Develop Reference

Refresh Data in ViewModel when Navigating back - Android(Kotlin)

I have the following setup.
I have a screen with a list of items (PlantsScreen). When clicking on an item from the list I will be navigated to another screen (AddEditPlantScreen). After editing and saving the item and navigating back to the listScreen, I want to show the updated list of items. But the list is not displaying the updated list but the list before the edit of the item.
In order to have a single source of truth, I am fetching the data from a node.js Back-End and then saving it to the local repository (Room). I think I need to refresh the state in the ViewModel to fetch the updated list from my repository.
I know I can use a Job to do this, but it throws me an error. Is this the correct approach when returning a Flow?
If yes, how can I achieve this.
If not, what alternative approach do I have?
plantsListViewModel.kt
private val _state = mutableStateOf<PlantsState>(PlantsState())
val state: State<PlantsState> = _state
init {
getPlants(true, "")
}
private fun getPlants(fetchFromBackend: Boolean, query: String) {
viewModelScope.launch {
plantRepository.getPlants(fetchFromBackend, query)
.collect { result ->
when (result) {
is Resource.Success -> {
result.data?.let { plants ->
_state.value = state.value.copy(
plants = plants,
)
}
}
}
}
}
}
Here is my repository where I fetch the items in the list from.
// plantsRepository.kt
override suspend fun getPlants(
fetchFromBackend: Boolean,
query: String
): Flow<Resource<List<Plant>>> {
return flow {
emit(Resource.Loading(true))
val localPlants = dao.searchPlants(query)
emit(
Resource.Success(
data = localPlants.map { it.toPlant() },
)
)
val isDbEmpty = localPlants.isEmpty() && query.isBlank()
val shouldLoadFromCache = !isDbEmpty && !fetchFromBackend
if (shouldLoadFromCache) {
emit(Resource.Loading(false))
return#flow
}
val response = plantApi.getPlants().plants
dao.clearPlants()
dao.insertPlants(
response.map { it.toPlantEntity() }
)
emit(Resource.Success(
data = dao.searchPlants("").map { it.toPlant() }
))
emit(Resource.Loading(false))
}
}
The full code for reference can be found here:
https://gitlab.com/fiehra/plants
Thank you!

You actually have two sources of truth: One is the room database, the other the _state object in the view model.
To reduce this to a single source of truth you need to move the collection of the flow to the compose function where the data is needed. You will do this using the extension function StateFlow.collectAsStateWithLifecycle() from the artifact androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-runtime-compose. This will automatically subscribe and unsubscribe the flow when your composable enters and leaves the composition.
Since you want the business logic to stay in the view model you have to apply it before the flow is collected. The idea is to only transform the flow in the view model:
class PlantsViewModel {
private var fetchFromBackend: Boolean by mutableStateOf(true)
private var query: String by mutableStateOf("")
#OptIn(ExperimentalCoroutinesApi::class)
val state: StateFlow<PlantsState> =
snapshotFlow { fetchFromBackend to query }
.flatMapLatest { plantRepository.getPlants(it.first, it.second) }
.mapLatest(PlantsState::of)
.stateIn(
scope = viewModelScope,
started = SharingStarted.WhileSubscribed(5_000),
initialValue = PlantsState.Loading,
)
// ...
}
If you want other values for fetchFromBackend and query you just need to update the variables; the flow will automatically recalculate the state object. It can be as simple as just calling something like this:
fun requestPlant(fetchFromBackend: Boolean, query: String) {
this.fetchFromBackend = fetchFromBackend
this.query = query
}
The logic to create a PlantsState from a result can then be done somewhere else in the view model. Replace your PlantsViewModel.getPlants() with this and place it at file level outside of the PlantsViewModel class:
private fun PlantsState.Companion.of(result: Resource<List<Plant>>): PlantsState = when (result) {
is Resource.Success -> {
result.data?.let { plants ->
PlantsState.Success(
plants = plants,
)
} ?: TODO("handle case where result.data is null")
}
is Resource.Error -> {
PlantsState.Error("an error occurred")
}
is Resource.Loading -> {
PlantsState.Loading
}
}
With the PlantsState class replaced by this:
sealed interface PlantsState {
object Loading : PlantsState
data class Success(
val plants: List<Plant> = emptyList(),
val plantOrder: PlantOrder = PlantOrder.Name(OrderType.Descending),
val isOrderSectionVisible: Boolean = false,
) : PlantsState
data class Error(
val error: String,
) : PlantsState
companion object
}
Then, wherever you need the state (in PlantsScreen f.e.), you can get a state object with
val state by viewModel.state.collectAsStateWithLifecycle()
Thanks to kotlin flows state will always contain the most current data from the room database, and thanks to the compose magic your composables will always update when anything in the state object updates, so that you really only have one single source of truth.
Additionally:
PlantRepository.getPlants() should not be marked as a suspend function because it just creates a flow and won't block; long running data retrieval will be done in the collector.
You will need to manually import androidx.compose.runtime.getValue and the androidx.compose.runtime.setValue for some of the delegates to work.

