Flutter - Passing data between stateful widget in a socket connection - flutter

I am new to flutter and I am woking on sockets which keeps streaming data which I need to update on a appbar. So I have to stateful widgets
class _HomePageState extends State<HomePage> {
TickerAppBar appBar = TickerAppBar();
//Some declarations
#override
void initState() {
// TODO: implement initState
super.initState();
connectionSetup();
}
connectionSetup() async {
this.socket.connect(connectionString);
this.socket.sendSubscription(subscriptionString);
await processData();
}
Future<Null> processData() async{
subscription = socket.streamController.stream.listen(
(data) {
appBar.setStreamData(data); //Passing data into appbar widget
//rest of the code of current widget
}
);
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
appBar: appBar,
//rest of the code
)
}
}
class TickerAppBar extends StatefulWidget implements PreferredSizeWidget {
String streamData;
_TickerAppBarState child = _TickerAppBarState();
setStreamData(data){
this.streamData = data;
child.processData(); //To invoke the function every time the data is passed
}
}
class _TickerAppBarState extends State<TickerAppBar>{
Future<String> processData() async{
//Cannot set state here since its a constructor and the widget is not mounted.
}
}
So how I can set the data every time the data is passed into tickerappbar? so that my custom appbar displays new data which comes in every second.

I would suggest you follow the BLoC pattern, in which you can define your streams at one place and subscribe to the said stream from any widget, once you have the data ready, you can write to the stream and it will be shared on all the subscribed widgets.

Related

Riverpod - fetch data in ConsumerWidget when accessing it

I have a StateNotifier whose state I want to use in a widget.
As far as I know, if you watch a StateNotifierProvider with ref.watch in a build, the widget gets rebuilt every time the state changes.
Now, In the StateNotifier I have a DatabaseService instance to call api requests and set the state accordingly and in a ConsumerWidget I watch the state.
The thing is, I want to call a fetch method defined in StateNotifier the first time the widget builds, so I can display the data retrieved from the database.
Something like this
class MyStateNotifier extends StateNotifier<CustomState> {
final DatabaseService databaseService;
MyStateNotifier(this.databaseService) : super(CustomStateInit());
Future<void> fetchData() async {
state = CustomStateLoading();
final result = await databaseService.apiRequest();
state = CustomStateSuccess(result);
}
}
final stateNotifierProvider = StateNotifierProvider((ref) => MyStateNotifier());
and in the widget
class MyWidget extends ConsumerWidget {
// I have to call the MyStateNotifier fetchData() method to get the data
Widget build(BuildContext context, WidgetRef ref) {
final data = ref.watch(stateNotifierProvider);
return Column(
children: data.map((e) => Text(e)).toList()
);
}
}
To call fetchData() once you watch your stateNotifierProvider you need to call it in the StateNotifier's constructor like this:
MyStateNotifier(this.databaseService) : super(CustomStateInit()){fetchData();}

How to use ever() with Flutter getx variable in GetxController if I didn't add .obs

I am using Flutter getx package.
I know how to use "ever" with (.obs) variable like this
class CountController extends GetxController {
final count = 0.obs;
#override
void onInit() {
ever(count1, (_) => print("$_ has been changed"));
super.onInit();
}
}
But how to use "ever()" or triggering specific callbacks when variable change if the variable doesn't have (.obs) because I am using GetBuilder (not : Obx or GetX) in my view
class AnyScreen extends StatelessWidget {
final controller = Get.put(CounterController());
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
ever(controller.counter, (value) => print("$value has been changed"));
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text("whatever!");
}
}
NOTE: Workers should always be used when starting a Controller or Class, so it should always be on onInit (recommended), Class constructor, or the initState of a StatefulWidget (this practice is not recommended in most cases, but it shouldn't have any side effects)
docs

