Cometchat Android V6 Compose Customization

Ground truth: com.cometchat:chatuikit-{compose,kotlin}-android:6.x (+ calls-sdk-android:5.x) — resolved AAR (javap) + ui-kit/android/v6. Official docs: https://www.cometchat.com/docs/ui-kit/android/v6/overview · Docs MCP: claude mcp add --transport http cometchat-docs https://www.cometchat.com/docs/mcp (or fetch the URL directly without MCP). Verify symbols against the installed package/source before relying on them.

Companion skills: cometchat-android-v6-kotlin-customization (Views equivalent), cometchat-android-v6-compose-components, cometchat-android-v6-compose-theming, cometchat-android-v6-extensions (DataSource layer), cometchat-android-v6-events

Purpose

Customize CometChat Compose components — override message bubble rendering with BubbleFactory, use slot lambda parameters for per-slot overrides, and apply @Immutable style classes. This is the v6 replacement for v5's DataSource/ChatConfigurator pattern.

Use this skill when

• Creating custom message bubble rendering for specific message types
• Overriding individual bubble slots (avatar, header, footer, content, etc.)
• Applying custom styles to components
• Replacing the entire bubble layout for a message type

Do not use this skill when

• Working with Kotlin Views customization (use cometchat-android-v6-kotlin-customization)
• Changing theme colors globally (use cometchat-android-v6-compose-theming)
• Extending the data layer (use cometchat-android-v6-extensions)

1. BubbleFactory (Message Bubble Customization)

BubbleFactory is an interface in com.cometchat.uikit.compose.presentation.shared.messagebubble. Each implementation handles a specific message type.

1.1 Creating a Custom BubbleFactory

import com.cometchat.uikit.compose.presentation.shared.messagebubble.BubbleFactory
import com.cometchat.chat.constants.CometChatConstants
import com.cometchat.chat.models.BaseMessage
import com.cometchat.uikit.core.constants.UIKitConstants.MessageBubbleAlignment

class LocationBubbleFactory : BubbleFactory {

    override fun getCategory(): String = CometChatConstants.CATEGORY_CUSTOM
    override fun getType(): String = "location"

    override fun getContentView(
        message: BaseMessage,
        alignment: MessageBubbleAlignment,
        style: CometChatMessageBubbleStyle,
        textFormatters: List<CometChatTextFormatter>
    ): @Composable () -> Unit = {
        // Your custom content composable
        val metadata = message.metadata
        val lat = metadata?.optDouble("latitude") ?: 0.0
        val lng = metadata?.optDouble("longitude") ?: 0.0
        LocationMapView(latitude = lat, longitude = lng)
    }
}

1.2 Registering BubbleFactories

CometChatMessageList(
    user = user,
    bubbleFactories = listOf(
        LocationBubbleFactory(),
        PaymentBubbleFactory()
    )
)

The list is converted to a map keyed by "category_type" internally via toFactoryMap().

1.3 Complete Bubble Replacement

Override getBubbleView() to replace the ENTIRE bubble (all slots):

class CustomBubbleFactory : BubbleFactory {
    override fun getCategory(): String = "custom"
    override fun getType(): String = "payment"

    override fun getBubbleView(
        message: BaseMessage,
        alignment: MessageBubbleAlignment
    ): (@Composable () -> Unit)? = {
        // Complete custom bubble — no header, footer, avatar, etc.
        PaymentCard(message = message, alignment = alignment)
    }
}

When getBubbleView() returns non-null, all other slot methods are ignored.

1.4 Slot Methods

All return (@Composable () -> Unit)? — return null to use defaults:

1.5 Style Override

override fun getBubbleStyle(
    message: BaseMessage,
    alignment: MessageBubbleAlignment
): CometChatMessageBubbleStyle? {
    return CometChatMessageBubbleStyle(
        backgroundColor = Color(0xFFE8F5E9),
        cornerRadius = 16.dp
    )
}

Factory style is the highest priority in the 3-tier style chain.