After #Leviathan was able to point me in the right direction i refactored my code by changing the return types of my repository functions, implementing use cases and returning a Flow<List<Plant>> instead of Flow<Resource<List<Plant>>> for simplicity purposes.
Further removed the suspend marker of the functions in the PlantDao.kt and PlantRepository.kt as pointed out by Leviathan.
// PlantRepositoryImplementation.kt
override fun getPlants(
fetchFromBackend: Boolean,
query: String
): Flow<List<Plant>> {
return flow {
if (fetchFromBackend) {
val response = plantApi.getPlants().plants
dao.clearPlants()
dao.insertPlants(
response.map { it.toPlantEntity() }
)
val localPlants = dao.searchPlants(query)
localPlants.collect { plants ->
emit(plants.map { it.toPlant() })
return#collect
}
} else {
val localPlants = dao.searchPlants(query)
localPlants.collect { plants ->
emit(plants.map { it.toPlant() })
return#collect
}
}
}
}
I started using a Job and GetPlants usecase in my viewModel like this:
// PlantsViewModel.kt
private fun getPlants(plantOrder: PlantOrder, fetchFromBackend: Boolean, query: String) {
getPlantsJob?.cancel()
getPlantsJob = plantUseCases.getPlants(plantOrder, fetchFromBackend, query)
.onEach { plants ->
_state.value = state.value.copy(
plants = plants,
plantOrder = plantOrder
)
}.launchIn(viewModelScope)
I also had to remove the suspend in the PlantDao.kt
// PlantDao.kt
fun searchPlants(query: String): Flow<List<PlantEntity>>
This is the code for my GetPlants usecase:
// GetPlantsUsecase.kt
class GetPlants
(
private val repository: PlantRepository,
) {
operator fun invoke(
plantOrder: PlantOrder = PlantOrder.Name(OrderType.Descending),
fetchFromBackend: Boolean,
query: String
): Flow<List<Plant>> {
return repository.getPlants(fetchFromBackend, query).map { plants ->
when (plantOrder.orderType) {
is OrderType.Ascending -> {
// logic for sorting
}
}
is OrderType.Descending -> {
// logic for sorting
}
}
}
}
}

