Cannot get subcollection along with collection in flutter - flutter

Question

I am trying to get documents with their own subcollections, from Stream, but I am stuck.
This is where I set up my StreamSubscription:
Future<void> _toggleOrdersHistorySubscription({FirebaseUser user}) async {
_ordersHistorySubscription?.cancel();
if (user != null) {
_ordersHistorySubscription = ordersRepository
.ordersHistoryStream(userId: user.uid)
.listen((ordersSnapshot) {
final List<OrderModel> tmpList = ordersSnapshot.documents.map((e) {
// e.reference.collection("cart").getDocuments().;
return OrderModel.orderFromSnapshot(e);
}).toList();
add(OrdersHistoryUpdated(ordersHistory: tmpList));
});
}
}
The issue is that I can't see a way to get subcollection along with the parent document because getDocuments returns a Future.
Anyone can clear this issue for me?
So, I update the code method a separate method for retrieving data when listener is triggered but it doesn't work fully and I do not understand what's happening and why part of the code is working and part is not.
List<OrderModel> _getOrdersHistory({
#required QuerySnapshot snapshot,
}) {
return snapshot.documents.map((document) {
List<OrderedProductModel> cart = [];
List<AddressModel> addresses = [];
document.reference.collection("cart").getDocuments().then((snapshot) {
snapshot?.documents?.forEach((doc) {
cart.add(OrderedProductModel.fromSnapshot(doc));
});
});
document.reference
.collection("addresses")
.getDocuments()
.then((snapshot) {
snapshot?.documents?.forEach((doc) {
addresses.add(AddressModel.addressFromJson(doc.data));
});
});
final order = OrderModel.orderFromSnapshot(
document,
restaurantCart: cart,
);
return order.copyWith(
orderAddress:
(addresses?.isNotEmpty ?? false) ? addresses.first : null,
sentFromAddress:
(addresses?.isNotEmpty ?? false) ? addresses.last : null,
);
})
.toList() ??
[];
}
As an alternate solution to my original issue is that I made a map entry in Firestore instead of a collection for 2 address documents (which are set above as orderAddress and sentFromAddress) and for the cart I decided to get the data when needed for every cart item.
So the method which I put in the update is not the final one, but I want to understand what is happening up there as I do not understand why:
Why the cart is shown as empty if I do a print(order); right before the return and in the bloc it has data;
Why the orderAddress and sentFromAddress are both empty no matter what I try;

Answer 1

To be short: You'll never be able to get a List synchronously if you get the data async from firebase.
Both questions have the same answer:
Your timeline:
For each document
Create an empty list
Initiate the firebase query - getDocuments()
Subscribe to the returned future with - .then((snapshot){cart.add(...)}).
This lambda will be invoked when the documents arrived.
Another subscribe
Save your empty cart and first/last of empty addresses to an OrderModel
Your List contains the references to your empty lists indirectly
Use your bloc, some time elapsed
Firebase done, your callbacks starts to fill up your lists.
Regarding your comment like stream.listen doesn't like async callbacks:
That's not true, you just have to know how async functions work. They're run synchronously until the first await, then return with an incomplete future. If you do real async things you have to deal with the consequences of the time delay like changed environment or parallel running listeners.
You can deal with parallel running with await for (T v in stream) or you can use subscription.pause() and resume.

Answer 2

If anything returns a future, just do this:
...getDocuments().then((value) => {
value is the item return here. Do something with it....
})
Also, you might want to split your method up a bit to share the responsibility.

Answer 3

If getDocuments is a Future function and you need to wait for it, I think you should add await before it. I also don't see the snapshot status checking in your code pasted here. Maybe you have already checked the snapshot status in other function? Make sure the snapshot is ready when using it.