pythonnative · owenthcarey · May 19, 2026 · May 19, 2026 · May 19, 2026 · May 19, 2026
diff --git a/docs/api/pythonnative.md b/docs/api/pythonnative.md
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ The reference is split per module so each page stays scannable:
 
 | Area | Page | Key symbols |
 |---|---|---|
-| Element factories | [Components](components.md) | [`Text`][pythonnative.Text], [`Button`][pythonnative.Button], [`Column`][pythonnative.Column], [`Row`][pythonnative.Row], [`ScrollView`][pythonnative.ScrollView], [`FlatList`][pythonnative.FlatList], [`SectionList`][pythonnative.SectionList], [`Modal`][pythonnative.Modal], [`Pressable`][pythonnative.Pressable], [`StatusBar`][pythonnative.StatusBar], [`KeyboardAvoidingView`][pythonnative.KeyboardAvoidingView], [`RefreshControl`][pythonnative.RefreshControl], [`Picker`][pythonnative.Picker], [`ErrorBoundary`][pythonnative.ErrorBoundary] |
-| Hooks | [Hooks](hooks.md) | [`use_state`][pythonnative.use_state], [`use_reducer`][pythonnative.use_reducer], [`use_effect`][pythonnative.use_effect], [`use_memo`][pythonnative.use_memo], [`use_ref`][pythonnative.use_ref], [`use_context`][pythonnative.use_context], [`use_window_dimensions`][pythonnative.use_window_dimensions], [`use_safe_area_insets`][pythonnative.use_safe_area_insets], [`use_keyboard_height`][pythonnative.use_keyboard_height] |
-| Animations | [Animated](animated.md) | `Animated`, [`AnimatedValue`][pythonnative.AnimatedValue] |
+| Element factories | [Components](components.md) | [`Text`][pythonnative.Text], [`Button`][pythonnative.Button], [`Column`][pythonnative.Column], [`Row`][pythonnative.Row], [`ScrollView`][pythonnative.ScrollView], [`FlatList`][pythonnative.FlatList], [`SectionList`][pythonnative.SectionList], [`Modal`][pythonnative.Modal], [`Pressable`][pythonnative.Pressable], [`StatusBar`][pythonnative.StatusBar], [`KeyboardAvoidingView`][pythonnative.KeyboardAvoidingView], [`RefreshControl`][pythonnative.RefreshControl], [`Picker`][pythonnative.Picker], [`Fragment`][pythonnative.Fragment], [`ErrorBoundary`][pythonnative.ErrorBoundary] |
+| Hooks | [Hooks](hooks.md) | [`use_state`][pythonnative.use_state], [`use_reducer`][pythonnative.use_reducer], [`use_effect`][pythonnative.use_effect], [`use_memo`][pythonnative.use_memo], [`use_ref`][pythonnative.use_ref], [`use_context`][pythonnative.use_context], [`use_window_dimensions`][pythonnative.use_window_dimensions], [`use_safe_area_insets`][pythonnative.use_safe_area_insets], [`use_keyboard_height`][pythonnative.use_keyboard_height], [`memo`][pythonnative.memo] |
+| Animations | [Animated](animated.md) | `Animated`, [`AnimatedValue`][pythonnative.AnimatedValue], [`use_animated_value`][pythonnative.use_animated_value] |
 | System dialogs | [Alerts](alerts.md) | [`Alert`][pythonnative.Alert] |
 | Platform | [Platform](platform.md) | [`Platform`][pythonnative.Platform] |
 | Navigation | [Navigation](navigation.md) | [`NavigationContainer`][pythonnative.NavigationContainer], [`create_stack_navigator`][pythonnative.create_stack_navigator], [`create_tab_navigator`][pythonnative.create_tab_navigator], [`create_drawer_navigator`][pythonnative.create_drawer_navigator], [`use_navigation`][pythonnative.use_navigation] |

diff --git a/docs/api/sdk.md b/docs/api/sdk.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ convenience and are documented on their canonical pages:
 | [`Element`][pythonnative.element.Element] | [Element](element.md) |
 | [`ViewHandler`][pythonnative.native_views.base.ViewHandler] | [Native views](native_views.md) |
 | [`Style`][pythonnative.style.Style], [`StyleProp`][pythonnative.style.StyleProp], [`Color`][pythonnative.style.Color], [`Dimension`][pythonnative.style.Dimension], [`EdgeInsets`][pythonnative.style.EdgeInsets], [`EdgeValue`][pythonnative.style.EdgeValue], `FlexDirection`, `JustifyContent`, `Overflow`, `Position`, [`TransformSpec`][pythonnative.style.TransformSpec], [`style`][pythonnative.style.style] | [Style](style.md) |
-| `parse_color_int`, `resolve_padding` | `pythonnative.native_views.base` |
+| `parse_color_int` | `pythonnative.native_views.base` |
 
