How to pass data back from a widget? - flutter

Question

I have a screen where users can add a location. Here, I have separated all my widgets into there own files as illustrated below;
import 'package:cached_network_image/cached_network_image.dart';
import 'package:cloud_firestore/cloud_firestore.dart';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:fluttershare/pages/location/location_help_screen.dart';
import 'package:fluttershare/widgets/common_widgets/customDivider.dart';
import 'package:uuid/uuid.dart';
import '../../widgets/camp_type_select.dart';
import '../../widgets/extra_location_notes.dart';
import '../../widgets/location_input.dart';
import '../../widgets/opening_times.dart';
import '../../widgets/post_media.dart';
import '../../widgets/space_avalibility.dart';
import '../../widgets/utility_type_select.dart';
import '../../widgets/width_restriction.dart';
import '../../widgets/height_restriction.dart';
import '../../models/locations.dart';
import '../../models/user.dart';
import '../home.dart';
class AddNewLocation extends StatefulWidget {
static const routeName = '/add-new-location';
final User currentUser;
AddNewLocation({this.currentUser});
_AddNewLocationState createState() => _AddNewLocationState();
}
class _AddNewLocationState extends State<AddNewLocation> {
String postId = Uuid().v4();
final _scaffoldKey = GlobalKey<ScaffoldState>();
PlaceLocation _pickedLocation;
int storyPostCount = 0;
bool isLoading = false;
void _selectPlace(double lat, double lng) {
_pickedLocation = PlaceLocation(lattitude: lat, longitude: lng);
}
getLocationPostCount() async {
setState(() {
isLoading = true;
});
QuerySnapshot snapshot = await locationPostRef
.document(currentUser.id)
.collection('user_location_posts')
.getDocuments();
setState(() {
storyPostCount = snapshot.documents.length;
});
}
createLocationPostInFirestore(
{String mediaUrl,
String description,
double heightRestriction,
double widthRestriction}) {
locationPostRef
.document(currentUser.id)
.collection("user_location_posts")
.document(postId)
.setData({
"postId": postId,
"ownerId": currentUser.id,
"username": currentUser.username,
"description": description,
"timestamp": timestamp,
"lattitude": _pickedLocation.lattitude,
"longitude": _pickedLocation.longitude,
"max_height": heightRestrictionValue.toStringAsFixed(0),
"max_width": widthRestrictionValue.toStringAsFixed(0),
});
}
handlePostSubmit() {
createLocationPostInFirestore(
heightRestriction: heightRestrictionValue,
widthRestriction: widthRestrictionValue,
);
SnackBar snackbar = SnackBar(
content: Text("Profile Updated"),
);
_scaffoldKey.currentState.showSnackBar(snackbar);
setState(() {
postId = Uuid().v4();
});
}
buildUploadUserHeader() {
return Container(
margin: EdgeInsets.only(bottom: 10),
height: 200,
child: Row(
children: <Widget>[
Expanded(
flex: 2,
child: Container(
color: Colors.blue,
child: Column(
crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.stretch,
children: <Widget>[
ListTile(
leading: CircleAvatar(
backgroundImage:
CachedNetworkImageProvider(currentUser.photoUrl)),
),
],
),
),
),
Expanded(
flex: 6,
child: Container(
color: Colors.pink,
child: Column(
crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.stretch,
mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.max,
children: <Widget>[
Text(currentUser.displayName),
],
),
),
),
],
),
);
}
buildCampUploadForm() {
return Container(
child: SingleChildScrollView(
child: Column(
children: <Widget>[
//buildUploadUserHeader(), //TODO: This is the profile header that is dissabled for now. Work on possibly a header in the future.
Container(
padding: EdgeInsets.all(15),
child: Column(
children: <Widget>[
CampTypeSelect(),
CustomDivider(),
LocationInput(_selectPlace),
CustomDivider(),
HeightRestriction(),
WidthRestriction(),
SpaceAvalibility(),
OpeningTimes(),
CustomDivider(),
PostMedia(),
CustomDivider(),
UtilityServices(),
CustomDivider(),
ExtraLocationNotes(),
Container(
height: 80,
margin: EdgeInsets.only(top: 10, bottom: 10),
child: Row(
children: <Widget>[
Expanded(
child: FlatButton(
color: Colors.black,
onPressed: () => handlePostSubmit(),
child: Text(
"SUBMIT",
style: Theme.of(context).textTheme.display2,
),
padding: EdgeInsets.all(20),
),
)
],
),
),
],
),
),
],
),
));
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
key: _scaffoldKey,
appBar: AppBar(
automaticallyImplyLeading: false,
title: const Text(
'Add New Location',
style: TextStyle(color: Colors.black),
),
actions: <Widget>[
// action button
IconButton(
icon: Icon(Icons.info_outline),
color: Colors.black,
onPressed: () {
Navigator.push(
context,
MaterialPageRoute(
fullscreenDialog: true,
builder: (context) => LocationSubmitHelpScreen()),
);
},
),
// action button
IconButton(
icon: Icon(Icons.close),
color: Colors.black,
onPressed: () {
Navigator.of(context).pop();
},
),
],
),
body: buildCampUploadForm(),
backgroundColor: Colors.white,
);
}
}
What I am trying to do is pass the data back from the widget ExtraLocationNotes()
to the function createLocationPostInFirestore().
For context, this is what my widget looks like;
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'common_widgets/custom_form_card.dart';
class ExtraLocationNotes extends StatefulWidget {
_ExtraLocationNotesState createState() => _ExtraLocationNotesState();
}
class _ExtraLocationNotesState extends State<ExtraLocationNotes> {
TextEditingController descriptionController = TextEditingController();
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return CustomFormCard(
child: Column(
children: <Widget>[
Container(
child: Row(
children: <Widget>[
Text(
"EXTRA INFORMATION",
style: TextStyle(
fontSize: 18.0,
color: Colors.black,
fontWeight: FontWeight.w400,
letterSpacing: 2.0,
),
),
],
),
),
SizedBox(height: 20),
TextFormField(
controller: descriptionController,
maxLines: 6,
maxLength: 250,
maxLengthEnforced: true,
style:
new TextStyle(fontSize: 18.0, height: 1.3, color: Colors.black),
decoration: const InputDecoration(
hintText:
"Please write a description of this location for fellow travellers.",
alignLabelWithHint: true,
border: OutlineInputBorder(
borderRadius: BorderRadius.only(),
borderSide: BorderSide(color: Colors.black),
),
),
),
],
),
);
}
}
How do I pass the data back to the parent widget?

