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Published 13 days ago • verified publisheredunatalec.com
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Schema-driven Flutter forms on top of Validart. Typed VField<T>, ValueNotifier-based reactive state, sync + async cross-field validation.

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Valiform #

pub package package publisher

A Flutter form validation library built on top of Validart. It provides reactive form state management, typed field validation, and seamless integration with Flutter's Form widget.

  • Schema-first — define every field once with V.map() or V.object<T>().
  • Fully typed — VField<T> for each field; with VObject<T>, form.value returns a typed T instance instead of a Map.
  • Imperative errors — push errors into fields programmatically with setError() (backend rejections, async checks, business rules).
  • Reactive — ValueNotifier-based state, wire to any widget.
  • UI-agnostic — works with TextFormField or any custom FormField.

Table of Contents #

Installation #

Both packages are required — valiform handles forms, validart handles schemas.

flutter pub add valiform validart

Or in pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  valiform: ^3.0.0
  validart: ^3.0.0

Before runApp, enable validart's empty-string-as-null normalization. TextFormField emits "" when the user clears the input, and by default validart treats "" as a regular string — so nullable() / defaultValue(...) won't engage. Flipping this once at boot makes form UX behave the way you almost always want:

import 'package:validart/validart.dart';

void main() {
  V.treatEmptyAsNull(true);   // strongly recommended for form apps
  runApp(const MyApp());
}

What you get:

  • A cleared TextFormField falls back to its defaultValue(...) instead of failing required / min(1).
  • .nullable() fields stay valid when emptied.
  • refineFieldRaw / cross-field rules / when / whenMatches predicates see null for empty inputs instead of "".
  • Every getter on VField<String> (and every consumer that derives from it) returns null for "" — field.value, form.rawValue, form.value, parsedValue's fallback path. Normalization happens on write, not on read: when the schema reports treatsEmptyAsNull == true, every entry point that stores a value (set, onChanged, onSaved, controller listeners) rewrites "" → null before assigning to the internal ValueNotifier. So the notifier itself, the getter, attached ValueNotifier<String?> controllers, and field.listenable listeners all observe the same null — no divergence between internal state and what the consumer sees. The attached TextEditingController keeps the displayed text "" (handled by valiform's controller-sync code, which renders null as ""), so the user's cleared input stays visible in the widget while the model holds null.
  • The effective flag resolves via validart's VString.treatsEmptyAsNull (per-field override > global), so the rule is the same everywhere:
    • V.treatEmptyAsNull(true) globally → every VField<String> writes null for "".
    • V.string().treatEmptyAsNull().nullable() per-field → only that field writes null for "".
    • V.string().treatEmptyAsNull(enabled: false) on a specific field → opts out of a globally-enabled flag.
  • Non-string fields are unaffected — VField<int> / VField<bool> / VField<DateTime> etc. don't have an "empty" concept that could be mistaken for null.

Full semantics of the validart side (precedence, whitespace handling, pipeline order) are in the Empty as null section of the validart README.

Migrating from valiform 2.x? Earlier versions normalized "" → null implicitly. 3.0.0 removed that and delegated the choice to the validart switch above — keep the same UX by calling V.treatEmptyAsNull(true) at boot.

Quick Start #

Full working page: example/lib/pages/basic_map_form_page.dart.

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:valiform/valiform.dart';
import 'package:validart/validart.dart';

class LoginPage extends StatefulWidget {
  const LoginPage({super.key});

  @override
  State<LoginPage> createState() => _LoginPageState();
}

class _LoginPageState extends State<LoginPage> {
  late final VForm<Map<String, dynamic>> _form;

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();

    _form = V.map({
      // Schema (V.string(), .email(), .password(), ...) comes from validart;
      // .form() is valiform's bridge into a Flutter `Form`.
      'email': V.string().email(),
      'password': V.string().password(),
    }).form();
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    _form.dispose(); // disposes every VField and any owned controllers

    super.dispose();
  }

  VField<String> get _email => _form.field('email');
  VField<String> get _password => _form.field('password');

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Form(
      key: _form.key,
      child: Column(
        children: [
          TextFormField(
            decoration: const InputDecoration(labelText: 'Email'),
            validator: _email.validator,
            onChanged: _email.onChanged,
          ),
          TextFormField(
            decoration: const InputDecoration(labelText: 'Password'),
            obscureText: true,
            validator: _password.validator,
            onChanged: _password.onChanged,
          ),
          ElevatedButton(
            onPressed: () {
              if (_form.validate()) {
                print(_form.value); // {email: '...', password: '...'}
              }
            },
            child: const Text('Sign In'),
          ),
        ],
      ),
    );
  }
}