 ## Custom-component primitives
 

diff --git a/docs/concepts/components.md b/docs/concepts/components.md
@@ -75,6 +75,12 @@ pn.Column(
 - [`ErrorBoundary(child, fallback)`][pythonnative.ErrorBoundary]:
   catches render errors in child and displays fallback.
 
+**Composition:**
+
+- [`Fragment(*children)`][pythonnative.Fragment]: group siblings into a
+  parent's child list without an extra wrapping view (analogous to
+  React's `<>…</>`).
+
 **Lists:**
 
 - [`FlatList(data, render_item, key_extractor, item_height, ...)`][pythonnative.FlatList]:
@@ -86,7 +92,7 @@ pn.Column(
 
 **Platform UI:**
 
-- [`StatusBar(style, background_color, hidden)`][pythonnative.StatusBar]:
+- [`StatusBar(bar_style, background_color, hidden)`][pythonnative.StatusBar]:
   configure the device's status bar (light/dark icons, color, hidden).
 - [`KeyboardAvoidingView(*children, behavior)`][pythonnative.KeyboardAvoidingView]:
   shift content up when the software keyboard appears.
@@ -249,6 +255,9 @@ hook state.
   persists across renders. When passed via the `ref=` prop, the
   reconciler populates `ref["current"]` with the underlying native
   view.
+- [`use_animated_value(initial)`][pythonnative.use_animated_value]:
+  stable [`AnimatedValue`][pythonnative.AnimatedValue] across renders;
+  the canonical way to drive `Animated.View`.
 - [`use_context(context)`][pythonnative.use_context]: read from a
   context provider.
 - [`use_navigation()`][pythonnative.use_navigation]: navigation
@@ -263,6 +272,9 @@ hook state.
   reactive safe-area insets.
 - [`use_keyboard_height()`][pythonnative.use_keyboard_height]:
   reactive software-keyboard height.
+- [`@memo`][pythonnative.memo]: decorator that skips a function
+  component's re-render when its props are shallowly equal and its
+  internal state is unchanged.
 
 ### Custom hooks
 

diff --git a/docs/concepts/hooks.md b/docs/concepts/hooks.md
@@ -209,6 +209,17 @@ render_count = pn.use_ref(0)
 render_count["current"] += 1
 ```
 
+### use_animated_value
+
+Create an [`AnimatedValue`][pythonnative.AnimatedValue] that's stable
+across renders. Equivalent to wrapping `pn.Animated.Value(initial)` in
+`use_memo(..., [])` but more discoverable:
+
+```python
+opacity = pn.use_animated_value(0.0)
+pn.Animated.timing(opacity, to=1.0, duration=300).start()
+```
+
 ### use_context
 
 Read a value from the nearest `Provider` ancestor:
@@ -267,6 +278,32 @@ automatically batched; the framework drains any pending re-renders
 after effect flushing completes, so you don't need `batch_updates()`
 inside effects.
 
+## Memoizing function components
+
+Wrap a function component with [`@pn.memo`][pythonnative.memo] to skip
+its body when neither its props nor its internal state have changed:
+
+```python
+@pn.memo
+@pn.component
+def ExpensiveRow(label: str, value: int):
+    return pn.Row(
+        pn.Text(label, style={"flex": 1}),
+        pn.Text(str(value)),
+    )
+```
+
+When a `memo`'d component is reconciled, the reconciler compares the
+new props against the previous props using shallow equality. If they
+match and none of the component's `use_state` / `use_reducer` setters
+have fired since the last render, the previously-rendered subtree is
+reused and the component body is not re-executed. This is the
+component-level equivalent of [`use_memo`][pythonnative.use_memo].
+
+`memo` is typically used on pure, prop-driven leaves that re-render
+frequently as part of a larger tree, e.g. rows inside a list whose
+identity doesn't change between renders of the parent.
+
 ## Error boundaries
 
 Wrap risky components in

diff --git a/docs/guides/animations.md b/docs/guides/animations.md
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ frame.
 
 ## Mental model
 
-1. Create an [`AnimatedValue`][pythonnative.AnimatedValue] using
-   [`use_memo`][pythonnative.use_memo] (so it survives re-renders).
+1. Create an [`AnimatedValue`][pythonnative.AnimatedValue] with
+   [`use_animated_value`][pythonnative.use_animated_value] (so it
+   survives re-renders).
 2. Bind the value into the `style` of an `Animated.View`,
    `Animated.Text`, or `Animated.Image`.
 3. Drive the value with `Animated.timing`, `Animated.spring`, or
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ import pythonnative as pn
 
 @pn.component
 def FadeInBox():
-    opacity = pn.use_memo(lambda: pn.Animated.Value(0.0), [])
+    opacity = pn.use_animated_value(0.0)
 
     def _fade_in():
         pn.Animated.timing(opacity, to=1.0, duration=400).start()
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ def FadeInBox():
 ```python
 @pn.component
 def Bouncy():
-    scale = pn.use_memo(lambda: pn.Animated.Value(1.0), [])
+    scale = pn.use_animated_value(1.0)
 
