogHomeScreen
import com.example.directusapp.ui.theme.DirectusAppTheme

class directusapp : ComponentActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContent {
            DirectusAppTheme {
                // A surface container using the 'background' color from the theme
                Surface(
                    modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.background
                ) {
                    BlogHomeScreen()
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
import androidx.activity.compose.setContent
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.tooling.preview.Preview
import com.example.directusapp.ui.BlogHomeScreen
import com.example.directusapp.ui.theme.DirectusAppTheme

class directusapp : ComponentActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContent {
            DirectusAppTheme {
                // A surface container using the 'background' color from the theme
                Surface(
                    modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.background
                ) {
                    BlogHomeScreen()
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Update your AndroidManifest.xml file in app/src/main/ directory and grant your application access to the internet.

xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:dataExtractionRules="@xml/data_extraction_rules"
        android:fullBackupContent="@xml/backup_rules"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/Theme.DirectusApp"
        tools:targetApi="31">
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:exported="true"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:theme="@style/Theme.DirectusApp">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> 
</manifest>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:dataExtractionRules="@xml/data_extraction_rules"
        android:fullBackupContent="@xml/backup_rules"
        android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"
        android:supportsRtl="true"
        android:theme="@style/Theme.DirectusApp"
        tools:targetApi="31">
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:exported="true"
            android:label="@string/app_name"
            android:theme="@style/Theme.DirectusApp">
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
    </application>

    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> 
</manifest>

Now click on the Run icon at the top of your Android Studio Window to run the application.

Showing metadata from Directus global collection

Creating Pages With Directus ​

Create a new collection called pages - make the Primary ID Field a "Manually Entered String" called slug, which will correlate with the URL for the page. For example, about will later correlate to the page localhost:3000/about.

Create a text input field called title and a WYSIWYG input field called content. In Access Control, give the Public role read access to the new collection. Create 3 items in the new collection - here's some sample data.

Creating pages collection

Then update your DirectusHelper file to add another endpoint to fetch the page data from Directus:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET


interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    @GET("items/pages")
    suspend fun getPages(): PageResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET


interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    @GET("items/pages")
    suspend fun getPages(): PageResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}

Update your BlogHomeScreen to display the pages data:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxWidth
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.*
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import androidx.navigation.NavController
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.LazyColumn
import com.example.directusapp.ui.MarkdownView

@Composable
fun BlogHomeScreen(navController: NavController) {
    var globalResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<GlobalResponse?>(null) }
    var pagesResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<PageResponse?>(null) }

    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    val scope = rememberCoroutineScope()

    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        scope.launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                globalResponse = apiService.getGlobal()
                pagesResponse = apiService.getPages()

            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    if (errorMessage != null) {
        Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.error)
    } else {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier
                .fillMaxSize()
                .padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            pagesResponse?.let { response ->
              Text(text = response.data[0].title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
              Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
              MarkdownView(markdownText = response.data[0].content.trimIndent())
              Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
            }
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxWidth
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.*
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import androidx.navigation.NavController
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.LazyColumn
import com.example.directusapp.ui.MarkdownView

@Composable
fun BlogHomeScreen(navController: NavController) {
    var globalResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<GlobalResponse?>(null) }
    var pagesResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<PageResponse?>(null) }

    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    val scope = rememberCoroutineScope()

    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        scope.launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                globalResponse = apiService.getGlobal()
                pagesResponse = apiService.getPages()

            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    if (errorMessage != null) {
        Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.error)
    } else {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier
                .fillMaxSize()
                .padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            pagesResponse?.let { response ->
              Text(text = response.data[0].title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
              Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
              MarkdownView(markdownText = response.data[0].content.trimIndent())
              Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
            }
        }
    }
}

