Develop Reference

Koltin Flow is repeating execution using flatMapMerge

I was trying to implement an approach to fetch products from two Data sources (Room & FirebaseFirestore) using Flows.
It was working fine until I noticed that the debugger was returning to the same break point infinitely. When the execution of "ViewmMdel.insertProducts(products)" ends, the debugger returns to Repository.getProducts(//) & repeats.
I changed the approach using only suspending functions & coroutines & works fine but I am curious about how I must to use Flows to implement this approach.
Maybe is only that flatMapMerge is in preview version.
Thanks in advance :D
This one is the implementation:
ViewModel:
fun getProductNames(companyName: String) {
viewModelScope.launch {
repository.getProducts(companyName).catch {
_event.value = AddSaleEvents.ShouldShowLoading(false)
_event.value = AddSaleEvents.ProductsFailureResponse(it.message.toString())
}.collect { products ->
productsList = products
if (products != emptyList<Product>()) {
_event.value = AddSaleEvents.ShouldShowLoading(false)
_event.value = AddSaleEvents.ProductsSuccessfulResponse(products)
insertProducts(products)
} else {
_event.value = AddSaleEvents.ShouldShowLoading(false)
_event.value = AddSaleEvents.ProductsSuccessfulResponse(products)
}
}
}
}
Repository:
#OptIn(FlowPreview::class)
override suspend fun getProducts(compnayName: String): Flow<List<Product>> {
return localDataSource.getProducts().flatMapMerge { list -> // LINE RUNNING INFINITELY
getProductsFromFirebase(list, compnayName)
}.flowOn(Dispatchers.IO).catch {
Log.d("Error", it.message.toString())
}
}
private fun getProductsFromFirebase(products: List<Product>, compnayName: String) = flow {
if (products.isEmpty()) {
remoteDataSource.getProducts(compnayName).collect {
emit(it)
}
} else {
emit(products)
}
}
LocalDataSource with Room:
override suspend fun getProducts(): Flow<List<Product>> = saleDao.getProducts()
Firebase Data Source:
override suspend fun getProducts(company: String): Flow<List<Product>> = flow {
val response = fireStore.collection("products").whereEqualTo("company", company).get()
response.await()
if (response.isSuccessful && !response.result.isEmpty) {
emit(response.result.toObjects(FirebaseProduct::class.java).toEntity())
}
}.catch {
Log.d("Error", it.message.toString())
}
How can I chain the response of a flow to trigger another one inside the MVVM Architecture + Clean Architecture?
6 if it is possible, I want to understand the reason the code is repeating infinitely.

Looks like insertProducts(products) triggers room's DAO.
So localDataSource.getProducts() is a observable read query
Observable queries are read operations that emit new values whenever there are changes to any of the tables that are referenced by the query.
Try to change LocalDataSource
interface SaleDao {
// fun getProducts(): Flow<List<Product>>
suspend fun getProducts(): List<Product>
}

Why does Flow (kotlinx.coroutines.flow) not working with Retry even though I manually set as null in Android?