1.6 Lifecycle

override fun onDispose(message: BaseMessage) {
    // Clean up resources when bubble leaves composition
}

1.7 Custom attachment options (Scenario 3) — pass the attachmentOptions parameter

A BubbleFactory only renders a custom type; to let users create one you usually add a composer attachment action. On Compose the canonical path is the attachmentOptions parameter on CometChatMessageComposer — a List<CometChatMessageComposerAction> whose contents are added after the built-in options.

CometChatMessageComposer(
    user = user,
    attachmentOptions = listOf(
        CometChatMessageComposerAction(
            id = "location",
            title = "Send Location",
            icon = R.drawable.ic_location,
            { /* pick + send (see 1.8) */ }
        )
    )
)

Append is automatic — your list does NOT replace the defaults. Internally the composable calls composerViewModel.setAttachmentOptions(attachmentOptions) (CometChatMessageComposer.kt:431-432), which sets only the custom options list (_customAttachmentOptions). The defaults (camera/image/video/audio/document/poll/collab-doc/collab-whiteboard) are rebuilt every time by getDefaultAttachmentOptions(...) and your custom options are concatenated at the end (CometChatMessageComposerViewModel.kt:646-649). There is no "wipe defaults" footgun here — setAttachmentOptions despite its name does NOT drop the built-ins.

Hide a built-in instead with the composer's hide*Option flags (e.g. hidePollOption = true), which flip the _show*Option visibility checked inside getDefaultAttachmentOptions.

If you hold a CometChatMessageComposerViewModel directly (advanced), addAttachmentOption(action) appends one custom option and setAttachmentOptions(list) replaces the custom list — both verified at CometChatMessageComposerViewModel.kt:657 / :666. The built-in option IDs are constants on CometChatMessageComposerAction (ID_CAMERA, ID_IMAGE, ID_VIDEO, ID_AUDIO, ID_DOCUMENT, ID_POLL, ID_COLLABORATIVE_DOCUMENT, ID_COLLABORATIVE_WHITEBOARD — CometChatMessageComposerAction.kt:42-49).

1.8 Sending a custom message — use the UIKit path, not the raw SDK

val message = CustomMessage(
    receiverId,
    CometChatConstants.RECEIVER_TYPE_USER,   // or RECEIVER_TYPE_GROUP
    "location",                              // matches the BubbleFactory type
    customData                               // org.json.JSONObject
)
// ✅ kit path — sets muid + sender, fires ccMessageSent → list APPENDS
CometChatUIKit.sendCustomMessage(message, object : CometChat.CallbackListener<CustomMessage>() {
    override fun onSuccess(p0: CustomMessage) {}
    override fun onError(p0: CometChatException) {}
})
// ❌ CometChat.sendCustomMessage(...) — no muid/sender/event → recipient error + realtime replace

Verified (v6 core/compose): CometChatMessageComposer(attachmentOptions = …) param (CometChatMessageComposer.kt:338), CometChatMessageComposerViewModel.addAttachmentOption / setAttachmentOptions / getDefaultAttachmentOptions (:657 / :666 / :547), CometChatUIKit.sendCustomMessage(CustomMessage, CallbackListener) (CometChatUIKit.kt:472).

1.9 Override an EXISTING type's bubble (Scenario 2)

To replace the rendering of a built-in type (e.g. text or image), register a BubbleFactory whose getCategory()/getType() match the built-in identifiers. Built-in types are NOT pre-seeded as factory entries — the bubble falls back to InternalContentRenderer only when no factory matches a "category_type" key (CometChatMessageBubble.kt:155 "Falls back to InternalContentRenderer if no factory is provided"). So a matching factory simply takes priority over the internal default.

import com.cometchat.chat.constants.CometChatConstants

class MyTextBubbleFactory : BubbleFactory {
    override fun getCategory(): String = CometChatConstants.CATEGORY_MESSAGE   // "message"
    override fun getType(): String = CometChatConstants.MESSAGE_TYPE_TEXT      // "text"

    override fun getContentView(
        message: BaseMessage,
        alignment: UIKitConstants.MessageBubbleAlignment,
        style: CometChatMessageBubbleStyle,
        textFormatters: List<CometChatTextFormatter>
    ): @Composable () -> Unit = {
        MyCustomTextContent(message as TextMessage)   // only the content area
    }
    // …or override getBubbleView() to replace the whole bubble (see 1.3)
}

CometChatMessageList(user = user, bubbleFactories = listOf(MyTextBubbleFactory()))

This is still additive at the list level: registering a message_text factory only overrides text bubbles; image/video/custom types keep their internal rendering. Use getContentView() for content-only override, getBubbleView() for full-bubble replacement.

