How to avoid streambuilder executes unnecessarytimes - flutter

I'm trying to display a list of documents which works, but I read that one good practice is to manage states (which I'm trying currently to understand too). In this case every time I change of screen using the bottomNavigationBar the streamBuilder executes (I always see the CircularProgressIndicator).
I tried call the collection reference in the intState but still the same issue, my code:
class Deparments extends StatefulWidget {
Deparments({Key? key, required this.auth}) : super(key: key);
final AuthBase auth;
#override
_DeparmentsState createState() => _DeparmentsState();
}
class _DeparmentsState extends State<Deparments> {
late final Stream<QuerySnapshot<Object?>> _widget;
Stream<QuerySnapshot<Object?>> getProds(){
CollectionReference ref = FirebaseFirestore.instance.collection("Departamentos");
return ref.snapshots();
}
#override
void initState() {
super.initState();
_widget = getProds();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
drawer: SideMenu(auth: widget.auth),
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text("Departamentos"),
centerTitle: true,
backgroundColor: Colors.green,
),
body: Container(
child: StreamBuilder<QuerySnapshot> (
stream: _widget,
builder: (BuildContext context, snapshot) {
if (!snapshot.hasData) {
return Center(
child: CircularProgressIndicator(),
);
} else {
List deparments =
snapshot.data!.docs.map((doc) => doc.id).toList();
return Column(
children: [
Expanded(
child: ListView.builder(
padding: EdgeInsets.only(top: 10),
scrollDirection: Axis.vertical,
itemCount: deparments.length,
itemBuilder: (context, index) {
return SingleChildScrollView(
child: Card(
child: Text(deparments[index]),
),
);
}),
)
],
);
}
}),
),
);
}
}
Update: for those who are facing the same issue Tayan provides a useful solution and he has a video showing the solution https://stackoverflow.com/a/64057210/9429407

Init state will not help you to avoid rebuilds because on changing tabs Flutter rebuilds your Screen. So we need some way to keep our screen alive, so here comes AutomaticKeepAliveClientMixin.
class _HomeState extends State<Home> with AutomaticKeepAliveClientMixin<Home> {
#override
bool get wantKeepAlive => true;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
//Make sure to include the below method
super.build(context);
return SomeWidget();
}
}
The above implementation keeps all of your tab state persists and does not rebuilds the tabs again. Well this may serve your purpose but it may not be idle because this loads all the tabs at once even if the user actually didnt visited a tab, so to avoid the build unless a tab is clicked, use the above method in combination with pageview.
Check out pageView implementation
Also, if you want a better way to manage state and save some of your read calls to Firestore, then you should store data locally and fetch only those needed and/or use paginations.

Initialize your stream in initState just like this answer:
StreamBuilder being called numerous times when in build