StateFlow collect not firing for list type

#HiltViewModel
class HistoryViewModel #Inject constructor(private val firebaseRepository: FirebaseRepository) :
ViewModel() {
private val translateList: MutableList<Translate> = mutableListOf()
private val _translateListState: MutableStateFlow<List<Translate>> =
MutableStateFlow(translateList)
val translateListState = _translateListState.asStateFlow()
init {
listenToSnapshotData()
}
private suspend fun addItemToList(translate: Translate) {
Log.d("customTag", "item added adapter $translate")
translateList.add(translate)
_translateListState.emit(translateList)
}
private suspend fun removeItemFromList(translate: Translate) {
Log.d("customTag", "item removed adapter $translate")
val indexOfItem = translateList.indexOfFirst {
it.id == translate.id
}
if (indexOfItem != -1) {
translateList.removeAt(indexOfItem)
_translateListState.emit(translateList)
}
}
private suspend fun updateItemFromList(translate: Translate) {
Log.d("customTag", "item modified adapter $translate")
val indexOfItem = translateList.indexOfFirst {
it.id == translate.id
}
if (indexOfItem != -1) {
translateList[indexOfItem] = translate
_translateListState.emit(translateList)
}
}
private fun listenToSnapshotData() {
viewModelScope.launch {
firebaseRepository.translateListSnapshotListener().collect { querySnapshot ->
querySnapshot?.let {
for (document in it.documentChanges) {
val translateData = document.document.toObject(Translate::class.java)
when (document.type) {
DocumentChange.Type.ADDED -> {
addItemToList(translate = translateData)
}
DocumentChange.Type.MODIFIED
-> {
updateItemFromList(translate = translateData)
}
DocumentChange.Type.REMOVED
-> {
removeItemFromList(translate = translateData)
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
Here data comes properly in querySnapshot in listenToSnapshotData function. And post that it properly calls corresponding function to update the list.
But after this line _translateListState.emit(translateList) flow doesn't go to corresponding collectLatest
private fun observeSnapShotResponse() {
lifecycleScope.launch {
repeatOnLifecycle(Lifecycle.State.STARTED) {
historyViewModel.translateListState.collectLatest {
Log.d("customTag", "calling submitList from fragment")
translateListAdapter.submitList(it)
}
}
}
}
calling submitList from fragment is called once at the start, but as & when data is modified in list viewmodel, callback doesn't come to collectLatest

This is from StateFlow documentation:
Values in state flow are conflated using Any.equals comparison in a similar way to distinctUntilChanged operator. It is used to conflate incoming updates to value in MutableStateFlow and to suppress emission of the values to collectors when new value is equal to the previously emitted one.
You are trying to emit the same instance of List all the time, which has no effect because of what is written in the docs. You will have to create new instance of the list every time.

Jetpack Compose: Room returns null for list of items

I am trying to get list of todos from database with livedata however, while debugging it always shows null for value. I have provided my files below.
My Dao:
#Query("SELECT * FROM todo_table WHERE IIF(:isCompleted IS NULL, 1, isCompleted = :isCompleted)")
fun getTodos(isCompleted: Boolean?): LiveData<List<Todo>>
My ViewModel:
private var _allTodoList = MutableLiveData<List<Todo>>()
var allTodoList: LiveData<List<Todo>> = _allTodoList
init {
viewModelScope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
val list = todoRepository.getTodos(null)
_allTodoList.postValue(list.value)
}
}
fun onFilterClick(todoType: Constants.TodoType) {
when (todoType) {
Constants.TodoType.ALL -> {
viewModelScope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
val list = todoRepository.getTodos(null)
_allTodoList.postValue(list.value)
}
}
Constants.TodoType.COMPLETED -> {
viewModelScope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
val list = todoRepository.getTodos(true)
_allTodoList.postValue(list.value)
}
}
Constants.TodoType.INCOMPLETE -> {
viewModelScope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
val list = todoRepository.getTodos(false)
_allTodoList.postValue(list.value)
}
}
}
}
My MainActivity:
val allTodoList = viewModel.allTodoList.observeAsState()
allTodoList.value?.run {//value is always null
if (!isNullOrEmpty()) {
...
} else {
...
}
}
While debugging I found that allTodoList.value is always null however, when I manually run same query in app inspection I the get the desired results.

You can simplify your code, see if it works.
ViewModel only needs this:
val allTodoList: LiveData<List<Todo>> = todoRepository.getTodos(null)
MainActivity:
val allTodoList by viewModel.allTodoList.observeAsState()
if (!allTodoList.isNullOrEmpty()) {
...
} else {
...
}