Initial Values #

Each field's starting value resolves in this order:

  1. initialValues[key] in .form() — always wins when provided (even an explicit null).
  2. schema.defaultValue(...) — fallback when initialValues doesn't mention the field.
  3. null — otherwise.
// VMap form
final form = V.map({
  'email': V.string().email(),
}).form(initialValues: {'email': 'user@example.com'});

// VObject form — pass a typed instance
final form = V
    .object<User>()
    .field('name', (u) => u.name, V.string())
    .field('email', (u) => u.email, V.string().email())
    .form(
      builder: (data) => User(name: data['name'], email: data['email']),
      initialValue: const User(name: 'John', email: 'john@example.com'),
    );

// VObject form — pass a partial Map (only the fields you actually want
// pre-filled). Absent keys stay null; unknown keys are ignored. Useful
// when seeding a form from scratch without inventing placeholders for
// required fields just to satisfy `T`'s constructor.
final form = V
    .object<User>()
    .field('name', (u) => u.name, V.string())
    .field('email', (u) => u.email, V.string().email())
    .form(
      builder: (data) => User(name: data['name'], email: data['email']),
      initialValues: {'email': 'preset@example.com'}, // name stays null
    );

Pass at most one of initialValue (typed T) and initialValues (partial Map) on VForm.object — both at once is an assertion error since they target the same per-field slot.

In the widget, bind field.initialValue (not field.value) to the widget's initialValue parameter so FormField.reset() targets the true starting point:

final email = form.field<String>('email');

TextFormField(
  initialValue: email.initialValue, // stable across rebuilds
  validator: email.validator,
  onChanged: email.onChanged,
);

Full rationale in Binding widgets' initialValue.

form.reset() restores each field to its resolved initial value.

defaultValue vs initialValues — pick the right one #

Both pre-fill a field, but they mean different things. Demo: default_value_page.dart.

defaultValue() on the schema initialValues on .form()
Appears in the UI Yes (auto-populated) Yes
Target of reset() Yes Yes (wins when both set)
Field is required? No — default is substituted for null before validators run Yes — clearing the field can trigger required/min/etc.
Lives on Schema Form instance

Key rule: defaultValue makes the field never required. If you want a pre-filled value that the user can still invalidate by clearing it, use initialValues. Combine both when you want "pre-fill Alice, but fall back to Guest if the user empties the field".

// Pre-filled + non-required: submit never errors on this field.
V.string().min(2).defaultValue('Guest')

// Pre-filled but still required: clearing triggers the error.
V.string().min(2)  // + .form(initialValues: {'name': 'Alice'})

// Pre-filled with Alice, but empty submit falls back to Guest.
V.string().min(2).defaultValue('Guest')
  // + .form(initialValues: {'name': 'Alice'})

Binding widgets' initialValue #

When you pass a VField's value to a widget's initialValue parameter (e.g. TextFormField.initialValue), use field.initialValue, not field.value. Flutter's FormField.reset() re-reads widget.initialValue from the last build — if it's pointing at field.value, any rebuild during typing (from onValueChanged, submit's setState, etc.) recaptures the current text as "initial" and a later reset() restores the stale value instead of clearing. field.initialValue is stable across rebuilds, so reset always targets the true starting point.

TextFormField(
  initialValue: field.initialValue,   // stable — reset() targets this
  validator: field.validator,
  onChanged: field.onChanged,
);

Typed Forms (VObject) #

Return a typed object instead of a Map. Full example: object_form_page.dart.

class User {
  final String name;
  final String email;

  const User({required this.name, required this.email});
}

final form = V
    .object<User>()
    .field('name', (u) => u.name, V.string().min(3))
    .field('email', (u) => u.email, V.string().email())
    .form(
      builder: (data) => User(name: data['name'], email: data['email']),
    );

final user = form.value; // User instance

form.value is optimistic — it does not validate first. It calls your builder with whatever is currently in the fields (empty fields come through as null). If User has non-nullable parameters, passing null to the constructor throws TypeError at runtime. This is specific to VObject forms — a VMap form returns a Map<String, dynamic> directly, so nulls fit and nothing breaks.

Note: the crash is exclusive to form.value. form.validate() and form.silentValidate() themselves never invoke your builder on a partial form — they fall back to per-field iteration whenever the builder can't construct T, so the canonical "validate first" pattern below is always safe.

