functional_listener 1.0.1

An rx like extension methods on ValueListenable type, that lets you work with ValueNotifiers almost like with Streams

functional_listener

Extension functions on ValueListenable that allows you to work with them almost as if it was a synchronous stream. Each extension function returns a new ValueNotifier that updates its value when the value of this changes. You can chain these functions to build complex processing pipelines from a simple ValueListenable.

Here are some examples how to use it:

listen()

Lets you work with a ValueListenable as it should be by installing a handler function that is called on any value change of this and gets the new value passed as an argument.

If we want to print every new value of a ValueListenable<int> we can do:

final listenable = ValueNotifier<int>(0);
final subscription = listenable.listen((x, _) => print(x));

The returned subscription can be used to deactivate the passed handler function. As you might need to uninstall the handler function from inside the handler you get the subscription object passed to the handler function as second parameter like:

listenable.listen((x, subscription) {
  print(x);
  if (x == 42){
     subscription.cancel();
  }
}

map()

Lets you convert the value of one ValueListenable to anything you want. Imagine we have a ValueNotifier<String> in an Model object that we can't change but we need it's value all UPPER CASE in our UI:

  ValueNotifier<String> source;  //this is the one from the model object

  final upperCaseSource = source.map( (s)=>s.toUpperCase() );

or you can change the type:

  ValueNotifier<int> intNotifier;  

  final stringNotifier = intNotifier.map<String>( (s)=>s.toString() );

where()

Lets you filter the values that an ValueListenable can have:

  ValueNotifier<int> intNotifier;  
  bool onlyEven = false; // depending on this variavble we want only even values or all

  final filteredNotifier = intNotifier.where( (i)=> onlyEven ? i.isEven : i );

The selector function that you pass to where is called on every new value which means your filter criteria has not to be static but can be changed as you need like in the example where it will always use the latest value of onlyEven and not the one it had when where was called.

chaining functions

As all the extension function (with the exception of listen) return a new ValueNotifier we can chain these extension functions as we need them like:

  ValueNotifier<int> intNotifier;  

  intNotifier.where((x)=>x.isEven).map<String>( (s)=>s.toString() ).listen(print);

debounce()

If you don't want or can't handle too rapid value changes debounce is your friend. It only propagate values if there is a pause after a value changes. Most typical example is you have a search function that polls a REST API and in every change of the search term you execute a http request. To avoid overloading your REST server you probably want to avoid that a new request is made on every keypress. I makes much more sense to wait till the user stops modifying the search term for a moment.

  ValueNotifier<String> searchTerm;  //this is the one from the model object

  searchTerm.debounce(const Duration(milliseconds: 500)).listen((s)  => callRestApi(s) );

  // We ignore for this example that calling a REST API probably involves some asynv magic

combineLatest()

Combines two source ValueListenables to one that gets updated with the combined source values when any of the sources values changed. This comes in handy if you want to use one ValueListenableBuilder with two ValueNotifiers.

class StringIntWrapper {
  final String s;
  final int i;

  StringIntWrapper(this.s, this.i);

  @override
  String toString() {
    return '$s:$i';
  }
}


ValueNotifier<int> intNotifier;  
ValueNotifier<String> stringNotifier;  

intNotifier.combineLastest<String,StringIntWrapper>(stringNotifier, (i,s)
   => StringIntWrapper(s,i)).listen(print);

For details on the functions check the source documentation, the tests and the example.

If you miss a function, open an issue on GitHub or even better make an PR :-)