How to reload the page whenever the page is on screen - flutter

Is there any callbacks available in flutter for every time the page is visible on screen? in ios there are some delegate methods like viewWillAppear, viewDidAppear, viewDidload.
I would like to call a API call whenever the particular page is on-screen.
Note: I am not asking the app states like foreground, backround, pause, resume.
Thank You!
Specifically to your question:
Use initState but note that you cannot use async call in initState because it calls before initializing the widget as the name means. If you want to do something after UI is created didChangeDependencies is great. But never use build() without using FutureBuilder or StreamBuilder
Simple example to demostrate:
import 'dart:convert';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;
void main() {
runApp(MaterialApp(home: ExampleScreen()));
}
class ExampleScreen extends StatefulWidget {
ExampleScreen({Key key}) : super(key: key);
#override
_ExampleScreenState createState() => _ExampleScreenState();
}
class _ExampleScreenState extends State<ExampleScreen> {
List data = [];
bool isLoading = true;
void fetchData() async {
final res = await http.get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users");
data = json.decode(res.body);
setState(() => isLoading = false);
}
// this method invokes only when new route push to navigator
#override
void initState() {
super.initState();
fetchData();
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
body: Center(
child: isLoading
? CircularProgressIndicator()
: Text(data?.toString() ?? ""),
),
);
}
}
Some lifecycle method of StatefulWidget's State class:
initState():
Describes the part of the user interface represented by this widget.
The framework calls this method in a number of different situations:
After calling initState.
After calling didUpdateWidget.
After receiving a call to setState.
After a dependency of this State object changes (e.g., an InheritedWidget referenced by the previous build changes).
After calling deactivate and then reinserting the State object into the tree at another location.
The framework replaces the subtree below this widget with the widget
returned by this method, either by updating the existing subtree or by
removing the subtree and inflating a new subtree, depending on whether
the widget returned by this method can update the root of the existing
subtree, as determined by calling Widget.canUpdate.
Read more
didChangeDependencies():
Called when a dependency of this State object changes.
For example, if the previous call to build referenced an
InheritedWidget that later changed, the framework would call this
method to notify this object about the change.
This method is also called immediately after initState. It is safe to
call BuildContext.dependOnInheritedWidgetOfExactType from this method.
Read more
build() (Stateless Widget)
Describes the part of the user interface represented by this widget.
The framework calls this method when this widget is inserted into the
tree in a given BuildContext and when the dependencies of this widget
change (e.g., an InheritedWidget referenced by this widget changes).
Read more
didUpdateWidget(Widget oldWidget):
Called whenever the widget configuration changes.
If the parent widget rebuilds and request that this location in the
tree update to display a new widget with the same runtimeType and
Widget.key, the framework will update the widget property of this
State object to refer to the new widget and then call this method with
the previous widget as an argument.
Read more
Some widgets are stateless and some are stateful. If it's a stateless widget, then only values can change but UI changes won't render.
Same way for the stateful widget, it will change for both as value as well as UI.
Now, will look into methods.
initState(): This is the first method called when the widget is created but after constructor call.
#override
void initState() {
// TODO: implement initState
super.initState();
}
didChangeDependecies() - Called when a dependency of this State object changes.Gets called immediately after initState method.
#override
void didChangeDependencies() {
super.didChangeDependencies();
}
didUpdateWidget() - It gets called whenever widget configurations gets changed. Framework always calls build after didUpdateWidget
#override
void didUpdateWidget (
covariant Scaffold oldWidget
)
setState() - Whenever internal state of State object wants to change, need to call it inside setState method.
setState(() {});
dispose() - Called when this object is removed from the tree permanently.
#override
void dispose() {
// TODO: implement dispose
super.dispose();
}
You don't need StatefulWidget for calling the api everytime the screen is shown.
In the following example code, press the floating action button to navigate to api calling screen, go back using back arrow, press the floating action button again to navigate to api page.
Everytime you visit this page api will be called automatically.
import 'dart:async';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
main() => runApp(MaterialApp(home: HomePage()));
class HomePage extends StatelessWidget {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: () => Navigator.push(context, MaterialPageRoute(builder: (_) => ApiCaller())),
),
);
}
}
class ApiCaller extends StatelessWidget {
static int counter = 0;
Future<String> apiCallLogic() async {
print("Api Called ${++counter} time(s)");
await Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: 2));
return Future.value("Hello World");
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('Api Call Count: $counter'),
),
body: FutureBuilder(
future: apiCallLogic(),
builder: (BuildContext context, AsyncSnapshot<String> snapshot) {
if (snapshot.connectionState == ConnectionState.waiting) return const CircularProgressIndicator();
if (snapshot.hasData)
return Text('${snapshot.data}');
else
return const Text('Some error happened');
},
),
);
}
}
This is the simple code with zero boiler-plate.
The simplest way is to use need_resume
1.Add this to your package's pubspec.yaml file:
dependencies:
need_resume: ^1.0.4
2.create your state class for the stateful widget using type ResumableState instead of State
class HomeScreen extends StatefulWidget {
#override
HomeScreenState createState() => HomeScreenState();
}
class HomeScreenState extends ResumableState<HomeScreen> {
#override
void onReady() {
// Implement your code inside here
print('HomeScreen is ready!');
}
#override
void onResume() {
// Implement your code inside here
print('HomeScreen is resumed!');
}
#override
void onPause() {
// Implement your code inside here
print('HomeScreen is paused!');
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
body: Center(
child: RaisedButton(
child: Text('Go to Another Screen'),
onPressed: () {
print("hi");
},
),
),
);
}
}
If you want to make an API call, then you must be (or really should be) using a StatefulWidget.
Walk through it, let's say your stateful widget receives some id that it needs to make an API call.
Every time your widget receives a new id (including the first time) then you need to make a new API call with that id.
So use didUpdateWidget to check to see if the id changed and, if it did (like it does when the widget appears because the old id will be null) then make a new API call (set the appropriate loading and error states, too!)
class MyWidget extends StatefulWidget {
Suggestions({Key key, this.someId}) : super(key: key);
String someId
#override
State<StatefulWidget> createState() => MyWidgetState();
}
class MyWidgetState extends State<MyWidget> {
dynamic data;
Error err;
bool loading;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
if(loading) return Loader();
if(err) return SomeErrorMessage(err);
return SomeOtherStateLessWidget(data);
}
#override
void didUpdateWidget(covariant MyWidget oldWidget) {
super.didUpdateWidget(oldWidget);
// id changed in the widget, I need to make a new API call
if(oldWidget.id != widget.id) update();
}
update() async {
// set loading and reset error
setState(() => {
loading = true,
err = null
});
try {
// make the call
someData = await apiCall(widget.id);
// set the state
setState(() => data = someData)
} catch(e) {
// oops an error happened
setState(() => err = e)
}
// now we're not loading anymore
setState(() => loading = false);
}
}
I'm brand new to Flutter (literally, just started playing with it this weekend), but it essentially duplicates React paradigms, if that helps you at all.
Personal preference, I vastly prefer this method rather than use FutureBuilder (right now, like I said, I'm brand new). The logic is just easier to reason about (for me).

