Norigin Spatial Navigation

Library for arrow-key / remote-control focus management in React apps (Smart TVs, set-top boxes, browsers). It calculates the next focusable element based on spatial position, so you don't wire up directional logic manually.

Full documentation: https://github.com/NoriginMedia/Norigin-Spatial-Navigation/tree/main/docs

When you need details beyond this skill, read the relevant page directly:

• Concepts & hierarchy: docs/guides/concepts.md, docs/guides/focus-hierarchy.md
• Quick start & install: docs/guides/quick-start.md, docs/guides/installation.md
• useFocusable API: docs/api-reference/useFocusable.md
• SpatialNavigation API (init, setFocus, pause, etc.): docs/api-reference/SpatialNavigation.md
• Boundaries / modals: docs/guides/focus-boundaries.md
• Programmatic focus: docs/guides/programmatic-focus.md
• Distance calculation tuning: docs/guides/distance-calculation.md
• Key mapping (custom remotes): docs/guides/key-mapping.md
• Event callbacks: docs/guides/event-callbacks.md
• Performance: docs/guides/performance.md
• Debugging: docs/guides/debugging.md
• Recipes (lists, grids, virtualization): docs/guides/recipes.md
• Accessibility labels: docs/guides/accessibility-labels.md
• RTL: docs/guides/rtl-support.md

Mental model

Two component shapes exist:

1. Leaf — interactive element that actually receives focus. Reads focused from useFocusable.
2. Container — wraps focusable children. Reads focusKey and provides it via FocusContext.Provider so the children participate in the hierarchy. Optionally reads hasFocusedChild (requires trackChildren: true).

Every focusable component must attach the returned ref to a real DOM element. Containers must wrap children in <FocusContext.Provider value={focusKey}> — otherwise children are orphaned at the root and navigation across them breaks.

Initialization

Call init once at app startup (e.g. in App.tsx):

import { init as initNavigation } from '@noriginmedia/norigin-spatial-navigation-core';

initNavigation({
  debug: false,
  visualDebug: false,
  throttle: 0,
  distanceCalculationMethod: 'corners' // 'center' | 'edges' | 'corners'
});

If you ship custom remote keys, also configure key mapping (see docs/guides/key-mapping.md).

Patterns

Leaf (button, menu item)

import { useFocusable } from '@noriginmedia/norigin-spatial-navigation-react';

function Button({ label, onPress }: Props) {
  const { ref, focused } = useFocusable({ onEnterPress: onPress });
  return (
    <div ref={ref} className={focused ? 'focused' : ''}>
      {label}
    </div>
  );
}

Container

import {
  useFocusable,
  FocusContext
} from '@noriginmedia/norigin-spatial-navigation-react';

function Menu({ items }: Props) {
  const { ref, focusKey, hasFocusedChild } = useFocusable({
    trackChildren: true,
    saveLastFocusedChild: true
  });

  return (
    <FocusContext.Provider value={focusKey}>
      <div ref={ref} className={hasFocusedChild ? 'active' : ''}>
        {items.map((i) => (
          <MenuItem key={i.id} {...i} />
        ))}
      </div>
    </FocusContext.Provider>
  );
}

Modal / popup (trap focus + grab on mount)

function Popup() {
  const { ref, focusKey, focusSelf } = useFocusable({ isFocusBoundary: true });

  useEffect(() => {
    focusSelf();
  }, [focusSelf]);

  return (
    <FocusContext.Provider value={focusKey}>
      <div ref={ref}>{/* buttons */}</div>
    </FocusContext.Provider>
  );
}

For partial trapping (e.g. block only horizontal), use focusBoundaryDirections. See docs/guides/focus-boundaries.md.

Programmatic focus from anywhere

import {
  setFocus,
  doesFocusableExist
} from '@noriginmedia/norigin-spatial-navigation-core';

const KEY = 'primary-cta';
useFocusable({ focusKey: KEY });

if (doesFocusableExist(KEY)) setFocus(KEY);

Conditional focusability

const { ref } = useFocusable({ focusable: !disabled });

Blocking / overriding directional input

onArrowPress(direction, props) — return true to allow default navigation, false to block it. Useful for paginated rows, custom carousels, or refusing to leave the current container at edges.

useFocusable — params worth knowing

Returned: ref (required), focusKey, focused (leaf), hasFocusedChild (container), focusSelf().

Top-level API surface

import {
  init,
  setFocus,
  getCurrentFocusKey,
  doesFocusableExist,
  navigateByDirection,
  pause,
  resume,
  setKeyMap,
  setThrottle,
  destroy
} from '@noriginmedia/norigin-spatial-navigation-core';

See docs/api-reference/SpatialNavigation.md for the full list and signatures.

Best practices

Do

• Always attach ref to a DOM element.
• Wrap container children in <FocusContext.Provider value={focusKey}>.
• Enable trackChildren only when you actually consume hasFocusedChild.
• Use stable focusKeys for elements you target programmatically.
• Guard setFocus calls with doesFocusableExist, especially around route changes / async data.
• Use isFocusBoundary for modals, drawers, and overlays.
• Set focusable: false on disabled or hidden items rather than unmounting if they may toggle frequently.

Don't

• Don't read focused on a container — use hasFocusedChild instead.
• Don't omit FocusContext.Provider on containers; children become unreachable from siblings.
• Don't blindly call setFocus on keys that may not be mounted (causes silent focus loss).
• Don't generate focusKeys that change on every render — focus state will be lost.
• Don't enable debug / visualDebug in production builds.

Debugging

Turn on diagnostics in init:

init({ debug: true, visualDebug: true });

Common issues:

• Element won't focus — ref not attached, or focusable: false, or ancestor missing FocusContext.Provider.
• Focus jumps to wrong neighbor — try a different distanceCalculationMethod (corners / center / edges); enable visualDebug to see hitboxes.
• Focus lost on re-render — focusKey is unstable, or the previously focused node unmounted without a fallback. Use preferredChildFocusKey or setFocus after the new tree mounts.
• Modal leaks focus — missing isFocusBoundary on the modal container.

More: docs/guides/debugging.md, docs/guides/performance.md.

Quick reference

// Leaf
const { ref, focused } = useFocusable();

// Container
const { ref, focusKey } = useFocusable();
<FocusContext.Provider value={focusKey}>
  <div ref={ref}>{children}</div>
</FocusContext.Provider>;

// Focus on mount
const { focusSelf } = useFocusable({ isFocusBoundary: true });
useEffect(() => {
  focusSelf();
}, [focusSelf]);

// Manual focus
if (doesFocusableExist('my-key')) setFocus('my-key');