How to create a Tab bar component

The Ionic Design Kit, based on the robust Ionic Framework, simplifies app development by providing designers with a diverse array of pre-made elements. These elements can be effortlessly selected and arranged, eliminating the need to build components from scratch. For developers, this translates to minimal complex coding, as all components are derived from the Ionic Framework. The result is a swift, efficient, and collaborative process, making the Ionic Design Kit indispensable for both designers and developers.

The Tab Bar is a crucial component in user interface design, offering a straightforward and efficient way for users to navigate between different sections of an application. It enhances the user experience by providing easy access to the most important areas of the app through clearly labeled tabs. A well-designed tab bar ensures intuitive navigation, helping users to find what they need quickly and efficiently.

This guide aims to provide a detailed overview, enabling designers and developers to seamlessly integrate a functional and aesthetically pleasing Tab Bar into their applications. The integration process is streamlined by using design components from the Ionic Kit, which is built on the solid foundation of the expansive Ionic library.

For some screens, we will use the IonTabs and IonTabsBar components to implement tab-based navigation. As an example, let's consider adding these components to the Settings screen. The guide for creating the Settings screen is available here. Please make sure that you've set up all necessary dependencies. Our application will consist of four pages: home, dictionary, settings, and profile. We will use the settings page as the active page. According to the Ionic documentation, the navigation for this page will be organized as follows:

const App: React.FC = () => (
  <IonApp>
    <IonReactRouter>
      <IonRouterOutlet>
        <Route path="/home" component={Home} exact={true} />
        <Route path="/dictionary" component={Dictionary} exact={true} />
        <Route path="/settings" component={Settings} exact={true} />
        <Route path="/profile" component={Profile} exact={true} />
        <Redirect exact from="/" to="/home" />
      </IonRouterOutlet>
    </IonReactRouter>
  </IonApp>
);

1. Update your router configuration

Update your router configuration to include the IonTabs component and replace the IonRouterOutlet inside it.

<IonApp>
  <IonReactRouter>
    <IonTabs>
      <IonRouterOutlet>
        <Route path="/home" component={Home} exact={true} />
        <Route path="/dictionary" component={Dictionary} exact={true} />
        <Route path="/settings" component={Settings} exact={true} />
        <Route path="/profile" component={Profile} exact={true} />
        <Redirect exact from="/" to="/home" />
      </IonRouterOutlet>
    </IonTabs>
  </IonReactRouter>
</IonApp>

2. Add the Tab bar

After the IonRouterOutlet add the IonTabBar component and set the slot as bottom to place the content at the bottom of the screen.

<IonApp>
  <IonReactRouter>
    <IonTabs>
      <IonRouterOutlet>...</IonRouterOutlet>
      <IonTabBar slot='bottom'></IonTabBar>
    </IonTabs>
  </IonReactRouter>
</IonApp>

3. Place the Tab button

Inside the IonTabBar component, add the IonTabButton with the tab='home' and href='/home' attributes to create a tab corresponding to the route.

<IonTabBar slot='bottom'>
  <IonTabButton tab='home' href='/home'></IonTabButton>
</IonTabBar>

4. Insert the icon to the button

Inside the IonTabButton add the IonIcon component with the icon home. Please make sure that you’ve imported icon form the Ionicons library.

<IonTabButton tab='home' href='/home'>
  <IonIcon icon={home}></IonIcon>
</IonTabButton>

5. Label Home button

Add the IonLabel component and place the text 'Home' inside.

<IonTabButton tab='home' href='/home'>
  <IonIcon icon={home}></IonIcon>
  <IonLabel>Home</IonLabel>
</IonTabButton>

6. Repeat steps from 3 to 5

Add another IonTabButton with the tab=’dictionary’.

<IonTabButton tab='dictionary' href='/dictionary'>
  <IonIcon icon={book}></IonIcon>
  <IonLabel>Dictionary</IonLabel>
</IonTabButton>

7. Repeat steps from 3 to 5

Add another IonTabButton with the tab=’settings’.

<IonTabButton tab='settings' href='/settings'>
  <IonIcon icon={settings}></IonIcon>
  <IonLabel>Settings</IonLabel>
</IonTabButton>

8. Repeat steps from 3 to 5

Add another IonTabButton with the tab=’profile’.

<IonTabButton tab='profile' href='/profile'>
  <IonIcon icon={person}></IonIcon>
  <IonLabel>Profile</IonLabel>
</IonTabButton>

Thank you for joining us on this exciting journey thus far. Stay tuned for more guides in our comprehensive series, where we'll not only delve into various aspects of mobile app development but also showcase how the Ionic Kit can be your game-changer.

Are you prepared to elevate your Ionic experience? Explore the advantages of incorporating the Ionic Design Kit for intuitive designs and seamless development. May your coding journey be marked by continual innovation and triumphant achievements!