Create another file named MarkdownView and create a MarkdownView composable function to render the WYSIWYG content from the collection of the pages:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import android.webkit.WebView
import android.webkit.WebViewClient
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.ui.viewinterop.AndroidView
import org.intellij.markdown.flavours.gfm.GFMFlavourDescriptor
import org.intellij.markdown.html.HtmlGenerator
import org.intellij.markdown.parser.MarkdownParser

@Composable
fun MarkdownView(markdownText: String) {
    val htmlContent = markdownToHtml(markdownText)

    AndroidView(factory = { context ->
        WebView(context).apply {
            webViewClient = WebViewClient()
            loadDataWithBaseURL(null, htmlContent, "text/html", "UTF-8", null)
        }
    }, update = {
        it.loadDataWithBaseURL(null, htmlContent, "text/html", "UTF-8", null)
    })
}

fun markdownToHtml(markdownText: String): String {
    val flavour = GFMFlavourDescriptor()
    val parser = MarkdownParser(flavour)
    val parsedTree = parser.buildMarkdownTreeFromString(markdownText)
    val htmlGenerator = HtmlGenerator(markdownText, parsedTree, flavour)
    return htmlGenerator.generateHtml()
}
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import android.webkit.WebView
import android.webkit.WebViewClient
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.ui.viewinterop.AndroidView
import org.intellij.markdown.flavours.gfm.GFMFlavourDescriptor
import org.intellij.markdown.html.HtmlGenerator
import org.intellij.markdown.parser.MarkdownParser

@Composable
fun MarkdownView(markdownText: String) {
    val htmlContent = markdownToHtml(markdownText)

    AndroidView(factory = { context ->
        WebView(context).apply {
            webViewClient = WebViewClient()
            loadDataWithBaseURL(null, htmlContent, "text/html", "UTF-8", null)
        }
    }, update = {
        it.loadDataWithBaseURL(null, htmlContent, "text/html", "UTF-8", null)
    })
}

fun markdownToHtml(markdownText: String): String {
    val flavour = GFMFlavourDescriptor()
    val parser = MarkdownParser(flavour)
    val parsedTree = parser.buildMarkdownTreeFromString(markdownText)
    val htmlGenerator = HtmlGenerator(markdownText, parsedTree, flavour)
    return htmlGenerator.generateHtml()
}

Refresh the app to see the changes.

Displaying the pages

Creating Blog Posts With Directus ​

Back to your Directus Data studio, create a collection to store and manage your user's blog posts. First, create a collection named author with a single text input field named name. Add one or more authors to the collection.

Create another collection called blogs and add the following fields:

  • slug: Primary key field, Manually entered string
  • title: Text input field
  • content: WYSIWYG input field
  • image: Image relational field
  • author: Many-to-one relational field with the related collection set to authors

Add 3 items in the posts collection - here's some sample data.

Then update your DirectusHelper file to add another endpoint to fetch the blog data:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogsResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET


interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    @GET("items/pages")
    suspend fun getPages(): PageResponse

    @GET("items/blogs?fields=*,author.name")
    suspend fun getBlogs(): BlogsResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogsResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET


interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    @GET("items/pages")
    suspend fun getPages(): PageResponse

    @GET("items/blogs?fields=*,author.name")
    suspend fun getBlogs(): BlogsResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}

Update your BlogHomeScreen to render the blogs:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxWidth
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.*
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import androidx.navigation.NavController
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.LazyColumn
import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.BlendMode.Companion.Screen
import com.example.directusapp.ui.MarkdownView
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogsResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.Blog
import com.example.directusapp.network.DirectusApiService

@Composable
fun BlogHomeScreen(navController: NavController) {
    var blogsResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<BlogsResponse?>(null) }
    var pagesResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<PageResponse?>(null) }
    var globalResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<GlobalResponse?>(null) }
    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    val scope = rememberCoroutineScope()

    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        scope.launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                blogsResponse = apiService.getBlogs()
                pagesResponse = apiService.getPages()
                globalResponse = apiService.getGlobal()
                println(pagesResponse)
                println(globalResponse)