Related

GetX and ListView issues

I have quite the problem wrapping my head around the whole state management of GetX so naturally I'm facing some issues.
I'm getting a collection from firebase which I put into a listview populated with Card widgets (CustomCard()), each document into a Card widget. In this Card widget I have a boolean that controls whether the card should be expanded (simply by Adding a Row()) or not if Card is tapped. The issue I'm facing is that if use GetX for this boolean, all the cards will trigger and not each individual card. In a way this seems logical because I only have one controller that manages this boolean.
So to clarify, bool isCardExpanded seem to be global for all Card widgets meaning that if I tap one card, ALL cards will expand, which is not what I want. I need them to act individually.
Do I need one separate controller for every Card in the list view or is this solvable in another way?
Controller
class Controller extends GetxController {
RxBool isCardExpanded = false.obs;
void changeExpanded() {
isCardExpanded.value = !isCardExpanded.value;
update();
}
}
ListView:
class CustomScreen extends State<CustomScreen>
implements ItemScreenInterface {
Controller ctrl = Get.find();
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return StreamBuilder(
stream: FirebaseFirestore.instance
.collection(someCol)
.doc(SomeDoc)
.collection(anotherCol).snapshots(),
builder: (BuildContext context, AsyncSnapshot snapshot) {
return Column(
children: [
Expanded(
child: ListView.builder(
shrinkWrap: true,
itemCount: snapshot.data.docs.length,
itemBuilder: (_, i) {
return CustomCard( // <------------ Card widget
document: snapshot.data.docs[i]);
}),
)
],
);
},
);
}
Card class
class CustomCard extends StatefulWidget {
CustomCard({required this.doc});
var doc;
#override
_CustomCardState createState() => _CustomCardState();
}
class _CustomCardState extends State<CustomCard> {
Controller ctrl = Get.find();
RxBool _isCardExpanded = false.obs;
#override
void initState() {
super.initState();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Card(
child: GestureDetector(
onTap: () {
ctrl.changeExpanded(); // <-- change bool
},
child: Padding(
padding: EdgeInsets.all(2),
child: Column(
children: <Widget>[
Row(
children: <Widget>[
Text('Top Part')
]),
if (_isCardExpanded.value) Divider(thickness: 2),
if (_isCardExpanded.value) // Controlled by _isCardExpanded. Add Row if true
Row(
children: <Widget>[
Text('EXPANDED'),
],
),
],
),
),
),
);
}
}
Desired outcome:
Actual outcome:
Because your controller instance initializes only once.
To solve your problem, you need to make a List that has the status of the cards in the Controller.
Or don't use the State management tool, but separately place the _isExpanded value in the _CustomCardState class. And use the setState() function.
EDIT
There is another way by using the tag argument when creating the controller like Get.create(someController, tag: TAG_NAME);

How to properly initialize a Future in Flutter Provider

so I am trying to build up a list in my provider from a Future Call.
So far, I have the following ChangeNotifier class below:
class MainProvider extends ChangeNotifier {
List<dynamic> _list = <dynamic>[];
List<dynamic> get list => _list;
int count = 0;
MainProvider() {
initList();
}
initList() async {
var db = new DatabaseHelper();
addToList(Consumer<MainProvider>(
builder: (_, provider, __) => Text(provider.count.toString())));
await db.readFromDatabase(1).then((result) {
result.forEach((item) {
ModeItem _modelItem= ModeItem.map(item);
addToList(_modelItem);
});
});
}
addToList(Object object) {
_list.add(object);
notifyListeners();
}
addCount() {
count += 1;
notifyListeners();
}
}
However, this is what happens whenever I use the list value:
