`AndroidX.Compose` no such namespace after installing `Xamarin.AndroidX.Compose.UI` package

[mak100un]

Android application type

Classic Xamarin.Android (MonoAndroid12.0, etc.)

Affected platform version

JetBrains Rider 2022.3.2, v12.0

Description

After installation of package Xamarin.AndroidX.Compose.UI version 1.1.1.1, namespace AndroidX.Compose doesnt exist, also cannot access to the class AndroidX.Compose.UI.Platform.ComposeView`

Create project using Xamarin.Android MonoAndroid12.0 (v12.0)

Also inspect nuget loaded to local cache - package doesn`t contains any classes only Reference and Metadata section (inspect dll with the help of dotPeek.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create Xamarin.Android project with target framework MonoAndroid12.0 (v12.0)
2. Install package Xamarin.AndroidX.Compose.UI version 1.1.1.1
3. Try to create instance of class AndroidX.Compose.UI.Platform.ComposeView

Expect result: Class accessible

Actual result: AndroidX.Compose namespace not found

Did you find any workaround?

No response

Relevant log output

No response

[jpobst]

This is expected. These packages do not provide managed bindings, they simply include the .jar/.aar file so that you can consume other Java libraries that depend on Compose.

This is noted in the package description:

.NET for Android (formerly Xamarin.Android) bindings for AndroidX - ui (bindings without managed callable wrappers (C#) and are only used for including Java files)

There are some more details here, at this time we think providing managed bindings would imply that Compose was "usable" from C#, while we do not believe that is the case:
#352

[mak100un]

@jpobst, so am I understand correctly, there is no way to get managed bindings for Compose, so if I try to embed some android sdk, which use Compose functions and also depends on Compose is to create binding libraries by myself?

And not use Xamarin.AndroidX.Compose... packages?

[jpobst]

If you are trying to consume a Java library that does all the Compose work itself, that should work with these packages.

If you are trying to create or modify Compose layouts from C#, these packages will not work, as they do not expose Compose API for C#.

[mak100un]

@jpobst also if some code in aar/jar depends on code from compose dependency package, which not provide any managed bindings, will be managed code for aar/jar logic generated?
I suppose - no, cause interop would skip such cases

Am I write?

[jpobst]

If the public API exposes a Compose type then it will not be bound.

If the type/method consumes Compose types but does not expose them in the public API then it will be bound.

[mak100un]

Ok, thanks a lot👍