Three ways to stay safe on a VObject form:

  1. Validate first (idiomatic) — read form.value only inside a validated branch: 
    if (form.validate()) {
  final user = form.value; // guaranteed safe
}
  2. Null-guard inside the builder — let the builder fall back when a field is empty: 
    builder: (data) => User(
  name: data['name'] ?? '',
  email: data['email'] ?? '',
),
  3. Read raw values instead of building T — form.rawValue returns Map<String, dynamic> (not T) and is null-tolerant, and form.field<String>('name').value reads a single field without touching the builder.

Related: cross-field rules also call your builder when you use the entity-typed variants (refineField, whenMatches). To keep your builder simple, prefer the *Raw variants for cross-field rules on VForm.object<T> — they take the raw map directly and never go through your builder. See Prefer *Raw rules in VForm.object to keep the builder simple.

Field Types #

Every validart type maps to a correctly-typed VField<T>. Demos: multi_type_form_page.dart, checkbox_form_page.dart, dropdown_enum_page.dart, custom_class_field_page.dart.

final form = V.map({
  'name':      V.string().min(3),
  'age':       V.int().min(18),
  'score':     V.double().min(0).max(10),
  'active':    V.bool(),
  'birthday':  V.date(),
  'country':   V.enm<Country>(Country.values),
  'category':  V.object<Category>(),
  'tags':      V.array<String>(V.string().min(2)).min(1).max(5),
}).form();

final name     = form.field<String>('name');       // VField<String>
final age      = form.field<int>('age');           // VField<int>
final score    = form.field<double>('score');      // VField<double>
final active   = form.field<bool>('active');       // VField<bool>
final birthday = form.field<DateTime>('birthday'); // VField<DateTime>
final country  = form.field<Country>('country');   // VField<Country>
final category = form.field<Category>('category'); // VField<Category>
final tags     = form.field<List<String>>('tags'); // VField<List<String>>

Note on V.enm: always pass the enum type explicitly inside a V.map({...}) literal — V.enm<Country>(Country.values), not V.enm(Country.values). The Dart analyzer can't infer the generic when the map context is raw and falls back to the upper bound (Enum), which then makes form.field<Country>('country') throw Invalid argument: The field "country" is of type VField<Enum>, not VField<Country>.

Transforms #

Pipeline transforms (trim, toLowerCase, preprocess) run before validation — regardless of the order you chain them. form.rawValue exposes the raw input; form.value exposes the transformed result.

Live preview: transforms_page.dart.

final form = V.map({
  // order-independent: trim at the end runs before email() anyway.
  'email': V.string().toLowerCase().email().trim(),
}).form();

form.field<String>('email').set('  USER@Email.com  ');

form.rawValue['email']; // '  USER@Email.com  '
form.value['email'];    // 'user@email.com'

Pipeline order — container preprocess vs field preprocess #

VForm runs validart's pipeline as-is. The full ordering — container preprocess, per-field preprocess, validators, transforms, async stages, and how preprocessors compose with nullable() / defaultValue() — is documented in the validart README:

Valiform-specific note: field.validator(value) and form.parsedValue honor the container preprocess too, not just the field's own pipeline. So a V.map({...}).preprocess(rewriteCrossField) reaches the per-field validator and stays in sync with form.silentValidate(). The only exception is when the container uses preprocessAsync — Flutter's sync FormField.validator cannot await, so it falls through; use form.validateAsync / form.parsedValueAsync for the full async path.

Live demo of cross-field rewrites: preprocess_page.dart.

Generic-inference pitfall — same as V.enm. Always write the explicit type argument on .transform<O>(...) inside a V.map({...}) literal, e.g. .transform<String>((v) => 'user:$v'). Without it, Dart degrades the output type to dynamic inside the raw Map context, and form.field<String>('key') then throws at runtime: The field "key" is of type VField<dynamic>, not VField<String>. Same rule that already applies to V.enm<MyEnum>(MyEnum.values).

Optional Fields #

Use .nullable() for fields that can be empty. All types supported: optional_fields_page.dart.

final form = V.map({
  'name':  V.string().min(3),              // required
  'phone': V.string().phone().nullable(),  // optional
  'age':   V.int().min(0).nullable(),      // optional
}).form();

For an empty TextFormField ("") to count as null so .nullable() accepts it without firing required / min(1), enable V.treatEmptyAsNull(true) at boot — see Recommended setup.

Conditional Validation #

Apply different validation rules based on another field's value. Live demo with CPF/CNPJ and email/url/phone: conditional_validation_page.dart.

// Same field, different rules
final form = V.map({
  'contactType': V.string(),
  'contact': V.string(),
}).when('contactType', equals: 'email', then: {
  'contact': V.string().email(),
}).when('contactType', equals: 'url', then: {
  'contact': V.string().url(),
}).form();

// Different fields required based on condition
final form = V.map({
  'type': V.string(),
  'cpf':  V.string().nullable(),
  'cnpj': V.string().nullable(),
}).when('type', equals: 'person',  then: {'cpf':  V.string().min(11)})
  .when('type', equals: 'company', then: {'cnpj': V.string().min(14)})
  .form();

Errors from .when() rules surface directly on the target fields.

