Arrangement & Alignment
Position and space children precisely.
Arrangement & Alignment is a free Jetpack Compose Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 4 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Jetpack Compose Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
Two Words, Two Jobs
Layout control comes down to arrangement and alignment. They sound similar but they do different jobs. Let's untangle them. 🧭
Arrangement: Along the Main Axis
Arrangement controls spacing along the layout's main axis: vertical for a Column, horizontal for a Row.
Alignment: Across the Cross Axis
Alignment controls position on the other axis: horizontal in a Column, vertical in a Row. It lines children up sideways.
Grouping at One End
Arrangement.Top, Center, and Bottom pack children together at one end of a Column, leaving the rest as empty space.
Column(verticalArrangement = Arrangement.Center) {
Text("A")
Text("B")
}Spreading Children Out
Use SpaceBetween, SpaceAround, or SpaceEvenly to distribute extra space among children instead of bunching them up.
Row(horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.SpaceEvenly) {
Text("A")
Text("B")
Text("C")
}SpaceBetween vs SpaceEvenly
SpaceBetween hugs the edges with no outer gaps, while SpaceEvenly adds equal gaps everywhere, including before the first and after the last child.
Fixed Gaps with spacedBy
For a consistent gap, use Arrangement.spacedBy. It inserts the exact distance you give between every adjacent child.
Column(verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(12.dp)) {
Text("A")
Text("B")
}Column's Cross-Axis Alignment
In a Column the cross axis is horizontal, so horizontalAlignment chooses Start, CenterHorizontally, or End for the children.
Column(horizontalAlignment = Alignment.End) {
Text("Right side")
}Row's Cross-Axis Alignment
In a Row the cross axis is vertical, so verticalAlignment picks Top, CenterVertically, or Bottom for the children.
Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.Bottom) {
Text("Aligned bottom")
}Combine Both for Layout
You usually set both at once: arrangement spaces children along the main axis while alignment positions them on the cross axis.
Column(
verticalArrangement = Arrangement.Center,
horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally
) { Text("Dead center") }Effect Needs Extra Space
Arrangement only shows when the container is bigger than its children. A wrap-content Column has no spare room to redistribute.
Quick Check
Let's confirm which axis each setting controls.
Recap: Arrangement & Alignment
You learned the split: arrangement spaces children along the main axis, alignment positions them on the cross axis. Combine both for precise layouts.
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Arrangement & Alignment” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Arrangement & Alignment” is free to read here on the web, and the Jetpack Compose Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Jetpack Compose Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Arrangement & Alignment”?
Position and space children precisely. You practise Jetpack Compose Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Jetpack Compose Academy?
No prior experience is required. Jetpack Compose Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 4 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Arrangement & Alignment” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Jetpack Compose Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Jetpack Compose Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- Column: Stack Things Vertically
- Row: Place Things Side by Side
- Box: Layer & Overlap
- Arrangement & Alignment