     def _press():
         pn.Animated.spring(scale, to=1.2, stiffness=200, damping=8).start()
@@ -79,8 +80,8 @@ animation property.
 ## Sequencing and parallel composition
 
 ```python
-opacity = pn.Animated.Value(0.0)
-translate_y = pn.Animated.Value(20.0)
+opacity = pn.use_animated_value(0.0)
+translate_y = pn.use_animated_value(20.0)
 
 pn.Animated.parallel([
     pn.Animated.timing(opacity, to=1.0, duration=300),

diff --git a/docs/guides/platform-accessibility.md b/docs/guides/platform-accessibility.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ Mount [`StatusBar`][pythonnative.StatusBar] anywhere in the tree (it
 renders nothing visible) to control style and visibility:
 
 ```python
-pn.StatusBar(style="light", background_color="#000000")
+pn.StatusBar(bar_style="light", background_color="#000000")
 ```
 
 `style` is `"light"` (light icons, dark background), `"dark"` (dark

diff --git a/examples/hello-world/app/screens/settings.py b/examples/hello-world/app/screens/settings.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def _view_showcase() -> None:
 
     return pn.ScrollView(
         pn.Column(
-            pn.StatusBar(style="dark"),
+            pn.StatusBar(bar_style="dark"),
             pn.Text("Settings", style=styles["title"]),
             pn.Text(f"PythonNative v{pn.__version__}", style=styles["subtitle"]),
             pn.Text(

diff --git a/examples/hello-world/app/screens/showcase.py b/examples/hello-world/app/screens/showcase.py
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@
 
 @pn.component
 def AnimatedCard() -> pn.Element:
-    """Demonstrates ``Animated.View`` driven by ``AnimatedValue`` + ``use_memo``."""
-    opacity = pn.use_memo(lambda: pn.Animated.Value(0.0), [])
-    scale = pn.use_memo(lambda: pn.Animated.Value(0.9), [])
+    """Demonstrates ``Animated.View`` driven by ``use_animated_value``."""
+    opacity = pn.use_animated_value(0.0)
+    scale = pn.use_animated_value(0.9)
 
     def _enter() -> None:
         pn.Animated.parallel(
@@ -63,8 +63,11 @@ def _enter() -> None:
     )
 
 
+@pn.memo
 @pn.component
 def TypographyDemo() -> pn.Element:
+    """Wrapped in [`pn.memo`][pythonnative.memo] so it skips re-render when parent state changes."""
+    print("[TypographyDemo] render (should only appear once)")
     return pn.Column(
         pn.Text("Headline", style={"font_size": 28, "font_weight": "700"}),
         pn.Text(
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ def TypographyDemo() -> pn.Element:
     )
 
 
+@pn.memo
 @pn.component
 def BordersAndShadows() -> pn.Element:
     return pn.View(
@@ -96,6 +100,7 @@ def BordersAndShadows() -> pn.Element:
     )
 
 
+@pn.memo
 @pn.component
 def Chips() -> pn.Element:
     return pn.Row(
@@ -112,6 +117,20 @@ def Chips() -> pn.Element:
     )
 
 
+def section_heading(title: str, hint: str) -> pn.Element:
+    """Compose two sibling [`pn.Text`][pythonnative.Text] nodes via [`pn.Fragment`][pythonnative.Fragment].
+
+    Returning a Fragment from a plain helper (not a ``@pn.component``)
+    lets the surrounding parent (here a [`pn.Column`][pythonnative.Column])
+    flatten the siblings into its own child list without an extra
+    wrapper view.
+    """
+    return pn.Fragment(
+        pn.Text(title, style=styles["section_title"]),
+        pn.Text(hint, style=styles["hint"]),
+    )
+
+
 @pn.component
 def ShowcaseScreen() -> pn.Element:
     nav = pn.use_navigation()
@@ -133,10 +152,10 @@ def go_back() -> None:
         pn.Column(
             pn.Text(message, style=styles["title"]),
             AnimatedCard(),
