Blank screen in Android app with Drawer Navigator

[Amoroso]

To understand how the Drawer Navigator works in Thunkable X I created a test app.

In this app a Drawer Navigator contains 3 screens, each of which only has a label showing the same name of the screen. I would expect the app to show the label of the first screen and then, by swiping and tapping the name of another screen, to switch to the corresponding screen.

However, when I live test the app on a Pixel 2 XL phone, I get a completely blank white screen. Swiping or tapping does nothing.

Do I understand correctly what the Drawer Navigator and the app are supposed to work? What am I doing wrong?

PS Is #Thunkable ✕ (Beta) the appropriate Category for asking this kind of questions?

[Mark]

Paolo,

I notice that your app has its screens at the same level as the navigator rather than being within the navigator. The easiest way to ensure that a screen is within a navigator is to make sure that when you add it that you drag the screen right on top of the navigator in the component tree. You should see the left border of the navigator turn blue while you’re dragged the screen right over the navigator. Once you’ve properly dragged in your screens (and labels) the component tree should look something like this:

Here’s an example project:
Thunkable

We probably need to do more UI work to make this easier!

Hope this helps.

And, yes, #Thunkable ✕ (Beta) is the appropriate Category for asking this kind of question.

-Mark

[Amoroso]

Thanks @Mark, rearranging the hierarchy the way you suggested worked. In Thunkable X I usually find it a bit difficult and unreliable to place a component at the right level when dragging it to the hierarchy.

When I live test both my modified app and your sample app, only Screen1 is shown and there’s no trace of the drawer. See the screenshot.

Tapping, dragging or trying other gestures on the screen does nothing. I would instead expect to see a menu icon similar to Android’s hamburger menu icon I can touch to open the drawer and select a different item. Is my expectation correct?

[Amoroso]

Never mind, interacting with the drawer does work and I’m able to switch to the other screens. However, I have to start swiping from very close to the left edge of the device’s screen, around half a centimeter or less.

Perhaps the swiping start area could be extended to the right a bit.

[Mark]

Thanks for the feedback, Paolo. I agree that the drawer navigator could use some improvement and have queued up an issue related to that.

-Mark

[CG_Tech]

I am new to Thunkable X. I can’t get the The Drawer Navigator to work. I watched the tutorial, searched the documentation ( which by the way is extremely deficient in explaining how it works); I looked at the sample files and still no luck. Somebody help me understand what is beneficial about this platform. I did look at the Thunkable Classic which seemed to have more explainable features. I love the idea of this platform; however, I have to start weighing the costs benefits of productivity versus the use of other platforms. Is there a place where I can find good documentation on Thunkable X. If so, I can read and figure most things out for myself. Please direct me to this resource if it exist. - Kind regards C.

[domhnallohanlon]

Hi @CG_Tech

Sorry to hear that the drawer navigator isn’t doing what you want it to do.

Possible to send a quick screenshot of your component tree so we can get a look at the screen nesting?

I can’t get the The Drawer Navigator to work

When you say it won’t work, is that while live testing, installing or both?

[actech]

Open this project.

https://x.thunkable.com/projects/5ccc4cd64d657bdfc31b7640/project/properties/designer/

Does it run on your device? If it starts, open the panel by sliding your finger from the left edge of the screen to the center. Does the drawer open?

The fact is that Drawer Navigation in Thukable X does not work as it should. For example, it is impossible to open drawer programmatically.

[CG_Tech]

Live testing. I just got a white screen. I followed a YouTube tutorial example and couldn’t replicate the project.

[CG_Tech]

This did work on my device. Thank you. I have to study the blocks and see how it was done. Thank you guys for being so responsive.