I can confirm that my initList function is executing properly
The initial content from the list value that is available is the
Text() widget that I firstly inserted through the addToList function, meaning it appears that there is only one item in the list at this point
When I perform Hot Reload, the rest of the contents of the list seems to appear now
Notes:
I use the value of list in a AnimatedList widget, so I am
supposed to show the contents of list
What appears initially is that the content of my list value is only one item
My list value doesn't seem to automatically update during the
execution of my Future call
However, when I try to call the addCount function, it normally
updates the value of count without needing to perform Hot Reload -
this one seems to function properly
It appears that the Future call is not properly updating the
contents of my list value
My actual concern is that on initial loading, my list value doesn't
properly initialize all it's values as intended
Hoping you guys can help me on this one. Thank you.
UPDATE: Below shows how I use the ChangeNotifierClass above
class ParentProvider extends StatelessWidget {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return MultiProvider(
providers: [
ChangeNotifierProvider<MainProvider>(
create: (context) => MainProvider(),
),
],
child: ParentWidget(),
);
}
}
class ParentWidget extends StatelessWidget {
final GlobalKey<AnimatedListState> listKey = GlobalKey<AnimatedListState>();
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
var mainProvider = Provider.of<MainProvider>(context);
buildItem(BuildContext context, int index, Animation animation) {
print('buildItem');
var _object = mainProvider.list[index];
var _widget;
if (_object is Widget) {
_widget = _object;
} else if (_object is ModelItem) {
_widget = Text(_object.unitNumber.toString());
}
return SizeTransition(
key: ValueKey<int>(index),
axis: Axis.vertical,
sizeFactor: animation,
child: InkWell(
onTap: () {
listKey.currentState.removeItem(index,
(context, animation) => buildItem(context, index, animation),
duration: const Duration(milliseconds: 300));
mainProvider.list.removeAt(index);
mainProvider.addCount();
},
child: Card(
child: Padding(
padding: const EdgeInsets.all(32.0),
child: _widget,
),
),
),
);
}
return Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(),
body: Container(
color: Colors.white,
child: Padding(
padding: const EdgeInsets.all(32.0),
child: mainProvider.list == null
? Container()
: AnimatedList(
key: listKey,
initialItemCount: mainProvider.list.length,
itemBuilder:
(BuildContext context, int index, Animation animation) =>
buildItem(context, index, animation),
),
),
),
);
}
}
You are retrieving your provider from a StatelessWidget. As such, the ChangeNotifier can't trigger your widget to rebuild because there is no state to rebuild. You have to either convert ParentWidget to be a StatefulWidget or you need to get your provider using Consumer instead of Provider.of:
class ParentWidget extends StatelessWidget {
final GlobalKey<AnimatedListState> listKey = GlobalKey<AnimatedListState>();
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Consumer<MainProvider>(
builder: (BuildContext context, MainProvider mainProvider, _) {
...
}
);
}
As an aside, the way you are using provider is to add the MainProvider to its provider and then retrieve it from within its immediate child. If this is the only place you are retrieving the MainProvider, this makes the provider pattern redundant as you can easily just declare it within ParentWidget, or even just get your list of images using a FutureBuilder. Using provider is a good step toward proper state management, but also be careful of over-engineering your app.