            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    if (errorMessage != null) {
        Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.error)
    } else {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier
                .fillMaxSize()
                .padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            // Display the page title and content
            pagesResponse?.let { response ->
                Text(text = response.data[0].title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
                MarkdownView(markdownText = response.data[0].content.trimIndent())
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
            }
            Text(text = "Blog Posts", style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
            Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(10.dp))
            blogsResponse?.let { response ->
                LazyColumn {
                    items(response.data.size) { index ->
                        BlogItem(response.data[index], navController)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

@Composable
fun BlogItem(blog: Blog, navController: NavController) {
    Column(
        modifier = Modifier
            .fillMaxWidth()
            .clickable {
                navController.navigate(Screen.BlogDetail.createRoute(blog.id))
                println(blog.id)
            }
            .padding(16.dp)
    ) {

        Text(text = "${blog.title} - ${blog.author}", style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleMedium)
        Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
        Text(text = blog.dateCreated, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium)
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxWidth
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.*
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import androidx.navigation.NavController
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.LazyColumn
import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.BlendMode.Companion.Screen
import com.example.directusapp.ui.MarkdownView
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogsResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.Blog
import com.example.directusapp.network.DirectusApiService

@Composable
fun BlogHomeScreen(navController: NavController) {
    var blogsResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<BlogsResponse?>(null) }
    var pagesResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<PageResponse?>(null) }
    var globalResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<GlobalResponse?>(null) }
    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    val scope = rememberCoroutineScope()

    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
        scope.launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                blogsResponse = apiService.getBlogs()
                pagesResponse = apiService.getPages()
                globalResponse = apiService.getGlobal()
                println(pagesResponse)
                println(globalResponse)

            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    if (errorMessage != null) {
        Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.error)
    } else {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier
                .fillMaxSize()
                .padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            // Display the page title and content
            pagesResponse?.let { response ->
                Text(text = response.data[0].title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
                MarkdownView(markdownText = response.data[0].content.trimIndent())
                Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
            }
            Text(text = "Blog Posts", style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
            Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(10.dp))
            blogsResponse?.let { response ->
                LazyColumn {
                    items(response.data.size) { index ->
                        BlogItem(response.data[index], navController)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

@Composable
fun BlogItem(blog: Blog, navController: NavController) {
    Column(
        modifier = Modifier
            .fillMaxWidth()
            .clickable {
                navController.navigate(Screen.BlogDetail.createRoute(blog.id))
                println(blog.id)
            }
            .padding(16.dp)
    ) {

        Text(text = "${blog.title} - ${blog.author}", style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleMedium)
        Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
        Text(text = blog.dateCreated, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium)
    }
}

Refresh your application to see the updates.

Display the blog listing page

Create Blog Post Listing ​

Each blog post links to a screen that does not yet exist. Right-click the ui package and create a new Kotlin file named BlogDetailScreen:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.ExperimentalMaterial3Api
import androidx.compose.material3.Icon
import androidx.compose.material3.IconButton
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Scaffold
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.material3.TopAppBar
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.runtime.LaunchedEffect
import androidx.compose.runtime.getValue
import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableStateOf
import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
import androidx.compose.runtime.setValue
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import androidx.navigation.NavController
import com.example.directusapp.network.DirectusApiService
import androidx.compose.material.icons.Icons
import androidx.compose.material.icons.filled.ArrowBack
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogResponse


@OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3Api::class)
@Composable
fun BlogDetailScreen(blogId: Int, navController: NavController) {
    var blogResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<BlogResponse?>(null) }
    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    LaunchedEffect(blogId) {
        launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                blogResponse = apiService.getBlogById(blogId)
            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    Scaffold(
        topBar = {
            TopAppBar(
                title = { Text("Blog Detail") },
                navigationIcon = {
                    IconButton(onClick = { navController.navigateUp() }) {
                        Icon(
                            imageVector = Icons.Filled.ArrowBack,
                            contentDescription = "Back"
                        )
                    }
                }
            )
        }
    ) {
        if (errorMessage != null) {
            Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyLarge)
        } else {
            if (blogResponse != null) {
                // Render content using `blogResponse.data`
                val blog = blogResponse!!.data
                Column(
                    modifier = Modifier
                        .fillMaxSize()
                        .padding(it)
                        .padding(16.dp)
                ) {
                    Text(text = blog.title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                    Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
                    Text(text = blog.dateCreated, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium)
                    Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
                    MarkdownView(markdownText = blog.content.trimIndent())
                }
            } else{
                Text(text="Loading")
            }
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
import androidx.compose.material3.ExperimentalMaterial3Api
import androidx.compose.material3.Icon
import androidx.compose.material3.IconButton
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Scaffold
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.material3.TopAppBar
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.runtime.LaunchedEffect
import androidx.compose.runtime.getValue
import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableStateOf
import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
import androidx.compose.runtime.setValue
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
import androidx.navigation.NavController
import com.example.directusapp.network.DirectusApiService
import androidx.compose.material.icons.Icons
import androidx.compose.material.icons.filled.ArrowBack
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogResponse


@OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3Api::class)
@Composable
fun BlogDetailScreen(blogId: Int, navController: NavController) {
    var blogResponse by remember { mutableStateOf<BlogResponse?>(null) }
    var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }

    LaunchedEffect(blogId) {
        launch {
            try {
                val apiService = DirectusApiService.create()
                blogResponse = apiService.getBlogById(blogId)
            } catch (e: Exception) {
                errorMessage = e.message
            }
        }
    }

    Scaffold(
        topBar = {
            TopAppBar(
                title = { Text("Blog Detail") },
                navigationIcon = {
                    IconButton(onClick = { navController.navigateUp() }) {
                        Icon(
                            imageVector = Icons.Filled.ArrowBack,
                            contentDescription = "Back"
                        )
                    }
                }
            )
        }
    ) {
        if (errorMessage != null) {
            Text(text = "Error: $errorMessage", style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyLarge)
        } else {
            if (blogResponse != null) {
                // Render content using `blogResponse.data`
                val blog = blogResponse!!.data
                Column(
                    modifier = Modifier
                        .fillMaxSize()
                        .padding(it)
                        .padding(16.dp)
                ) {
                    Text(text = blog.title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge)
                    Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(8.dp))
                    Text(text = blog.dateCreated, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium)
                    Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))
                    MarkdownView(markdownText = blog.content.trimIndent())
                }
            } else{
                Text(text="Loading")
            }
        }
    }
}

The above code defines a composable function called BlogDetailScreen that displays the details of a blog post retrieved from an API. It uses the Scaffold component with a TopAppBar that has a back button to navigate up the screen hierarchy. The screen fetches blog data from an API service using a coroutine and stores it in the blogResponse state variable. If there is an error, the errorMessage state variable is set. If the blog data is successfully fetched, it renders the blog title, date created, and content using the custom MarkdownView composable function.

Then update your DirectusHelper file to add an endpoint to fetch blogs by their id:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogsResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET
import retrofit2.http.Path

interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    @GET("items/pages")
    suspend fun getPages(): PageResponse

    @GET("items/blog?fields=*,author.name")
    suspend fun getBlogs(): BlogsResponse

    @GET("items/blog/{id}?fields=*,author.name")
    suspend fun getBlogById(@Path("id") id: Int): BlogResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.network
import com.example.directusapp.Constants
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogsResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.BlogResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.GlobalResponse
import com.example.directusapp.model.PageResponse
import retrofit2.Retrofit
import retrofit2.converter.gson.GsonConverterFactory
import retrofit2.http.GET
import retrofit2.http.Path

interface DirectusApiService {
    @GET("items/global")
    suspend fun getGlobal(): GlobalResponse