1.10 Add a long-press message option (Scenario 4 — Forward-style)

CometChatMessageList exposes two lambda parameters for the long-press option sheet (CometChatMessageList.kt:577-598):

Use addOptions for a Forward-style action so the built-in Reply/Copy/Edit/Delete survive:

import com.cometchat.uikit.core.domain.model.CometChatMessageOption

CometChatMessageList(
    user = user,
    addOptions = { message ->            // ✅ appended to defaults
        listOf(
            CometChatMessageOption(
                id = "forward",
                title = "Forward",
                icon = R.drawable.ic_forward,
                /* open forward picker for `message` */ }
            )
        )
    }
    // ❌ options = { listOf(forward) }   // would DROP reply/copy/edit/delete
)

CometChatMessageOption(id, title, titleColor, icon, iconTintColor, …, onClick) is a data class at CometChatMessageOption.kt:21. Resolution order is verified in CometChatMessageListViewModel.resolveMessageOptions (:817-827): setOptions result wins if non-null, else defaultOptions + addOptions.

1.11 MessageTemplate via the DataSource (docs-taught alternative to BubbleFactory)

⚠️ Verify before using — symbols not found in the GA v6 Compose source. CometChatUIKit.getDataSource(), getMessageTemplates(), CometChatMessageTemplate, and a templates parameter on the Compose CometChatMessageList appear in the Android docs but are absent from the verified com.cometchat.uikit.compose GA source (they're the legacy com.cometchat.chatuikit v5-shaped API; the Compose list only exposes bubbleFactories). Treat this section as a docs reference that may not compile against your installed v6 kit — prefer BubbleFactory (the confirmed v6-native path) for all new code.

The BubbleFactory / slot-lambda surface above is the primary v6 customization path. The Android docs also teach a MessageTemplate path through the data source (message-template) — fetch the existing templates, mutate the one you want, then re-apply (append, never replace with a single-item list):

// 1. fetch existing templates from the data source
val templates = CometChatUIKit.getDataSource()
    .getMessageTemplates(additionParameter)   // pass the list's additionParameter
    .toMutableList()

// 2. mutate the template you want (or create a new one for a custom type)
templates.find { it.type == UIKitConstants.MessageType.TEXT }
    ?.setContentView { baseMessage, alignment ->
        Text(text = (baseMessage as? TextMessage)?.text ?: "")
    }
// new custom type:
val contact = CometChatMessageTemplate().apply {
    setType("contact"); setCategory(UIKitConstants.MessageCategory.CUSTOM)
    setContentView { baseMessage, _ -> /* custom composable */ }
}
templates.add(contact)

// 3. re-apply — Compose passes the list to CometChatMessageList
CometChatMessageList(user = user, templates = templates)

Compose templates expose lambda slot setters (setContentView, setHeaderView, setFooterView, setBottomView, setStatusInfoView, setBubbleView, setOptions) mirroring §2's slots. Prefer BubbleFactory for new code; use getMessageTemplates(...) when you want to start from the kit's defaults and tweak one type. (This overlaps the custom-message topic.)

2. Slot Lambda Parameters (Per-Slot Overrides)

Override individual slots across ALL message types directly on CometChatMessageList:

CometChatMessageList(
    user = user,

    // Custom avatar for all messages
    leadingView = { message, alignment ->
        if (alignment == MessageAlignment.LEFT) {
            AsyncImage(
                model = message.sender?.avatar,
                contentDescription = null,
                modifier = Modifier.size(32.dp).clip(CircleShape)
            )
        }
    },

    // Custom timestamp for all messages
    statusInfoView = { message, alignment ->
        Text(
            text = formatTime(message.sentAt),
            style = CometChatTheme.typography.caption1Regular,
            color = CometChatTheme.colorScheme.textColorTertiary
        )
    },