Answer 1

You need a callback, which will be triggered in the child widget then the value will be updated in the parent widget:
// 1- Define a pointers to executable code in memory, which is the callback.
typedef void MyCallback(String val);
class ExtraLocationNotes extends StatefulWidget {
// 2- You will pass it to this widget with the constructor.
final MyCallback cb;
// 3- ..pass it to this widget with the constructor
ExtraLocationNotes({this.cb});
_ExtraLocationNotesState createState() => _ExtraLocationNotesState();
}
class _ExtraLocationNotesState extends State<ExtraLocationNotes> {
//..
//...
RaisedButton(
//..
// 4- in any event inside the child you can call the callback with
// the data you want to send back to the parent widget:
onPressed: () {
widget.cb("Hello from the other side!");
}
),
}
Then inside the parent widget you need to catch the data which sent form the child:
class AddNewLocation extends StatefulWidget {
//...
_AddNewLocationState createState() => _AddNewLocationState();
}
class _AddNewLocationState extends State<AddNewLocation> {
// 1- Global var to store the data that we're waiting for.
String _dataFromMyChild = "";
buildCampUploadForm() {
return Container(
//...
//...
// 2- Pass the callback with the constructor of the child, this
// will update _dataFromMyChild's value:
ExtraLocationNotes(cb: (v) => setState(() => _dataFromMyChild = v)),
//..
}
// then
createLocationPostInFirestore() {
// Use _dataFromMyChild's value here
}
}

Answer 2

You can use the BuildContext object to get the context widget (might no be the parent!) couldn't read it all but as i understand that you need to pass the info from the child to the parent ,and you can do it with some like this :-
(context.widget as MyType).doStuff();
Note.
please check first with
print(context.widget.runtimeType);
but to make a better solution make a mutable data object that is passed from parent to the child so when changes happens it reflect's on the parent so you can separate business logic from ui logic.