So basically, on the snackbar action button, I want to Retry API call if user click on Retry.
I have used core MVVM architecture with Flow. I even used Flow between Viewmodel and view as well. Please note that I was already using livedata between view and ViewModel, but now the requirement has been changed and I have to use Flow only. Also I'm not using and shared or state flow, that is not required.
Code:
Fragment:
private fun apiCall() {
viewModel.fetchUserReviewData()
}
private fun setObservers() {
lifecycleScope.launch {
viewModel.userReviewData?.collect {
LogUtils.d("Hello it: " + it.code)
setLoadingState(it.state)
when (it.status) {
Resource.Status.ERROR -> showErrorSnackBarLayout(-1, it.message, {
// Retry action button logic
viewModel.userReviewData = null
apiCall()
})
}
}
}
Viewmodel:
var userReviewData: Flow<Resource<ReviewResponse>>? = emptyFlow<Resource<ReviewResponse>>()
fun fetchUserReviewData() {
LogUtils.d("Hello fetchUserReviewData: " + userReviewData)
userReviewData = flow {
emit(Resource.loading(true))
repository.getUserReviewData().collect {
emit(it)
}
}
}
EDIT in ViewModel:
// var userReviewData = MutableStateFlow<Resource<ReviewResponse>>(Resource.loading(false))
var userReviewData = MutableSharedFlow<Resource<ReviewResponse>>()
fun fetchUserReviewData() {
viewModelScope.launch {
userReviewData.emit(Resource.loading(true))
repository.getUserReviewData().collect {
userReviewData.emit(it)
}
}
}
override fun onCreate() {}
}
EDIT in Activity:
private fun setObservers() {
lifecycleScope.launchWhenStarted {
viewModel.userReviewData.collect {
setLoadingState(it.state)
when (it.status) {
Resource.Status.SUCCESS ->
if (it.data != null) {
val reviewResponse: ReviewResponse = it.data
if (!AppUtils.isNull(reviewResponse)) {
setReviewData(reviewResponse.data)
}
}
Resource.Status.ERROR -> showErrorSnackBarLayout(it.code, it.message) {
viewModel.fetchUserReviewData()
}
}
}
}
}
Now, I have only single doubt, should I use state one or shared one? I saw Phillip Lackener video and understood the difference, but still thinking what to use!
The thing is we only support Portrait orientation, but what in future requirement comes? In that case I think I have to use state one so that it can survive configuration changes! Don't know what to do!

Because of the single responsibility principle, the ViewModel alone should be updating its flow to show the latest requested data, rather than having to cancel the ongoing request and resubscribe to a new one from the Fragment side.
Here is one way you could do it. Use a MutableSharedFlow for triggering fetch requests and flatMapLatest to restart the downstream flow on a new request.
A Channel could also be used as a trigger, but it's a little more concise with MutableSharedFlow.
//In ViewModel
private val fetchRequest = MutableSharedFlow<Unit>(replay = 1, BufferOverflow.DROP_OLDEST)
var userReviewData = fetchRequest.flatMapLatest {
flow {
emit(Resource.loading(true))
emitAll(repository.getUserReviewData())
}
}.shareIn(viewModelScope, SharingStarted.WhlieSubscribed(5000), 1)
fun fetchUserReviewData() {
LogUtils.d("Hello fetchUserReviewData: " + userReviewData)
fetchRequest.tryEmit(Unit)
}
Your existing Fragment code above should work with this, but you no longer need the ?. null-safe call since the flow is not nullable.
However, if the coroutine does anything to views, you should use viewLifecycle.lifecycleScope instead of just lifecycleScope.

Kotlin KMM stop coroutine flow with infinite loop properly

I'm building a KMM app for retrieving news.
My app fetches news every 30 seconds and save it in a local database. User must be logged for use it. When user want to logout i need to stop refreshing news and delete the local database.
How do i stop a flow with an infinite loop properly without use static variabile?
I designed the app like follows:
ViewModel (separate for Android and iOS)
UseCase (shared)
Repository (shared)
Data source (shared)
Android Jetpack compose single activity
iOS SwiftUI
Android ViewModel:(iOS use ObservableObject, but logic is the same)
#HiltViewModel
class NewsViewModel #Inject constructor(
private val startFetchingNews: GetNewsUseCase,
private val stopFetchingNews: StopGettingNewsUseCase,
) : ViewModel() {
private val _mutableNewsUiState = MutableStateFlow(NewsState())
val newsUiState: StateFlow<NewsState> get() = _mutableNewsUiState.asStateFlow()
fun onTriggerEvent(action: MapEvents) {
when (action) {
is NewsEvent.GetNews -> {
getNews()
}
is MapEvents.StopNews -> {
//????
}
else -> {
}
}
}
private fun getNews()() {
startFetchingNews().collectCommon(viewModelScope) { result ->
when {
result.error -> {
//update state
}
result.succeeded -> {
//update state
}
}
}
}
}
UseCase:
class GetNewsUseCase(
private val newsRepo: NewsRepoInterface) {
companion object {
private val UPDATE_INTERVAL = 30.seconds
}
operator fun invoke(): CommonFlow<Result<List<News>>> = flow {
while (true) {
emit(Result.loading())
val result = newsRepo.getNews()
if (result.succeeded) {
// emit result
} else {
//emit error
}
delay(UPDATE_INTERVAL)
}
}.asCommonFlow()
}
Repository:
class NewsRepository(
private val sourceNews: SourceNews,
private val cacheNews: CacheNews) : NewsRepoInterface {
override suspend fun getNews(): Result<List<News>> {
val news = sourceNews.fetchNews()
//.....
cacheNews.insert(news) //could be a lot of news
return Result.data(cacheNews.selectAll())
}
}
Flow extension functions:
fun <T> Flow<T>.asCommonFlow(): CommonFlow<T> = CommonFlow(this)
class CommonFlow<T>(private val origin: Flow<T>) : Flow<T> by origin {
fun collectCommon(
coroutineScope: CoroutineScope? = null, // 'viewModelScope' on Android and 'nil' on iOS
callback: (T) -> Unit, // callback on each emission
) {
onEach {
callback(it)
}.launchIn(coroutineScope ?: CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.Main))
}
}
I tried to move the while loop inside repository, so maybe i can break the loop with a singleton repository, but then i must change the getNews method to flow and collect inside GetNewsUseCase (so a flow inside another flow).
Thanks for helping!

