# Uno Navigation Tabbar

> Implement TabBar navigation in Uno Platform using region-based navigation. Provides complete, compilable shell template for bottom tab navigation. Use for 3-5 top-level pages in mobile-first apps.

- Skill: `unoplatform/uno-navigation-tabbar` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add unoplatform/uno-navigation-tabbar`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/unoplatform/uno-navigation-tabbar/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: unoplatform (https://skillmd.com/u/unoplatform)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/unoplatform/uno-navigation-tabbar

---


# Uno Navigation with TabBar — Agent Skill

## Reference Templates

For complete, compilable shell XAML with parameterized placeholders, see:

**`references/shell-tabbar-template.md`** — Contains:
- Icon lookup table (Home, Search, Settings, Profile, etc.)
- SHELL_PAGE_NAME.xaml shell template with TabBar
- Page template (XAML + code-behind)
- Route registration template
- Substitution rules
- Localization template (Resources.resw)

## Workflow

> **Docs lookup:** call `uno_platform_docs_search(...)` first, then `uno_platform_docs_fetch(sourcePath="…")` using the `sourcePath` field from a result (a relative `.md` path; add the result's `anchor` for a section). Never pass a URL, a `.html` link, or a hand-built path.

### Step 1: Fetch the TabBar Navigation Documentation

```
uno_platform_docs_search("Uno Navigation TabBar bottom tab region navigation")
```

Primary documentation pages:
- **TabBar Navigation (Chefs)**: `external/uno.chefs/doc/toolkit/NavigateTabBar.md`
- **Define Regions**: `external/uno.extensions/doc/Learn/Navigation/Walkthrough/DefineRegions.md`

Fetch the Chefs TabBar page:

```
uno_platform_docs_fetch(sourcePath="external/uno.chefs/doc/toolkit/NavigateTabBar.md")
```

### Step 2: For TabBar Control Reference

For TabBar control properties and styling:

```
uno_platform_docs_search("Uno Toolkit TabBar TabBarItem styles badges")
```

See also the `uno-toolkit-tabbar` skill for the control itself.

### Step 3: For Responsive Navigation

If combining TabBar (mobile) with NavigationView (desktop):

See the `uno-navigation-responsive-shell` skill.

## Key Principles (Stable)

- TabBar uses region-based navigation similarly to NavigationView
- Each `TabBarItem` gets `uen:Region.Name="RouteName"`
- Parent container and content area need `Region.Attached="True"`
- Apply `BottomTabBarStyle` to the `TabBar`; per-`TabBarItem` styling comes from the active design-theme (e.g., `MaterialBottomTabBarItemStyle` from [[uno-toolkit-material-theme]])
- Requires `Toolkit` in `<UnoFeatures>` along with `Navigation`
- XAML namespaces: `xmlns:uen="using:Uno.Extensions.Navigation.UI"` and `xmlns:utu="using:Uno.Toolkit.UI"`

## Critical Rules

- The root `Grid` with `uen:Region.Attached="True"` MUST be a direct child of the Page content — it enables region navigation
- `uen:Region.Navigator="Visibility"` MUST be on the content area Grid — this tells the framework to toggle child visibility
- **The content area Grid with `Region.Navigator="Visibility"` must be empty in XAML.** Do not add `Collapsed` child elements for each route. The navigation framework resolves registered routes and injects the corresponding views at runtime.
- `uen:Region.Attached="True"` MUST also be on the TabBar itself
- Route names in `RouteMap` MUST match the `uen:Region.Name` values in `SHELL_PAGE_NAME.xaml`
- Tab page routes are nested under the `"Main"` route so only the content area updates, not the entire page
- Do NOT use `Region.Attached="True"` inside `Shell.xaml` — only in `SHELL_PAGE_NAME.xaml`

## Related Skills

- [[uno-navigation-regions]] — Region concepts
- [[uno-navigation-responsive-shell]] — Adaptive navigation
- [[uno-navigation-panel-visibility]] — Visibility-based content switching details
- [[uno-toolkit-tabbar]] — TabBar control reference
- [[uno-navigation-navigationview]] — Sidebar navigation alternative
- [[uno-navigation-routes]] — Route registration details