-            pn.Text("Typography", style=styles["section_title"]),
+            section_heading("Typography", "Memoized via @pn.memo; renders only once."),
             TypographyDemo(),
             BordersAndShadows(),
-            pn.Text("Chips", style=styles["section_title"]),
+            section_heading("Chips", "Composed via pn.Fragment without an extra container."),
             Chips(),
             pn.Pressable(
                 pn.View(

diff --git a/scripts/start-android-emulator.sh b/scripts/start-android-emulator.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Start the local Android emulator used for testing pythonnative apps.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./scripts/start-android-emulator.sh [avd-name]
+#
+# Defaults to the "Medium_Phone" AVD. List available AVDs with:
+#   ~/Library/Android/sdk/emulator/emulator -list-avds
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+AVD_NAME="${1:-Medium_Phone}"
+EMULATOR_BIN="${ANDROID_SDK_ROOT:-$HOME/Library/Android/sdk}/emulator/emulator"
+
+if [[ ! -x "$EMULATOR_BIN" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: emulator binary not found at $EMULATOR_BIN" >&2
+  echo "Set ANDROID_SDK_ROOT or install the Android SDK emulator." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+exec "$EMULATOR_BIN" -avd "$AVD_NAME"
diff --git a/src/pythonnative/__init__.py b/src/pythonnative/__init__.py
@@ -55,39 +55,59 @@ def App():
 
 from . import sdk
 from .alerts import Alert
-from .animated import Animated, AnimatedValue
+from .animated import Animated, AnimatedValue, use_animated_value
 from .components import (
     ActivityIndicator,
+    ActivityIndicatorProps,
     Button,
+    ButtonProps,
     Column,
     ErrorBoundary,
     FlatList,
+    Fragment,
     Image,
+    ImageProps,
     KeyboardAvoidingView,
+    KeyboardAvoidingViewProps,
     Modal,
+    ModalProps,
     Picker,
+    PickerProps,
     Pressable,
+    PressableProps,
     ProgressBar,
+    ProgressBarProps,
     RefreshControl,
     Row,
     SafeAreaView,
+    SafeAreaViewProps,
     ScrollView,
+    ScrollViewProps,
     SectionList,
     Slider,
+    SliderProps,
     Spacer,
+    SpacerProps,
     StatusBar,
+    StatusBarProps,
     Switch,
+    SwitchProps,
     Text,
     TextInput,
+    TextInputProps,
+    TextProps,
     View,
+    ViewProps,
     WebView,
+    WebViewProps,
 )
 from .element import Element
 from .hooks import (
     Provider,
     batch_updates,
     component,
     create_context,
+    memo,
     use_callback,
     use_context,
     use_effect,
@@ -152,6 +172,7 @@ def App():
     "Column",
     "ErrorBoundary",
     "FlatList",
+    "Fragment",
     "Image",
     "KeyboardAvoidingView",
     "Modal",
@@ -171,13 +192,33 @@ def App():
     "TextInput",
     "View",
     "WebView",
+    # Built-in Props dataclasses
+    "ActivityIndicatorProps",
+    "ButtonProps",
+    "ImageProps",
+    "KeyboardAvoidingViewProps",
+    "ModalProps",
+    "PickerProps",
+    "PressableProps",
+    "ProgressBarProps",
+    "SafeAreaViewProps",
+    "ScrollViewProps",
+    "SliderProps",
+    "SpacerProps",
+    "StatusBarProps",
+    "SwitchProps",
+    "TextInputProps",
+    "TextProps",
+    "ViewProps",
+    "WebViewProps",
     # Core
     "Element",
     "create_screen",
     # Hooks
     "batch_updates",
     "component",
     "create_context",
+    "memo",
     "use_callback",
     "use_context",
     "use_effect",
@@ -225,6 +266,7 @@ def App():
     # Animation
     "Animated",
     "AnimatedValue",
+    "use_animated_value",
     # Imperative
     "Alert",
     # Native modules