Predicate-based: whenMatches #

When the trigger needs more than equality — >, >=, oneOf, or a combination of multiple fields — reach for whenMatches. The predicate receives the raw input map (or the typed T for VObject); when it returns true, every validator in then is applied to the corresponding field. Live demo: when_matches_page.dart.

// Numeric threshold — impossible with .when(equals:).
final form = V.map({
  'age': V.int(),
  'license': V.string().nullable(),
}).whenMatches(
  (m) => (m['age'] as int? ?? 0) >= 18,
  dependsOn: const {'age'},
  then: {'license': V.string().min(5)},
).form();

// Combined-field predicate — auditToken required only for senior admins.
final form = V.map({
  'role': V.string(),
  'level': V.int(),
  'auditToken': V.string().nullable(),
}).whenMatches(
  (m) => m['role'] == 'admin' && (m['level'] as int? ?? 0) > 5,
  dependsOn: const {'role', 'level'},
  then: {'auditToken': V.string().min(8)},
).form();

dependsOn is required by validart so subsequent refine(dependsOn: {...}) rules can reference the same fields without tripping the schema's known-keys assertion. The predicate itself is always synchronous; the validators inside then may be sync or async (an async target opts the form into async mode, same as when). Errors surface inline on the target field through the same channel as when.

For VForm.object<T> specifically, the entity-shaped predicate (bool Function(T)) requires building T from the current snapshot — same fragility documented in Typed Forms (VObject). For typed forms whose builder isn't provably null-safe, prefer the *Raw variants for cross-field rules. Full rationale and side-by-side examples below: Prefer *Raw rules in VForm.object.

Cross-Field Validation #

Every cross-field primitive lives in validart — refineField, refineFieldRaw, equalFields, and refine(..., dependsOn:). VForm passes them through unchanged; the only thing the form layer adds is error demuxing: path-keyed errors surface inline under the target field, path-empty errors land in form.rootErrors.

For the full semantics of each primitive — when each callback runs, what it receives, how dependsOn controls aggregation — read the canonical docs in the validart README:

TL;DR — when to reach for which:

Primitive Error path Where the UI shows it
refineField(check, path: 'x') (on VMap / VObject<T>) [x] inline under x (use this by default)
VObject<T>.refineFieldRaw(check, path: 'x') [x] inline under x — callback sees the raw map. Recommended for typed forms whose builder isn't provably null-safe (see section below)
VMap.refineField(check, path: 'x', stage: RefineStage.pre) [x] inline under x — RefineStage.pre reads the raw input before transforms (replaces the removed VMap.refineFieldRaw from validart < 3.0)
equalFields(a, b) [] banner via form.rootErrors
refine(check, dependsOn: {...}) [] banner via form.rootErrors

Prefer *Raw rules in VForm.object to keep the builder simple #

The recommendation for VForm.object<T> is use refineFieldRaw and whenMatchesRaw by default. They take the raw Map<String, dynamic> directly and never need to go through your builder, so your builder can stay direct and type-strict instead of inflating with ?? fallbacks just to survive partial inputs.

Why *Raw keeps the builder simple

The entity-typed variants (refineField, whenMatches) accept callbacks shaped bool Function(T). To call them, valiform has to construct T from the current field snapshot first — and the field snapshot is Map<String, dynamic> with null in every slot the user hasn't filled in yet. If your builder does data['x'] (without ??) into a non-nullable parameter, the dereference throws TypeError the moment the rule runs against a partial form. Valiform catches that internally and treats the rule as "not yet evaluable" — it's not a crash, but the rule silently doesn't fire until every dependency is populated.

The *Raw variants receive bool Function(Map<String, dynamic>). No T construction, no fragility, no internal try/catch fallback path. The rule sees raw input shape (post container preprocess + treatEmptyAsNull if declared) and runs uniformly whether the form is half-filled or complete.