    // Custom footer for all messages
    footerView = { message, alignment ->
        // Custom reactions display
        ReactionsRow(message = message)
    }
)

2.1 All Slot Parameters

2.2 Priority Order

For each slot, the resolution order is:

1. Explicit slot lambda parameter (highest priority)
2. BubbleFactory slot method
3. Internal default rendering

3. Style Classes

3.1 Using Style Classes

CometChatConversations(
    style = CometChatConversationsStyle.default(
        backgroundColor = Color(0xFFF5F5F5),
        titleTextColor = Color.Black,
        titleTextStyle = CometChatTheme.typography.heading1Bold,
        separatorColor = Color.LightGray,
        itemStyle = CometChatConversationListItemStyle.default(
            titleTextColor = Color.DarkGray
        )
    )
)

3.2 Style Class Pattern

All style classes follow this pattern:

@Immutable
data class CometChatConversationsStyle(
    val backgroundColor: Color,
    val titleTextColor: Color,
    val titleTextStyle: TextStyle,
    // ... many properties
) {
    companion object {
        @Composable
        fun default(
            backgroundColor: Color = CometChatTheme.colorScheme.backgroundColor1,
            titleTextColor: Color = CometChatTheme.colorScheme.textColorPrimary,
            // ... defaults from CometChatTheme
        ): CometChatConversationsStyle = CometChatConversationsStyle(/* ... */)
    }
}

Use Companion.default() with named parameter overrides — never call the data class constructor directly.

3.3 Nested Styles

Some styles contain nested style classes:

CometChatConversationsStyle.default(
    itemStyle = CometChatConversationListItemStyle.default(/* ... */),
    popupMenuStyle = CometChatPopupMenuStyle.default(/* ... */),
    emptyStateStyle = CometChatEmptyStateStyle.default(/* ... */),
    errorStateStyle = CometChatErrorStateStyle.default(/* ... */),
    loadingStateStyle = CometChatLoadingStateStyle.default(/* ... */),
    dialogStyle = CometChatDialogStyle.default(/* ... */)
)

4. Custom State Views

CometChatMessageList(
    user = user,
    loadingView = { CircularProgressIndicator() },
    emptyView = { Text("No messages yet") },
    errorView = { Text("Something went wrong") }
)

5. v5 → v6 Migration

Text formatters (inline mentions / URLs / custom tokens)

Style/transform message text inline by passing textFormatters to the composer/list. The kit ships CometChatMentionsFormatter + CometChatRichTextFormatter (subclasses of the abstract CometChatTextFormatter) in com.cometchat.uikit.compose.presentation.shared.formatters. Default behavior (a mentions formatter) applies when you pass nothing — so to ADD a custom one, include the defaults too.

import com.cometchat.uikit.compose.presentation.shared.formatters.CometChatMentionsFormatter
import com.cometchat.uikit.compose.presentation.shared.formatters.CometChatTextFormatter

CometChatMessageComposer(
    user = user,
    textFormatters = listOf(CometChatMentionsFormatter(context) /* , YourFormatter(context) */),
)
// CometChatMessageList also takes textFormatters: List<CometChatTextFormatter>.

For a custom @/#/! token: subclass CometChatTextFormatter(trackingCharacter) and implement its search() + view hooks (see the kit's formatters/ source + the per-platform docs).

Hard rules

• BubbleFactory is an interface — implement it, don't extend an abstract class
• getCategory() and getType() are REQUIRED — they identify which message type the factory handles
• When getBubbleView() returns non-null, ALL other slot methods are ignored for that message type
• Slot lambda parameters on CometChatMessageList override BubbleFactory slot methods — use lambdas for cross-type overrides, factories for per-type overrides
• Style classes must use Companion.default() factory — the data class constructor requires ALL parameters
• Do NOT confuse BubbleFactory (UI rendering) with DataSource (data fetching) — they are separate layers

Sound (in-app message + call sounds)

Sound is a customization sub-dimension. The UI Kit plays incoming/outgoing message + call sounds via CometChatSoundManager — mute it, swap custom audio, or play a specific sound. The full API + recipe lives in cometchat-android-v6-compose-theming (Sound section). Verify the access path against the installed kit before relying on it.