Get InheritedWidget parameter in initState

i need some help understanding how to obtain data from inherited widget.
I usually get the parameter from my widget directly from the build method using
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
//THIS METHOD
var data = StateContainer.of(context).data;
return Container(child:Text("${data.parameter}"));
}
But this method cant be called from initState since there is no buildContext yet.
I need in the initState method to have that parameter (i call my fetch from server in that and i need to pass that data to my function), so, how should i do it?
#override
void initState() {
otherData = fetchData(data);
super.initState();
}
I tried using didChangeDipendencies() but it is called every time the view is rebuilt (popping from screen, etc.) so it is not what i want to use and neither the FutureBuilder widget.
Any suggestion?
First, note that you probably do want to use didChangeDependencies. But you can't just do your call there without any check. You need to wrap it in an if first.
A typical didChangeDependencies implementation should look similar to:
Foo foo;
#override
void didChangeDependencies() {
super.didChangeDependencies();
final foo = Foo.of(context);
if (this.foo != foo) {
this.foo = foo;
foo.doSomething();
}
}
Using such code, doSomething will be executed only when foo changes.
Alternatively, if you are lazy and know for sure that your object will never ever change, there's another solution.
To obtain an InheritedWidget, the method typically used is:
BuildContext context;
InheritedWidget foo = context.inheritFromWidgetOfExactType(Foo);
and it is this method that cannot be called inside initState.
But there's another method that does the same thing:
BuildContext context;
InheritedWidget foo = context.ancestorInheritedElementForWidgetOfExactType(Foo)?.widget;
The twist is:
- this method can be called inside initState
- it won't handle the scenario where the value changed.
So if your value never changes, you can use that instead.
1, If you only need InheritedWidget as a Provider of parameter for Widget.
You can using on initState as bellow:
#override
void initState() {
super.initState();
var data = context.ancestorInheritedElementForWidgetOfExactType(type)?.widget;
}
2, If you need listener to re-render widget when data of InheritedWidget change. I suggest you wrapper your StatefulWidget insider a StatelessWidget,
parameter of StatefulWidget is passed from StatelessWidget, when InheritedWidget change data, it will notify to StatelessWidget, on StatefulWidget we will get change on didChangeDependencies and you can refresh data.
This is code guide:
class WrapperDemoWidget extends StatelessWidget {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
DemoData data = StateContainer.of(context).data;
return Container();
}
}
class ImplementWidget extends StatefulWidget {
DemoData data;
ImplementWidget({this.data});
#override
_ImplementWidgetState createState() => _ImplementWidgetState();
}
class _ImplementWidgetState extends State<ImplementWidget> {
#override
void initState() {
super.initState();
//TODO Do sth with widget.data
}
#override
void didChangeDependencies() {
super.didChangeDependencies();
//TODO Do change with widget.data
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Container();
}
}
I prefer the solution with didChangeDependencies because Future.delayed solution is a bit hack, looks unprofessional and unhealthy. However, it works out of the box.
This is the solution I prefer:
class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> {
bool isDataLoaded = false;
#override
void didChangeDependencies() {
if (!isDataLoaded) {
otherData = fetchData(data).then((_){
this.isDataLoaded = true;
});
}
super.didChangeDependencies();
}
...
You can also get the context in initState, try using a future with duration zero. You can find some examples here
void initState() {
super.initState();
Future.delayed(Duration.zero,() {
//use context here
showDialog(context: context, builder: (context) => AlertDialog(
content: Column(
children: <Widget>[
Text('#todo')
],
),
actions: <Widget>[
FlatButton(onPressed: (){
Navigator.pop(context);
}, child: Text('OK')),
],
));
});
}
i use it to make loading screens using inherited widgets and avoid some global variables