Flutter rebuilds previous routes when focusing on TextField [duplicate]

For various reasons, sometimes the build method of my widgets is called again.
I know that it happens because a parent updated. But this causes undesired effects.
A typical situation where it causes problems is when using FutureBuilder this way:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: httpCall(),
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
In this example, if the build method were to be called again, it would trigger another HTTP request. Which is undesired.
Considering this, how to deal with the unwanted build? Is there any way to prevent a build call?
The build method is designed in such a way that it should be pure/without side effects. This is because many external factors can trigger a new widget build, such as:
Route pop/push
Screen resize, usually due to keyboard appearance or orientation change
The parent widget recreated its child
An InheritedWidget the widget depends on (Class.of(context) pattern) change
This means that the build method should not trigger an http call or modify any state.
How is this related to the question?
The problem you are facing is that your build method has side effects/is not pure, making extraneous build calls troublesome.
Instead of preventing build calls, you should make your build method pure, so that it can be called anytime without impact.
In the case of your example, you'd transform your widget into a StatefulWidget then extract that HTTP call to the initState of your State:
class Example extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_ExampleState createState() => _ExampleState();
}
class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
Future<int> future;
#override
void initState() {
future = Future.value(42);
super.initState();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: future,
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
}
I know this already. I came here because I really want to optimize rebuilds
It is also possible to make a widget capable of rebuilding without forcing its children to build too.
When the instance of a widget stays the same; Flutter purposefully won't rebuild children. It implies that you can cache parts of your widget tree to prevent unnecessary rebuilds.
The easiest way is to use dart const constructors:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return const DecoratedBox(
decoration: BoxDecoration(),
child: Text("Hello World"),
);
}
Thanks to that const keyword, the instance of DecoratedBox will stay the same even if the build was called hundreds of times.
But you can achieve the same result manually:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
final subtree = MyWidget(
child: Text("Hello World")
);
return StreamBuilder<String>(
stream: stream,
initialData: "Foo",
builder: (context, snapshot) {
return Column(
children: <Widget>[
Text(snapshot.data),
subtree,
],
);
},
);
}
In this example when StreamBuilder is notified of new values, subtree won't rebuild even if the StreamBuilder/Column does.
It happens because, thanks to the closure, the instance of MyWidget didn't change.
This pattern is used a lot in animations. Typical uses are AnimatedBuilder and all transitions such as AlignTransition.
You could also store subtree into a field of your class, although less recommended as it breaks the hot-reload feature.
You can prevent unwanted build calling, using these way
Create child Statefull class for individual small part of UI
Use Provider library, so using it you can stop unwanted build method calling
In these below situation build method call
After calling initState
After calling didUpdateWidget
when setState() is called.
when keyboard is open
when screen orientation changed
If Parent widget is build then child widget also rebuild
Flutter also has ValueListenableBuilder<T> class . It allows you to rebuild only some of the widgets necessary for your purpose and skip the expensive widgets.
you can see the documents here ValueListenableBuilder flutter docs
or just the sample code below:
return Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text(widget.title)
),
body: Center(
child: Column(
mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
children: <Widget>[
Text('You have pushed the button this many times:'),
ValueListenableBuilder(
builder: (BuildContext context, int value, Widget child) {
// This builder will only get called when the _counter
// is updated.
return Row(
mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.spaceEvenly,
children: <Widget>[
Text('$value'),
child,
],
);
},
valueListenable: _counter,
// The child parameter is most helpful if the child is
// expensive to build and does not depend on the value from
// the notifier.
child: goodJob,
)
],
),
),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
child: Icon(Icons.plus_one),
onPressed: () => _counter.value += 1,
),
);
One of the easiest ways to avoid unwanted reBuilds that are caused usually by calling setState() in order to update only a specific Widget and not refreshing the whole page, is to cut that part of your code and wrap it as an independent Widget in another Stateful class.
For example in following code, Build method of parent page is called over and over by pressing the FAB button:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
void main() {
runApp(TestApp());
}
class TestApp extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_TestAppState createState() => _TestAppState();
}
class _TestAppState extends State<TestApp> {
int c = 0;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
print('build is called');
return MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('my test app'),
),
body: Center(child:Text('this is a test page')),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: (){
setState(() {
c++;
});
},
tooltip: 'Increment',
child: Icon(Icons.wb_incandescent_outlined, color: (c % 2) == 0 ? Colors.white : Colors.black)
)
));
}
}
But if you separate the FloatingActionButton widget in another class with its own life cycle, setState() method does not cause the parent class Build method to re-run:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter_app_mohsen/widgets/my_widget.dart';
void main() {
runApp(TestApp());
}
class TestApp extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_TestAppState createState() => _TestAppState();
}
class _TestAppState extends State<TestApp> {
int c = 0;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
print('build is called');
return MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('my test app'),
),
body: Center(child:Text('this is a test page')),
floatingActionButton: MyWidget(number: c)
));
}
}
and the MyWidget class:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
class MyWidget extends StatefulWidget {
int number;
MyWidget({this.number});
#override
_MyWidgetState createState() => _MyWidgetState();
}
class _MyWidgetState extends State<MyWidget> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: (){
setState(() {
widget.number++;
});
},
tooltip: 'Increment',
child: Icon(Icons.wb_incandescent_outlined, color: (widget.number % 2) == 0 ? Colors.white : Colors.black)
);
}
}
I just want to share my experience of unwanted widget build mainly due to context but I found a way that is very effective for
Route pop/push
So you need to use Navigator.pushReplacement() so that the context of the previous page has no relation with the upcoming page
Use Navigator.pushReplacement() for navigating from the first page to Second
In second page again we need to use Navigator.pushReplacement()
In appBar we add -
leading: IconButton(
icon: Icon(Icons.arrow_back),
onPressed: () {
Navigator.pushReplacement(
context,
RightToLeft(page: MyHomePage()),
);
},
)
In this way we can optimize our app
You can do something like this:
class Example extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_ExampleState createState() => _ExampleState();
}
class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
Future<int> future;
#override
void initState() {
future = httpCall();
super.initState();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: future,
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
void refresh(){
setState((){
future = httpCall();
});
}
}

Deeper understanding: Stateful widget is always rebuilt even though I am in different view? [duplicate]