When you call launchIn on a Flow, it returns a Job. Hang on to a reference to this Job in a property, and you can call cancel() on it when you want to stop collecting it.
I don't see the point of the CommonFlow class. You could simply write collectCommon as an extension function of Flow directly.
fun <T> Flow<T>.collectCommon(
coroutineScope: CoroutineScope? = null, // 'viewModelScope' on Android and 'nil' on iOS
callback: (T) -> Unit, // callback on each emission
): Job {
return onEach {
callback(it)
}.launchIn(coroutineScope ?: CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.Main))
}
// ...
private var fetchNewsJob: Job? = null
private fun getNews()() {
fetchNewsJob = startFetchingNews().collectCommon(viewModelScope) { result ->
when {
result.error -> {
//update state
}
result.succeeded -> {
//update state
}
}
}
}
In my opinion, collectCommon should be eliminated entirely because all it does is obfuscate your code a little bit. It saves only one line of code at the expense of clarity. It's kind of an antipattern to create a CoroutineScope whose reference you do not keep so you can manage the coroutines running in it--might as well use GlobalScope instead to be clear you don't intend to manage the scope lifecycle so it becomes clear you must manually cancel the Job, not just in the case of the news source change, but also when the UI it's associated with goes out of scope.

End flow/coroutines task before go further null issue

Fragment
private fun makeApiRequest() {
vm.getRandomPicture()
var pictureElement = vm.setRandomPicture()
GlobalScope.launch(Dispatchers.Main) {
// what about internet
if (pictureElement != null && pictureElement!!.fileSizeBytes!! < 400000) {
Glide.with(requireContext()).load(pictureElement!!.url)
.into(layout.ivRandomPicture)
layout.ivRandomPicture.visibility = View.VISIBLE
} else {
getRandomPicture()
}
}
}
viewmodel
fun getRandomPicture() {
viewModelScope.launch {
getRandomPictureItemUseCase.build(Unit).collect {
pictureElement.value = it
Log.d("inspirationquotes", "VIEWMODEL $pictureElement")
Log.d("inspirationquotes", "VIEWMODEL VALUE ${pictureElement.value}")
}
}
}
fun setRandomPicture(): InspirationQuotesDetailsResponse? {
return pictureElement.value
}
Flow UseCase
class GetRandomPictureItemUseCase #Inject constructor(private val api: InspirationQuotesApi): BaseFlowUseCase<Unit, InspirationQuotesDetailsResponse>() {
override fun create(params: Unit): Flow<InspirationQuotesDetailsResponse> {
return flow{
emit(api.getRandomPicture())
}
}
}
My flow task from viewmodel doesn't goes on time. I do not know how to achieve smooth downloading data from Api and provide it further.
I was reading I could use runBlocking, but it is not recommended in production as well.
What do you use in your professional applications to achieve nice app?
Now the effect is that that image doesn't load or I have null error beacause of my Log.d before GlobalScope in Fragment (it is not in code right now).
One more thing is definding null object I do not like it, what do you think?
var pictureElement = MutableStateFlow<InspirationQuotesDetailsResponse?>(null)
EDIT:
Viewmodel
val randomPicture: Flow<InspirationQuotesDetailsResponse> = getRandomPictureItemUseCase.build(Unit)
fragment
private fun makeApiRequest() = lifecycleScope.launch {
vm.randomPicture
.flowWithLifecycle(lifecycle, Lifecycle.State.STARTED)
.collect { response ->
if (response.fileSizeBytes < 600000) {
Log.d("fragment", "itGetsValue")
Glide.with(requireContext()).load(response.url)
.into(layout.ivRandomPicture)
layout.ivRandomPicture.visibility = View.VISIBLE
} else {
onFloatingActionClick()
}
}
}
Edit2 problem on production, another topic:
Link -> What is the substitute for runBlocking Coroutines in fragments and activities?

