Feature Request: Inline Wheel Picker Component

[one-kash]

Description

Request for a Material Design inline wheel picker component - a vertically scrolling list with snap-to-center behavior for time, date, and option selection.

Problem with Current TimePicker

The radial clock dial (TimePicker) has UX issues:

Clock Dial	Wheel Picker
Requires dialog/popup	Embeds inline in any layout
Two-step selection (hour → minute)	Single view, parallel selection
Imprecise touch targets on small screens	Large, linear touch targets
Unfamiliar to many users	Intuitive scroll-and-snap
Awkward in bottom sheets	Native fit for bottom sheets
Fixed size	Adapts to container

Accessibility Benefits

The wheel picker improves accessibility over the radial TimePicker:

• Motor: Vertical swipe gestures are easier than precise circular targeting
• Cognitive: Linear selection requires no analog clock literacy
• Vision: Larger, linearly-arranged items with clear selection highlight
• TalkBack: Standard list semantics vs. problematic radial navigation
• Switch access: Natural mapping to vertical navigation controls

Use Cases

• Inline time selection - Embedded in forms or bottom sheets without spawning dialogs
• Date selection - Day/month/year wheels side by side
• General option selection - Any finite list (durations, quantities, etc.)

Why This Should Be a Standard Component

1. No official inline solution - TimePicker requires a dialog; TimeInput is text-only
2. Common need - Developers resort to deprecated NumberPicker or third-party libraries
3. Compose gap - Material3 Compose lacks an inline picker for embedded use cases
4. Better ergonomics - Linear scrolling is more accessible than radial selection

Proposed API

@Composable
fun <T> WheelPicker(
    items: List<T>,
    selectedItem: T,
    onItemSelected: (T) -> Unit,
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
    visibleItems: Int = 5,
    itemContent: @Composable (item: T, isSelected: Boolean) -> Unit
)

Key Features

• Snap-to-center fling behavior
• Center selection highlight
• Opacity gradient for context
• Edge fade gradients
• Generic type support
• State hoisting

Reference Implementation

I've built a production implementation in KashCal featuring:

• Generic VerticalWheelPicker<T>
• Specialized WheelTimePicker with 12/24h support
• Locale-aware AM/PM
• Configurable minute intervals

Happy to contribute code toward an official component.