For various reasons, sometimes the build method of my widgets is called again.
I know that it happens because a parent updated. But this causes undesired effects.
A typical situation where it causes problems is when using FutureBuilder this way:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: httpCall(),
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
In this example, if the build method were to be called again, it would trigger another HTTP request. Which is undesired.
Considering this, how to deal with the unwanted build? Is there any way to prevent a build call?
The build method is designed in such a way that it should be pure/without side effects. This is because many external factors can trigger a new widget build, such as:
Route pop/push
Screen resize, usually due to keyboard appearance or orientation change
The parent widget recreated its child
An InheritedWidget the widget depends on (Class.of(context) pattern) change
This means that the build method should not trigger an http call or modify any state.
How is this related to the question?
The problem you are facing is that your build method has side effects/is not pure, making extraneous build calls troublesome.
Instead of preventing build calls, you should make your build method pure, so that it can be called anytime without impact.
In the case of your example, you'd transform your widget into a StatefulWidget then extract that HTTP call to the initState of your State:
class Example extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_ExampleState createState() => _ExampleState();
}
class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
Future<int> future;
#override
void initState() {
future = Future.value(42);
super.initState();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: future,
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
}
I know this already. I came here because I really want to optimize rebuilds
It is also possible to make a widget capable of rebuilding without forcing its children to build too.
When the instance of a widget stays the same; Flutter purposefully won't rebuild children. It implies that you can cache parts of your widget tree to prevent unnecessary rebuilds.
The easiest way is to use dart const constructors:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return const DecoratedBox(
decoration: BoxDecoration(),
child: Text("Hello World"),
);
}
Thanks to that const keyword, the instance of DecoratedBox will stay the same even if the build was called hundreds of times.
But you can achieve the same result manually:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
final subtree = MyWidget(
child: Text("Hello World")
);
return StreamBuilder<String>(
stream: stream,
initialData: "Foo",
builder: (context, snapshot) {
return Column(
children: <Widget>[
Text(snapshot.data),
subtree,
],
);
},
);
}
In this example when StreamBuilder is notified of new values, subtree won't rebuild even if the StreamBuilder/Column does.
It happens because, thanks to the closure, the instance of MyWidget didn't change.
This pattern is used a lot in animations. Typical uses are AnimatedBuilder and all transitions such as AlignTransition.
You could also store subtree into a field of your class, although less recommended as it breaks the hot-reload feature.
You can prevent unwanted build calling, using these way
Create child Statefull class for individual small part of UI
Use Provider library, so using it you can stop unwanted build method calling
In these below situation build method call
After calling initState
After calling didUpdateWidget
when setState() is called.
when keyboard is open
when screen orientation changed
If Parent widget is build then child widget also rebuild
Flutter also has ValueListenableBuilder<T> class . It allows you to rebuild only some of the widgets necessary for your purpose and skip the expensive widgets.
you can see the documents here ValueListenableBuilder flutter docs
or just the sample code below:
return Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text(widget.title)
),
body: Center(
child: Column(
mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
children: <Widget>[
Text('You have pushed the button this many times:'),
ValueListenableBuilder(
builder: (BuildContext context, int value, Widget child) {
// This builder will only get called when the _counter
// is updated.
return Row(
mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.spaceEvenly,
children: <Widget>[
Text('$value'),
child,
],
);
},
valueListenable: _counter,
// The child parameter is most helpful if the child is
// expensive to build and does not depend on the value from
// the notifier.
child: goodJob,
)
],
),
),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
child: Icon(Icons.plus_one),
onPressed: () => _counter.value += 1,
),
);
One of the easiest ways to avoid unwanted reBuilds that are caused usually by calling setState() in order to update only a specific Widget and not refreshing the whole page, is to cut that part of your code and wrap it as an independent Widget in another Stateful class.
For example in following code, Build method of parent page is called over and over by pressing the FAB button:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
void main() {
runApp(TestApp());
}
class TestApp extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_TestAppState createState() => _TestAppState();
}
class _TestAppState extends State<TestApp> {
int c = 0;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
print('build is called');
return MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('my test app'),
),
body: Center(child:Text('this is a test page')),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: (){
setState(() {
c++;
});
},
tooltip: 'Increment',
child: Icon(Icons.wb_incandescent_outlined, color: (c % 2) == 0 ? Colors.white : Colors.black)
)
));
}
}
But if you separate the FloatingActionButton widget in another class with its own life cycle, setState() method does not cause the parent class Build method to re-run:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter_app_mohsen/widgets/my_widget.dart';
void main() {
runApp(TestApp());
}
class TestApp extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_TestAppState createState() => _TestAppState();
}
class _TestAppState extends State<TestApp> {
int c = 0;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
print('build is called');
return MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('my test app'),
),
body: Center(child:Text('this is a test page')),
floatingActionButton: MyWidget(number: c)
));
}
}
and the MyWidget class:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
class MyWidget extends StatefulWidget {
int number;
MyWidget({this.number});
#override
_MyWidgetState createState() => _MyWidgetState();
}
class _MyWidgetState extends State<MyWidget> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: (){
setState(() {
widget.number++;
});
},
tooltip: 'Increment',
child: Icon(Icons.wb_incandescent_outlined, color: (widget.number % 2) == 0 ? Colors.white : Colors.black)
);
}
}
I just want to share my experience of unwanted widget build mainly due to context but I found a way that is very effective for
Route pop/push
So you need to use Navigator.pushReplacement() so that the context of the previous page has no relation with the upcoming page
Use Navigator.pushReplacement() for navigating from the first page to Second
In second page again we need to use Navigator.pushReplacement()
In appBar we add -
leading: IconButton(
icon: Icon(Icons.arrow_back),
onPressed: () {
Navigator.pushReplacement(
context,
RightToLeft(page: MyHomePage()),
);
},
)
In this way we can optimize our app
You can do something like this:
class Example extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_ExampleState createState() => _ExampleState();
}
class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
Future<int> future;
#override
void initState() {
future = httpCall();
super.initState();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: future,
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
void refresh(){
setState((){
future = httpCall();
});
}
}