First of all, don't use GlobalScope to launch a coroutine, it is highly discouraged and prone to bugs. Use provided lifecycleScope in Fragment:
lifecycleScope.launch {...}
Use MutableSharedFlow instead of MutableStateFlow, MutableSharedFlow doesn't require initial value, and you can get rid of nullable generic type:
val pictureElement = MutableSharedFlow<InspirationQuotesDetailsResponse>()
But I guess we can get rid of it.
Method create() in GetRandomPictureItemUseCase returns a Flow that emits only one value, does it really need to be Flow, or it can be just a simple suspend function?
Assuming we stick to Flow in GetRandomPictureItemUseCase class, ViewModel can look something like the following:
val randomPicture: Flow<InspirationQuotesDetailsResponse> = getRandomPictureItemUseCase.build(Unit)
And in the Fragment:
private fun makeApiRequest() = lifecycleScope.launch {
vm.randomPicture
.flowWithLifecycle(lifecycle, State.STARTED)
.collect { response ->
// .. use response
}
}
Dependency to use lifecycleScope:
implementation 'androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-runtime-ktx:2.4.0'

Coroutines Flow with Dao and generic Result class

I have a Dao class which returns List of Car objects as flow.
#Query("SELECT * FROM Car")
fun getAllCars(): Flow<List<Car>>
In my repository, I can use this Dao as follows
fun getAllCars(): Flow<List<Car>>
//Implementation
override fun getAllCars() = carDao.getAllCars()
I can observe this flow in view model and everything works and life was fine.
Now, after reading the post on Developer Android site about
A generic class that contains data and status about loading this data.
I got inspired, so I read one more post here which discuss about having Result class.
So, I have done some changes to repository and I am not able to solve them.
Error:
suspend fun getSomeData(): Flow<Result<List<Car>>> {
carDao.getAllCars().collect {
if (it.isNotEmpty()) {
return flowOf(Result.Success(it)) //<-- Here I am getting error from IDE
}
else {
val throwable = Throwable()
return flowOf(Result.Failure<List<Car>>(throwable)) //<-- Here I am getting error from IDE
}
}
}
The error is Return is not allowed here and Change to 'return#Collect'
What I want to achieve is:
// At view model side
viewmodelScope.launch {
repo.getSomeData().collect {
if (it == Result.Success) {
//Show data
}
else {
//Show empty screen
}
}
}
Is my approach of implementation of Result is wrong? I am not able to figure out what is wrong. Why I can't just return Flow from a flow

If you want to use Result, you should should return Result < YourClass>. It will look like that :
suspend fun getSomeData(): Result<Flow<List<Car>>> {
return carDao.getAllCars().collect {
if (it.isNotEmpty()) {
Result.Success(flowOf(it))
} else {
Result.Failure(Throwable()))
}
}
}

This is what your function should look like. Note there's no need for it to be a suspend fun.
fun getSomeData(): Flow<Result<List<Car>>> = flow {
carDao.getAllCars().collect {
if (it.isNotEmpty()) {
emit(Result.Success(it))
}
else {
emit(Result.Failure<List<Car>>(Throwable()))
}
}
}
But what it does is nothing more than adding a mapping step, which you can generalize.
fun <T> Flow<List<T>>.toResultFlow(): Flow<Result<List<T>>> = this.map {
if (it.isNotEmpty()) Result.Success(it)
else Result.Failure(Throwable())
}