    @GET("items/pages")
    suspend fun getPages(): PageResponse

    @GET("items/blog?fields=*,author.name")
    suspend fun getBlogs(): BlogsResponse

    @GET("items/blog/{id}?fields=*,author.name")
    suspend fun getBlogById(@Path("id") id: Int): BlogResponse

    companion object {

        fun create(): DirectusApiService {
            val retrofit = Retrofit.Builder()
                .baseUrl(Constants.BASE_URL)
                .addConverterFactory(GsonConverterFactory.create())
                .build()
            return retrofit.create(DirectusApiService::class.java)
        }
    }
}

Add Navigation ​

To allow your users to navigate the BlogDetailScreen and back to the BlogHomeScreen you need to implement navigation in the app. In the ui package, create a new Kotlin file named NavGraph:

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.navigation.NavHostController
import androidx.navigation.compose.NavHost
import androidx.navigation.compose.composable

sealed class Screen(val route: String) {
    object BlogList : Screen("blogList")
    object BlogDetail : Screen("blogDetail/{blogId}") {
        fun createRoute(blogId: Int) = "blogDetail/$blogId"
    }
}

@Composable
fun NavGraph(navController: NavHostController) {
    NavHost(navController, startDestination = Screen.BlogList.route) {
        composable(Screen.BlogList.route) {
            BlogHomeScreen(navController)
        }
        composable(Screen.BlogDetail.route) { backStackEntry ->
            val blogIdString = backStackEntry.arguments?.getString("blogId")
            val blogId = blogIdString?.toIntOrNull()
            if (blogId != null) {
                BlogDetailScreen(blogId, navController)
            }
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp.ui

import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.navigation.NavHostController
import androidx.navigation.compose.NavHost
import androidx.navigation.compose.composable

sealed class Screen(val route: String) {
    object BlogList : Screen("blogList")
    object BlogDetail : Screen("blogDetail/{blogId}") {
        fun createRoute(blogId: Int) = "blogDetail/$blogId"
    }
}

@Composable
fun NavGraph(navController: NavHostController) {
    NavHost(navController, startDestination = Screen.BlogList.route) {
        composable(Screen.BlogList.route) {
            BlogHomeScreen(navController)
        }
        composable(Screen.BlogDetail.route) { backStackEntry ->
            val blogIdString = backStackEntry.arguments?.getString("blogId")
            val blogId = blogIdString?.toIntOrNull()
            if (blogId != null) {
                BlogDetailScreen(blogId, navController)
            }
        }
    }
}

For the navigation, update your MainActivity file to render the NavGraph.

kotlin
package com.example.directusapp

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
import androidx.activity.compose.setContent
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.navigation.compose.rememberNavController
import com.example.directusapp.ui.NavGraph
import com.example.directusapp.ui.theme.DirectusAppTheme

class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContent {
            DirectusAppTheme {
                // A surface container using the 'background' color from the theme
                Surface(
                    modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.background
                ) {
                    val navController = rememberNavController()
                    NavGraph(navController = navController)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
package com.example.directusapp

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
import androidx.activity.compose.setContent
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.navigation.compose.rememberNavController
import com.example.directusapp.ui.NavGraph
import com.example.directusapp.ui.theme.DirectusAppTheme

class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContent {
            DirectusAppTheme {
                // A surface container using the 'background' color from the theme
                Surface(
                    modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.background
                ) {
                    val navController = rememberNavController()
                    NavGraph(navController = navController)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Now click on any of the blogs to navigate to the details page.

Show the blog details pages

Next Steps ​

Throughout this guide, you have set up an Android project, created a Directus plugin, and set up an Android project with Kotlin to interact with Directus, covering project initialization, creating a helper library for the Directus SDK, global configurations, dynamic pages, and navigation setup.

If you want to see the code for this project, you can find it on GitHub.

We're all ears 🐰

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