Flutter StatefulWidget hierarchy [duplicate]

For various reasons, sometimes the build method of my widgets is called again.
I know that it happens because a parent updated. But this causes undesired effects.
A typical situation where it causes problems is when using FutureBuilder this way:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: httpCall(),
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
In this example, if the build method were to be called again, it would trigger another HTTP request. Which is undesired.
Considering this, how to deal with the unwanted build? Is there any way to prevent a build call?
The build method is designed in such a way that it should be pure/without side effects. This is because many external factors can trigger a new widget build, such as:
Route pop/push
Screen resize, usually due to keyboard appearance or orientation change
The parent widget recreated its child
An InheritedWidget the widget depends on (Class.of(context) pattern) change
This means that the build method should not trigger an http call or modify any state.
How is this related to the question?
The problem you are facing is that your build method has side effects/is not pure, making extraneous build calls troublesome.
Instead of preventing build calls, you should make your build method pure, so that it can be called anytime without impact.
In the case of your example, you'd transform your widget into a StatefulWidget then extract that HTTP call to the initState of your State:
class Example extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_ExampleState createState() => _ExampleState();
}
class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
Future<int> future;
#override
void initState() {
future = Future.value(42);
super.initState();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: future,
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
}
I know this already. I came here because I really want to optimize rebuilds
It is also possible to make a widget capable of rebuilding without forcing its children to build too.
When the instance of a widget stays the same; Flutter purposefully won't rebuild children. It implies that you can cache parts of your widget tree to prevent unnecessary rebuilds.
The easiest way is to use dart const constructors:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return const DecoratedBox(
decoration: BoxDecoration(),
child: Text("Hello World"),
);
}
Thanks to that const keyword, the instance of DecoratedBox will stay the same even if the build was called hundreds of times.
But you can achieve the same result manually:
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
final subtree = MyWidget(
child: Text("Hello World")
);
return StreamBuilder<String>(
stream: stream,
initialData: "Foo",
builder: (context, snapshot) {
return Column(
children: <Widget>[
Text(snapshot.data),
subtree,
],
);
},
);
}
In this example when StreamBuilder is notified of new values, subtree won't rebuild even if the StreamBuilder/Column does.
It happens because, thanks to the closure, the instance of MyWidget didn't change.
This pattern is used a lot in animations. Typical uses are AnimatedBuilder and all transitions such as AlignTransition.
You could also store subtree into a field of your class, although less recommended as it breaks the hot-reload feature.
You can prevent unwanted build calling, using these way
Create child Statefull class for individual small part of UI
Use Provider library, so using it you can stop unwanted build method calling
In these below situation build method call
After calling initState
After calling didUpdateWidget
when setState() is called.
when keyboard is open
when screen orientation changed
If Parent widget is build then child widget also rebuild
Flutter also has ValueListenableBuilder<T> class . It allows you to rebuild only some of the widgets necessary for your purpose and skip the expensive widgets.
you can see the documents here ValueListenableBuilder flutter docs
or just the sample code below:
return Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text(widget.title)
),
body: Center(