You are not observing the LiveData you get from Room.
YourDao.getTodos() and LiveData.getValue() are not suspend functions, so you get the current value, which is null because Room has not yet fetched the values from SQLite.
A possible solution would be to set the todo type as a live data itself and use a switchMap transformation in the ViewModel :
private val todoType = MutableLiveData<Constants.TodoType>(Constants.TodoType.ALL)
val allTodoList: LiveData<List<Todo>> = androidx.lifecycle.Transformations.switchMap(todoType) { newType ->
val typeAsBoolean = when(newType) {
Constants.TodoType.ALL -> null
Constants.TodoType.COMPLETED -> true
Constants.TodoType.INCOMPLETE -> false
else -> throw IllegalArgumentException("Not a possible value")
}
// create the new wrapped LiveData
// the transformation takes care of subscribing to it
// (and unsubscribing to the old one)
todoRepository.getTodos(typeAsBoolean)
}
fun onFilterClick(todoType: Constants.TodoType) {
// triggers the transformation
todoType.setValue(todoType)
}
This is in fact the exact use case demonstrated in the reference doc

Paging 3 Compose :insertSeparators not working as expected

I'm trying to insert separators to my list using the paging 3 compose library however, insertSeparators doesn't seem to indicate when we are at the beginning or end. My expectations are that before will be null at the beginning while after will be null at the end of the list. But it's never null thus hard to know when we are at the beginning or end. Here is the code:
private val filterPreferences =
MutableStateFlow(HomePreferences.FilterPreferences())
val games: Flow<PagingData<GameModel>> = filterPreferences.flatMapLatest {
useCase.execute(it)
}.map { pagingData ->
pagingData.map { GameModel.GameItem(it) }
}.map {
it.insertSeparators {before,after->
if (after == null) {
return#insertSeparators null
}
if (before == null) {
Log.i(TAG, "before is null: ") // never reach here
return#insertSeparators GameModel.SeparatorItem("title")
}
if(condition) {
GameModel.SeparatorItem("title")
}
else null
}
}
.cachedIn(viewModelScope)
GamesUseCase
class GamesUseCase #Inject constructor(
private val executionThread: PostExecutionThread,
private val repo: GamesRepo,
) : FlowUseCase<HomePreferences, PagingData<Game>>() {
override val dispatcher: CoroutineDispatcher
get() = executionThread.io
override fun execute(params: HomePreferences?): Flow<PagingData<Game>> {
val preferences = params as HomePreferences.FilterPreferences
preferences.apply {
return repo.fetchGames(query,
parentPlatforms,
platforms,
stores,
developers,
genres,
tags)
}
}
}
FlowUseCase
abstract class FlowUseCase<in Params, out T>() {
abstract val dispatcher: CoroutineDispatcher
abstract fun execute(params: Params? = null): Flow<T>
operator fun invoke(params: Params? = null) = execute(params).flowOn(dispatcher)
}
Here is the dependency :
object Pagination {
object Version {
const val pagingCompose = "1.0.0-alpha14"
}
const val pagingCompose = "androidx.paging:paging-compose:${Version.pagingCompose}"
}

I'm assuming that filterPreferences gives you Flow of some preference and useCase.execute returns Flow<PagingData<Model>>, correct?
I believe that the problem is in usage of flatMapLatest - it mixes page events of multiple useCase.execute calls together.
You should do something like this:
val games: Flow<Flow<PagingData<GameModel>>> = filterPreferences.mapLatest {
useCase.execute(it)
}.mapLatest {
it.map { pagingData -> pagingData.map { GameModel.GameItem(it) } }
}.mapLatest {
it.map { pagingData ->
pagingData.insertSeparators { before, after -> ... }
} // .cachedIn(viewModelScope)
}
This same structure works for us very well. I'm only not sure how cachedIn will work here, we are using a different caching mechanism, but you can try.

Trying to expose SavedStateHandle.getLiveData() as MutableStateFlow, but the UI thread freezes

