Passing Data to a Stateful Widget in Flutter - flutter

Question

I'm wondering what the recommended way of passing data to a stateful widget, while creating it, is.
The two styles I've seen are:
class ServerInfo extends StatefulWidget {
Server _server;
ServerInfo(Server server) {
this._server = server;
}
#override
State<StatefulWidget> createState() => new _ServerInfoState(_server);
}
class _ServerInfoState extends State<ServerInfo> {
Server _server;
_ServerInfoState(Server server) {
this._server = server;
}
}
This method keeps a value both in ServerInfo and _ServerInfoState, which seems a bit wasteful.
The other method is to use widget._server:
class ServerInfo extends StatefulWidget {
Server _server;
ServerInfo(Server server) {
this._server = server;
}
#override
State<StatefulWidget> createState() => new _ServerInfoState();
}
class _ServerInfoState extends State<ServerInfo> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
widget._server = "10"; // Do something we the server value
return null;
}
}
This seems a bit backwards as the state is no longer stored in _ServerInfoSate but instead in the widget.
Is there a best practice for this?

Answer 1

Don't pass parameters to State using it's constructor.
You should only access the parameters using this.widget.myField.
Not only editing the constructor requires a lot of manual work ; it doesn't bring anything. There's no reason to duplicate all the fields of Widget.
EDIT :
Here's an example:
class ServerIpText extends StatefulWidget {
final String serverIP;
const ServerIpText ({ Key? key, this.serverIP }): super(key: key);
#override
_ServerIpTextState createState() => _ServerIpTextState();
}
class _ServerIpTextState extends State<ServerIpText> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text(widget.serverIP);
}
}
class AnotherClass extends StatelessWidget {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Center(
child: ServerIpText(serverIP: "127.0.0.1")
);
}
}

Answer 2

Best way is don't pass parameters to State class using it's constructor. You can easily access in State class using widget.myField.
For Example
class UserData extends StatefulWidget {
final String clientName;
final int clientID;
const UserData(this.clientName,this.clientID);
#override
UserDataState createState() => UserDataState();
}
class UserDataState extends State<UserData> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
// Here you direct access using widget
return Text(widget.clientName);
}
}
Pass your data when you Navigate screen :
Navigator.of(context).push(MaterialPageRoute(builder: (context) => UserData("WonderClientName",132)));

Answer 3

Another answer, building on #RémiRousselet's anwser and for #user6638204's question, if you want to pass initial values and still be able to update them in the state later:
class MyStateful extends StatefulWidget {
final String foo;
const MyStateful({Key key, this.foo}): super(key: key);
#override
_MyStatefulState createState() => _MyStatefulState(foo: this.foo);
}
class _MyStatefulState extends State<MyStateful> {
String foo;
_MyStatefulState({this.foo});
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text(foo);
}
}

Answer 4

For passing initial values (without passing anything to the constructor)
class MyStateful extends StatefulWidget {
final String foo;
const MyStateful({Key key, this.foo}): super(key: key);
#override
_MyStatefulState createState() => _MyStatefulState();
}
class _MyStatefulState extends State<MyStateful> {
#override
void initState(){
super.initState();
// you can use this.widget.foo here
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text(foo);
}
}

Answer 5

Flutter's stateful widgets API is kinda awkward: storing data in Widget in order to access it in build() method which resides in State object 🤦 If you don't want to use some of bigger state management options (Provider, BLoC), use flutter_hooks (https://pub.dev/packages/flutter_hooks) - it is a nicer and cleaner substitute for SatefullWidgets:
class Counter extends HookWidget {
final int _initialCount;
Counter(this._initialCount = 0);
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
final counter = useState(_initialCount);
return GestureDetector(
// automatically triggers a rebuild of Counter widget
onTap: () => counter.value++,
child: Text(counter.value.toString()),
);
}
}

Answer 6

#Rémi Rousselet, #Sanjayrajsinh, #Daksh Shah is also better. but I am also defined this is in from starting point.that which parameter is which value
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
void main() => runApp(MyApp());
class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
String name = "Flutter Demo";
String description = "This is Demo Application";
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return MaterialApp(
home: MainActivity(
appName: name,
appDescription: description,
),
);
}
}
class MainActivity extends StatefulWidget {
MainActivity({Key key, this.appName, this.appDescription}) : super(key: key);
var appName;
var appDescription;
#override
_MainActivityState createState() => _MainActivityState();
}
class _MainActivityState extends State<MainActivity> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text(widget.appName),
),
body: Scaffold(
body: Center(
child: Text(widget.appDescription),
),
),
);
}
}

Answer 7

The best practice is to define the stateful widget class as immutable which means defining all dependencies (arrival parameter) as final parameters. and getting access to them by widget.<fieldName> in the state class. In case you want to change their values like reassigning you should define the same typed properties in your state class and re-assign them in the initState function. it is highly recommended not to define any not-final property in your stateful widget class and make it a mutable class. something like this pattern:
class SomePage extends StatefulWidget{
final String? value;
SomePage({this.value});
#override
State<SomePage> createState() => _SomePageState();
}
class _SomePageState extends State<SomePage> {
String? _value;
#override
void initState(){
super.initState();
setState(() {
_value = widget.value;
});
}
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text(_value);
}
}

Answer 8

To pass data to stateful widget, first of all, create two pages. Now from the first page open the second page and pass the data.
class PageTwo extends StatefulWidget {
final String title;
final String name;
PageTwo ({ this.title, this.name });
#override
PageTwoState createState() => PageTwoState();
}
class PageTwoStateState extends State<PageTwo> {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Text(
widget.title,
style: TextStyle(
fontSize: 18, fontWeight: FontWeight.w700),
),
}
}
class PageOne extends StatelessWidget {
#override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return MaterialButton(
text: "Open PageTwo",
onPressed: () {
var destination = ServicePage(
title: '<Page Title>',
provider: '<Page Name>',
);
Navigator.push(context,
MaterialPageRoute(builder: (context) => destination));
},);
}
}