Controlling State from outside of a StatefulWidget

I'm trying to understand the best practice for controlling a StatefulWidget's state outside of that Widgets State.
I have the following interface defined.
abstract class StartupView {
Stream<String> get onAppSelected;
set showActivity(bool activity);
set message(String message);
}
I would like to create a StatefulWidget StartupPage that implements this interface. I expect the Widget to do the following:
When a button is pressed it would send an event over the onAppSelected stream. A controller would listen to this event and perform some action ( DB call, service request, etc ).
The controller can call showActivity or set message to have the view show progress with a message.
Because a Stateful Widget does not expose its State as a property, I don't know the best approach for accessing and modifying the State's attributes.
The way I would expect to use this would be something like this:
Widget createStartupPage() {
var page = new StartupPage();
page.onAppSelected.listen((app) {
page.showActivity = true;
//Do some work
page.showActivity = false;
});
}
I've thought about instantiating the Widget by passing in the state I want it to return in createState() but that feels wrong.
Some background on why we have this approach: We currently have a Dart web application. For view-controller separation, testability, and forward-thinking towards Flutter, we decided that we would create an interface for every view in our application. This would allow a WebComponent or a Flutter Widget to implement this interface and leave all of the controller logic the same.
There are multiple ways to interact with other stateful widgets.
1. findAncestorStateOfType
The first and most straightforward is through context.findAncestorStateOfType method.
Usually wrapped in a static method of the Stateful subclass like this :
class MyState extends StatefulWidget {
static of(BuildContext context, {bool root = false}) => root
? context.findRootAncestorStateOfType<_MyStateState>()
: context.findAncestorStateOfType<_MyStateState>();
#override
_MyStateState createState() => _MyStateState();
}
class _MyStateState extends State<MyState> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Container();
}
}
This is how Navigator works for example.
Pro:
Easiest solution
Con:
Tempted to access State properties or manually call setState
Requires to expose State subclass
Don't use this method when you want to access a variable. As your widget may not reload when that variable change.
2. Listenable, Stream and/or InheritedWidget
Sometimes instead of a method, you may want to access some properties. The thing is, you most likely want your widgets to update whenever that value changes over time.
In this situation, dart offer Stream and Sink. And flutter adds on the top of it InheritedWidget and Listenable such as ValueNotifier. They all do relatively the same thing: subscribing to a value change event when coupled with a StreamBuilder/context.dependOnInheritedWidgetOfExactType/AnimatedBuilder.
This is the go-to solution when you want your State to expose some properties. I won't cover all the possibilities but here's a small example using InheritedWidget :
First, we have an InheritedWidget that expose a count :
class Count extends InheritedWidget {
static of(BuildContext context) =>
context.dependOnInheritedWidgetOfExactType<Count>();
final int count;
Count({Key key, #required Widget child, #required this.count})
: assert(count != null),
super(key: key, child: child);
#override
bool updateShouldNotify(Count oldWidget) {
return this.count != oldWidget.count;
}
}
Then we have our State that instantiate this InheritedWidget
class _MyStateState extends State<MyState> {
int count = 0;
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Count(
count: count,
child: Scaffold(
body: CountBody(),
floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
onPressed: () {
setState(() {
count++;
});
},
),
),
);
}
}
Finally, we have our CountBody that fetch this exposed count
class CountBody extends StatelessWidget {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Center(
child: Text(Count.of(context).count.toString()),
);
}
}
Pros:
More performant than findAncestorStateOfType
Stream alternative is dart only (works with web) and is strongly integrated in the language (keywords such as await for or async*)
Automic reload of the children when the value change
Cons:
More boilerplate
Stream can be complicated
3. Notifications
Instead of directly calling methods on State, you can send a Notification from your widget. And make State subscribe to these notifications.
An example of Notification would be :
class MyNotification extends Notification {
final String title;
const MyNotification({this.title});
}
To dispatch the notification simply call dispatch(context) on your notification instance and it will bubble up.
MyNotification(title: "Foo")..dispatch(context)