I am trying to use the following code:
suspend fun <T> SavedStateHandle.getStateFlow(
key: String,
initialValue: T? = get(key)
): MutableStateFlow<T?> = this.let { handle ->
withContext(Dispatchers.Main.immediate) {
val liveData = handle.getLiveData<T?>(key, initialValue).also { liveData ->
if (liveData.value === initialValue) {
liveData.value = initialValue
}
}
val mutableStateFlow = MutableStateFlow(liveData.value)
val observer: Observer<T?> = Observer { value ->
if (value != mutableStateFlow.value) {
mutableStateFlow.value = value
}
}
liveData.observeForever(observer)
mutableStateFlow.also { flow ->
flow.onCompletion {
withContext(Dispatchers.Main.immediate) {
liveData.removeObserver(observer)
}
}.onEach { value ->
withContext(Dispatchers.Main.immediate) {
if (liveData.value != value) {
liveData.value = value
}
}
}.collect()
}
}
}
I am trying to use it like so:
// in a Jetpack ViewModel
var currentUserId: MutableStateFlow<String?>
private set
init {
runBlocking(viewModelScope.coroutineContext) {
currentUserId = state.getStateFlow("currentUserId", sessionManager.chatUserFlow.value?.uid)
// <--- this line is never reached
}
}
UI thread freezes. I have a feeling it's because of collect() as I'm trying to create an internal subscription managed by the enclosing coroutine context, but I also need to get this StateFlow as a field. There's also the cross-writing of values (if either changes, update the other if it's a new value).
Overall, the issue seems to like on that collect() is suspending, as I never actually reach the line after getStateFlow().
Does anyone know a good way to create an "inner subscription" to a Flow, without ending up freezing the surrounding thread? The runBlocking { is needed so that I can synchronously assign the value to the field in the ViewModel constructor. (Is this even possible within the confines of 'structured concurrency'?)

EDIT:
// For more details, check: https://gist.github.com/marcellogalhardo/2a1ec56b7d00ba9af1ec9fd3583d53dc
fun <T> SavedStateHandle.getStateFlow(
scope: CoroutineScope,
key: String,
initialValue: T
): MutableStateFlow<T> {
val liveData = getLiveData(key, initialValue)
val stateFlow = MutableStateFlow(initialValue)
val observer = Observer<T> { value ->
if (value != stateFlow.value) {
stateFlow.value = value
}
}
liveData.observeForever(observer)
stateFlow.onCompletion {
withContext(Dispatchers.Main.immediate) {
liveData.removeObserver(observer)
}
}.onEach { value ->
withContext(Dispatchers.Main.immediate) {
if (liveData.value != value) {
liveData.value = value
}
}
}.launchIn(scope)
return stateFlow
}
ORIGINAL:
You can piggyback over the built-in notification system in SavedStateHandle, so that
val state = savedStateHandle.getLiveData<State>(Key).asFlow().shareIn(viewModelScope, SharingStarted.Lazily)
...
savedStateHandle.set(Key, "someState")
The mutator happens not through methods of MutableLiveData, but through the SavedStateHandle that will update the LiveData (and therefore the flow) externally.

I am in a similar position, but I do not want to modify the value through the LiveData (as in the accepted solution). I want to use only flow and leave LiveData as an implementation detail of the state handle.
I also did not want to have a var and initialize it in the init block. I changed your code to satisfy both of these constraints and it does not block the UI thread. This would be the syntax:
val currentUserId: MutableStateFlow<String?> = state.getStateFlow("currentUserId", viewModelScope, sessionManager.chatUserFlow.value?.uid)
I provide a scope and use it to launch a coroutine that handles flow's onCompletion and collection. Here is the full code:
fun <T> SavedStateHandle.getStateFlow(
key: String,
scope: CoroutineScope,
initialValue: T? = get(key)
): MutableStateFlow<T?> = this.let { handle ->
val liveData = handle.getLiveData<T?>(key, initialValue).also { liveData ->
if (liveData.value === initialValue) {
liveData.value = initialValue
}
}
val mutableStateFlow = MutableStateFlow(liveData.value)
val observer: Observer<T?> = Observer { value ->
if (value != mutableStateFlow.value) {
mutableStateFlow.value = value
}
}
liveData.observeForever(observer)
scope.launch {
mutableStateFlow.also { flow ->
flow.onCompletion {
withContext(Dispatchers.Main.immediate) {
liveData.removeObserver(observer)
}
}.collect { value ->
withContext(Dispatchers.Main.immediate) {
if (liveData.value != value) {
liveData.value = value
}
}
}
}
}
mutableStateFlow
}