MVC Application #

A Flutter Framework using the MVC Design Pattern #

mvc_application Allows for easier and, dare I say, faster development and better maintenability. No 're-inventing of the wheel' using already built-in capabilities and features offered by Flutter itself. Accommodating and Integrated features:

Error Handling
System Preferences
App Notifications
A Better Menu Bar
Device Event Handling
Date picker
App Color picker
Dialog Boxes
Customizable Bottom Bar
Loading Screen
Time Zones

Installing #

I don't like the version number suggested in the 'Installing' page. Instead, always go up to the 'major' semantic version number when installing this library package. This means always trailing with two zero, '.0.0'. This allows you to take in any 'minor' versions introducing new features as well as any 'patch' versions that involves bugfixes. Example, to install version 7.9.2, use 7.0.0. Thus, the bug fix, 7.9.2, will be installed the next time you 'upgrade' the dependencies.

patch - bugfixes
minor - Introduced new features
major - Essentially made a new app. It's broken backwards-compatibility and has a completely new user experience. You won't get this version until you increment the major number in the pubspec.yaml file.

And so, in this case, add this to your package's pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
   mvc_application: ^8.9.0

For more information on version numbers: The importance of semantic versioning.

Note, in fact, this package serves as a 'wrapper' for the core MVC package:

MVC Pattern #

Usage #

Like many other design patterns, MVC separates three common 'areas of concern' found in computer programs. Specifically, there's the separation of the program's logic from its inteface and from its data. The many design patterns that have come into vogue since MVC's inception in the early 1970's are decendants of MVC.

Note, computer platforms themselves have come full circle in the last 40 years. From mainframes to desktop computers in the first twenty years, and then website applications to mobile apps in the last twenty years. A computer now fits in the palm of your hand, and because of this, MVC again fits as the design pattern and framework for the apps it runs. mvcTypes

Implementing the MVC framework using two common example apps:

The Counter App

import 'package:mvc_application/view.dart';

import 'package:mvc_application/controller.dart';

void main() => runApp(MyApp());

class MyApp extends AppStatefulWidget {
  MyApp({Key? key}) : super(key: key);

  @override
  AppState createState() => View();
}

class View extends AppState {
  View()
      : super(
          title: 'Flutter Demo',
          home: const MyHomePage(),
          debugShowCheckedModeBanner: false,
          theme: ThemeData(
            primarySwatch: Colors.blue,
          ),
        );
}

class MyHomePage extends StatefulWidget {
  const MyHomePage({Key? key, this.title = 'Flutter Demo Home Page'})
      : super(key: key);
  // Fields in a StatefulWidget should always be "final".
  final String title;
  @override
  State createState() => _MyHomePageState();
}

class _MyHomePageState extends StateMVC<MyHomePage> {
  _MyHomePageState() : super(Controller()) {
    con = controller as Controller;
  }
  late Controller con;

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) => Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(
          title: Text(widget.title),
        ),
        body: Center(
          child: Column(
            mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
            children: <Widget>[
              const Text('You have pushed the button this many times:'),
              Text(
                '${con.counter}',
                style: Theme.of(context).textTheme.headline4,
              ),
            ],
          ),
        ),
        floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
          /// Try this alternative approach.
          /// The Controller merely mimics the Flutter's API
          //         onPressed: con.onPressed,
          onPressed: () => setState(con.incrementCounter),
          tooltip: 'Increment',
          child: const Icon(Icons.add),
        ),
      );
}

class Controller extends ControllerMVC {
  factory Controller() => _this ??= Controller._();
  Controller._()
      : model = _Model(),
        super();

  static Controller? _this;
  final _Model model;

  /// You're free to mimic Flutter's own API
  /// The Controller is able to talk to the View (the State object)
  void onPressed() => setState(() => model._incrementCounter());

  int get counter => model.integer;

  /// The Controller knows how to 'talk to' the Model.
  void incrementCounter() => model._incrementCounter();
}

class _Model {
  int get integer => _integer;
  int _integer = 0;
  int _incrementCounter() => ++_integer;
}

Name Generator App

import 'package:english_words/english_words.dart' show generateWordPairs;

import 'package:flutter/material.dart' hide runApp;

import 'package:mvc_application/view.dart'
    show AppMVC, AppState, Colors, runApp, StateMVC;

import 'package:mvc_application/controller.dart' show ControllerMVC;

void main() => runApp(NameApp());

class NameApp extends AppMVC {
  NameApp({Key? key}) : super(key: key);