child: Column(
mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
children: <Widget>[
Text('You have pushed the button this many times:'),
ValueListenableBuilder(
builder: (BuildContext context, int value, Widget child) {
// This builder will only get called when the _counter
// is updated.
return Row(
mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.spaceEvenly,
children: <Widget>[
Text('$value'),
child,
],
);
},
valueListenable: _counter,
// The child parameter is most helpful if the child is
// expensive to build and does not depend on the value from
// the notifier.
child: goodJob,
)
],
),
),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
child: Icon(Icons.plus_one),
onPressed: () => _counter.value += 1,
),
);
One of the easiest ways to avoid unwanted reBuilds that are caused usually by calling setState() in order to update only a specific Widget and not refreshing the whole page, is to cut that part of your code and wrap it as an independent Widget in another Stateful class.
For example in following code, Build method of parent page is called over and over by pressing the FAB button:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
void main() {
runApp(TestApp());
}
class TestApp extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_TestAppState createState() => _TestAppState();
}
class _TestAppState extends State<TestApp> {
int c = 0;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
print('build is called');
return MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('my test app'),
),
body: Center(child:Text('this is a test page')),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: (){
setState(() {
c++;
});
},
tooltip: 'Increment',
child: Icon(Icons.wb_incandescent_outlined, color: (c % 2) == 0 ? Colors.white : Colors.black)
)
));
}
}
But if you separate the FloatingActionButton widget in another class with its own life cycle, setState() method does not cause the parent class Build method to re-run:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter_app_mohsen/widgets/my_widget.dart';
void main() {
runApp(TestApp());
}
class TestApp extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_TestAppState createState() => _TestAppState();
}
class _TestAppState extends State<TestApp> {
int c = 0;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
print('build is called');
return MaterialApp(home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('my test app'),
),
body: Center(child:Text('this is a test page')),
floatingActionButton: MyWidget(number: c)
));
}
}
and the MyWidget class:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
class MyWidget extends StatefulWidget {
int number;
MyWidget({this.number});
#override
_MyWidgetState createState() => _MyWidgetState();
}
class _MyWidgetState extends State<MyWidget> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: (){
setState(() {
widget.number++;
});
},
tooltip: 'Increment',
child: Icon(Icons.wb_incandescent_outlined, color: (widget.number % 2) == 0 ? Colors.white : Colors.black)
);
}
}
I just want to share my experience of unwanted widget build mainly due to context but I found a way that is very effective for
Route pop/push
So you need to use Navigator.pushReplacement() so that the context of the previous page has no relation with the upcoming page
Use Navigator.pushReplacement() for navigating from the first page to Second
In second page again we need to use Navigator.pushReplacement()
In appBar we add -
leading: IconButton(
icon: Icon(Icons.arrow_back),
onPressed: () {
Navigator.pushReplacement(
context,
RightToLeft(page: MyHomePage()),
);
},
)
In this way we can optimize our app
You can do something like this:
class Example extends StatefulWidget {
#override
_ExampleState createState() => _ExampleState();
}
class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
Future<int> future;
#override
void initState() {
future = httpCall();
super.initState();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return FutureBuilder(
future: future,
builder: (context, snapshot) {
// create some layout here
},
);
}
void refresh(){
setState((){
future = httpCall();
});
}
}