Note: you need put above line of code inside a class, otherwise no context, can NOT call notification.
Any given widget can listen to notifications dispatched by their children using NotificationListener<T> :
class _MyStateState extends State<MyState> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return NotificationListener<MyNotification>(
onNotification: onTitlePush,
child: Container(),
);
}
bool onTitlePush(MyNotification notification) {
print("New item ${notification.title}");
// true meaning processed, no following notification bubbling.
return true;
}
}
An example would be Scrollable, which can dispatch ScrollNotification including start/end/overscroll. Then used by Scrollbar to know scroll information without having access to ScrollController
Pros:
Cool reactive API. We don't directly do stuff on State. It's State that subscribes to events triggered by its children
More than one widget can subscribe to that same notification
Prevents children from accessing unwanted State properties
Cons:
May not fit your use-case
Requires more boilerplate
You can expose the state's widget with a static method, a few of the flutter examples do it this way and I've started using it as well:
class StartupPage extends StatefulWidget {
static StartupPageState of(BuildContext context) => context.ancestorStateOfType(const TypeMatcher<StartupPageState>());
#override
StartupPageState createState() => new StartupPageState();
}
class StartupPageState extends State<StartupPage> {
...
}
You can then access the state by calling StartupPage.of(context).doSomething();.
The caveat here is that you need to have a BuildContext with that page somewhere in its tree.
There is another common used approach to have access to State's properties/methods:
class StartupPage extends StatefulWidget {
StartupPage({Key key}) : super(key: key);
#override
StartupPageState createState() => StartupPageState();
}
// Make class public!
class StartupPageState extends State<StartupPage> {
int someStateProperty;
void someStateMethod() {}
}
// Somewhere where inside class where `StartupPage` will be used
final startupPageKey = GlobalKey<StartupPageState>();
// Somewhere where the `StartupPage` will be opened
final startupPage = StartupPage(key: startupPageKey);
Navigator.push(context, MaterialPageRoute(builder: (_) => startupPage);
// Somewhere where you need have access to state
startupPageKey.currentState.someStateProperty = 1;
startupPageKey.currentState.someStateMethod();
I do:
class StartupPage extends StatefulWidget {
StartupPageState state;
#override
StartupPageState createState() {
this.state = new StartupPageState();
return this.state;
}
}
class DetectedAnimationState extends State<DetectedAnimation> {
And outside just startupPage.state
While trying to solve a similar problem, I discovered that ancestorStateOfType() and TypeMatcher have been deprecated. Instead, one has to use findAncestorStateOfType(). However as per the documentation, "calling this method is relatively expensive". The documentation for the findAncestorStateOfType() method can be found here.
In any case, to use findAncestorStateOfType(), the following can be implemented (this is a modification of the correct answer using the findAncestorStateOfType() method):
class StartupPage extends StatefulWidget {
static _StartupPageState of(BuildContext context) => context.findAncestorStateOfType<_StartupPageState>();
#override
_StartupPageState createState() => new _StartupPageState();
}
class _StartupPageState extends State<StartupPage> {
...
}
The state can be accessed in the same way as described in the correct answer (using StartupPage.of(context).yourFunction()). I wanted to update the post with the new method.
You can use eventify
This library provide mechanism to register for event notifications with emitter
or publisher and get notified in the event of an event.
You can do something like:
// Import the library
import 'package:eventify/eventify.dart';
final EventEmitter emitter = new EventEmitter();
var controlNumber = 50;
List<Widget> buttonsGenerator() {
final List<Widget> buttons = new List<Widget>();
for (var i = 0; i < controlNumber; i++) {
widgets.add(new MaterialButton(
// Generate 10 Buttons afterwards
onPressed: () {
controlNumber = 10;
emitter.emit("updateButtonsList", null, "");
},
);
}
}
class AState extends State<ofYourWidget> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
List<Widget> buttons_list = buttonsGenerator();
emitter.on('updateButtonsList', null, (event, event_context) {
setState(() {
buttons_list = buttonsGenerator();
});
});
}
...
}
I can't think of anything which can't be achieved by event driven programming. You are limitless!
"Freedom cannot be bestowed — it must be achieved."
- Elbert Hubbard
Have you considered lifting the state to the parent widget? It is a common, though less ideal than Redux, way to manage state in React as far as I know, and this repository shows how to apply the concept to a Flutter app.