  @override
  AppState createState() => MyApp();
}

class MyApp extends AppState {
  factory MyApp() => _this ??= MyApp._();
  MyApp._()
      : super(
          title: 'Startup Name Generator',
          home: const RandomWords(),
          theme: ThemeData(
            primaryColor: Colors.white,
          ),
          debugShowCheckedModeBanner: false,
        );
  static MyApp? _this;
}

class RandomWords extends StatefulWidget {
  const RandomWords({Key? key}) : super(key: key);

  @override
  State createState() => _RandomWordsState();
}

class _RandomWordsState extends StateMVC<RandomWords> {
  _RandomWordsState() : super(_Controller()) {
    con = controller as _Controller;
  }
  late _Controller con;

  final TextStyle _biggerFont = const TextStyle(fontSize: 18.0);

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(
        title: const Text('Startup Name Generator'),
        actions: <Widget>[
          IconButton(
              icon: const Icon(Icons.list),
              onPressed: () {
                pushSaved(context);
              }),
        ],
      ),
      body: _buildSuggestions(),
    );
  }

  Widget _buildSuggestions() {
    return ListView.builder(
      padding: const EdgeInsets.all(16.0),
      itemBuilder: (context, i) {
        // Add a one-pixel-high divider widget before each row in theListView.
        if (i.isOdd) return const Divider();
        final index = i ~/ 2;
        // If you've reached the end of the available word pairings...
        if (index >= con.length) {
          // ...then generate 10 more and add them to the suggestions list.
          con.addAll(10);
        }
        return buildRow(index);
      },
    );
  }

  void pushSaved(BuildContext context) {
    Navigator.of(context).push(
      MaterialPageRoute<void>(
        builder: (BuildContext context) {
          final Iterable<ListTile> tiles = this.tiles;

          List<Widget> divided;

          if (tiles.isEmpty) {
            divided = [];
          } else {
            divided = ListTile.divideTiles(
              context: context,
              tiles: tiles,
            ).toList();
          }

          return Scaffold(
            appBar: AppBar(
              title: const Text('Saved Suggestions'),
            ),
            body: ListView(children: divided),
          );
        },
      ),
    );
  }

  Widget buildRow(int? index) {
    if (index == null || index < 0) index = 0;

    String something = con.something(index);

    final alreadySaved = con.contains(something);

    return ListTile(
      title: Text(
        something,
        style: _biggerFont,
      ),
      trailing: Icon(
        alreadySaved ? Icons.favorite : Icons.favorite_border,
        color: alreadySaved ? Colors.red : null,
      ),
      onTap: () {
        setState(() {
          con.somethingHappens(something);
        });
      },
    );
  }

  Iterable<ListTile> get tiles => con.mapHappens(
        (String something) {
          return ListTile(
            title: Text(
              something,
              style: _biggerFont,
            ),
          );
        },
      );
}

class _Controller extends ControllerMVC {
  // Supply only one instance of this Controller class.
  factory _Controller() => _this ??= _Controller._();

  static _Controller? _this;

  _Controller._() {
    model = _Model();
  }

  late _Model model;

  int get length => model.length;

  void addAll(int count) => model.addAll(count);

  String something(int index) => model.wordPair(index);

  bool contains(String something) => model.contains(something);

  void somethingHappens(String something) => model.save(something);

  Iterable<ListTile> mapHappens<ListTile>(ListTile Function(String v) f) =>
      model.saved(f);
}

class _Model {
  final List<String> _suggestions = [];

  int get length => _suggestions.length;

  String wordPair(int? index) {
    if (index == null || index < 0) index = 0;
    return _suggestions[index];
  }

  bool contains(String? pair) {
    if (pair == null || pair.isEmpty) return false;
    return _saved.contains(pair);
  }

  final Set<String> _saved = {};

  void save(String? pair) {
    if (pair == null || pair.isEmpty) return;
    final alreadySaved = contains(pair);
    if (alreadySaved) {
      _saved.remove(pair);
    } else {
      _saved.add(pair);
    }
  }

  Iterable<ListTile> saved<ListTile>(ListTile Function(String v) f) =>
      _saved.map(f);

  Iterable<String> wordPairs([int count = 10]) => _makeWordPairs(count);

  void addAll(int count) => _suggestions.addAll(wordPairs(count));
}

Iterable<String> _makeWordPairs(int count) =>
    generateWordPairs().take(count).map((pair) => pair.asPascalCase);