Column: Stack Things Vertically
Lay out children top to bottom.
Column: Stack Things Vertically is a free Jetpack Compose Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 1 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.
Stacking Vertically
When you want children to sit top to bottom, you reach for Column. It is Compose's go-to layout for vertical stacks. 📚
Your First Column
A Column takes a trailing lambda. Every Composable you call inside it becomes a child, drawn in the order you write them.
Column {
Text("First")
Text("Second")
}Order Is Top to Bottom
Children stack in source order. The first Composable sits at the top, the next below it, and so on down the screen.
Mixing Different Children
A Column can hold any Composables, not just Text. Buttons, Images, and even other Columns all stack happily inside it.
Column {
Text("Title")
Button(onClick = {}) { Text("Go") }
}Default Sizing: Wrap Content
By default a Column is only as tall and wide as its children need. It shrinks to wrap its content unless you tell it otherwise.
Filling the Width
Add a Modifier to change size. fillMaxWidth makes the Column stretch across the whole screen horizontally.
Column(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth()) {
Text("Wide column")
}Spacing Between Children
Use verticalArrangement with spacedBy to put even gaps between every child. No manual padding on each item needed.
Column(verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp)) {
Text("A")
Text("B")
}Aligning Children Sideways
Set horizontalAlignment to line children up. CenterHorizontally pulls them all to the middle of the Column's width.
Column(horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally) {
Text("Centered")
}Columns Don't Scroll Yet
A plain Column does not scroll. If children run past the screen they get clipped, so it suits short, fixed lists best.
Adding Scroll When Needed
For longer content, attach verticalScroll to the Column's modifier. Now the whole stack scrolls as one piece.
Column(modifier = Modifier.verticalScroll(rememberScrollState())) {
Text("Long content")
}Nesting for Real Screens
Real screens nest Columns inside Columns. An outer Column holds sections, and each section is its own little Column of details.
Quick Check
Let's confirm how a Column arranges its children.
Recap: Column
You learned Column: it stacks children top to bottom in order, wraps content by default, and uses arrangement, alignment, and modifiers to size and space them.
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Column: Stack Things Vertically” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Column: Stack Things Vertically” 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 “Column: Stack Things Vertically”?
Lay out children top to bottom. 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 1 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Column: Stack Things Vertically” 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