Side-by-side — same rule, two implementations

With whenMatchesRaw (recommended): builder stays direct.

class TaxPayer {
  final String country;
  final int age;
  final String? taxId;

  const TaxPayer({
    required this.country,
    required this.age,
    this.taxId,
  });
}

V.object<TaxPayer>()
    .field('country', (t) => t.country, V.string())
    .field('age',     (t) => t.age,     V.int())
    .field('taxId',   (t) => t.taxId,   V.string().nullable())
    .whenMatchesRaw(
      (data) => data['country'] == 'US' && (data['age'] as int? ?? 0) >= 21,
      dependsOn: const {'country', 'age'},
      then: {'taxId': V.string().min(9)},
    )
    .refineFieldRaw(
      (data) => data['country'] != 'US' || data['taxId'] != null,
      path: 'taxId',
      dependsOn: const {'country', 'taxId'},
      message: 'taxId is required for US',
    )
    .form(
      // Builder is direct — every map slot is read into a typed param
      // because by the time it runs (form.value after a successful
      // validate), every required field is populated.
      builder: (data) => TaxPayer(
        country: data['country'],
        age: data['age'],
        taxId: data['taxId'] as String?,
      ),
    );

With whenMatches / refineField entity-typed: builder must be defensive.

V.object<TaxPayer>()
    .field('country', (t) => t.country, V.string())
    .field('age',     (t) => t.age,     V.int())
    .field('taxId',   (t) => t.taxId,   V.string().nullable())
    .whenMatches(
      (taxPayer) => taxPayer.country == 'US' && taxPayer.age >= 21,
      dependsOn: const {'country', 'age'},
      then: {'taxId': V.string().min(9)},
    )
    .refineField(
      (taxPayer) => taxPayer.country != 'US' || taxPayer.taxId != null,
      path: 'taxId',
      dependsOn: const {'country', 'taxId'},
      message: 'taxId is required for US',
    )
    .form(
      // Builder MUST default every required param — otherwise valiform's
      // internal try/catch silently swallows the predicate's first
      // attempt every time `country` or `age` is still null.
      builder: (data) => TaxPayer(
        country: data['country'] ?? '',  // ← only here to keep the rule alive
        age:     data['age']     ?? 0,    // ← same — and now you have a `0` masquerading as a real value
        taxId:   data['taxId'] as String?,
      ),
    );

Two problems with the entity-typed version:

  1. The builder grows ?? fallbacks for every required field, just to keep the predicate running. Those fallbacks have no semantic meaning ("country = empty string"? "age = 0"?) — they're noise the type system can't catch.
  2. If you forget a ??, the rule silently fails to fire on partial input. No warning, no error, just no validation.

The *Raw version reads data['country'] directly from the map — it can be null, the predicate handles it (data['country'] == 'US' is just false then), and the builder stays clean for the canonical "construct T after a successful validate" path.

When entity-typed is still fine

Three cases where refineField / whenMatches keep their ergonomic edge over the raw variants:

  • T is all-nullable — every field on the DTO is String?, int?, etc. The builder needs no ?? even on partial input.
  • You already use ?? fallbacks intentionally — for example, a draft DTO with sane defaults that you want to ship even half-filled.
  • The typed predicate is much more readable — (b) => b.endDate.isAfter(b.startDate) reads better than (m) => (m['endDate'] as DateTime).isAfter(m['startDate'] as DateTime). If you can pay the builder defensiveness, the rule body is nicer.

Outside those, the *Raw variants are the safer default.

Live demos: password_match_page.dart, refine_field_raw_page.dart, object_validation_page.dart, root_errors_page.dart.

Controller Sync #

Two bidirectional-sync paths, both with typed getters — no casts. Full walkthrough of ownership and ValueNotifier<int?> counter: controller_sync_page.dart.

attachController(ValueNotifier<T?>) #

For plain ValueNotifier or any custom controller that extends it (e.g. LuneSelectFieldController<T>):

final country = form.field<Country>('country');
country.attachController(LuneSelectFieldController<Country>());

// retrieve typed:
final ctrl = country.controller; // ValueNotifier<Country?>?

attachTextController(TextEditingController) (extension on VField<String>) #

Use a controller whenever the widget needs to be externally controlled — set/clear text from code, prepend a prefix, drive a custom keyboard. Once attached, the bridge is two-way: what the user types updates the field, and field.set(...) updates both the field and the controller.

final email = form.field<String>('email');
email.attachTextController(TextEditingController());

// in build():
TextFormField(
  controller: email.textController,
  validator: email.validator,
);

// later, a programmatic update propagates to both sides:
email.set('new@example.com'); // field.value AND textController.text update

If you don't need external control of the TextFormField, skip attachTextController entirely — wire onChanged: email.onChanged + validator: email.validator and the field owns the value by itself.

Ownership #

Both attachController and attachTextController take ownership by default — the controller is disposed together with the field (and together with the form via form.dispose()):

// Inline: field disposes the controller when form.dispose() runs.
email.attachTextController(TextEditingController());

Pass owns: false when you manage the controller's lifecycle yourself — you are then responsible for calling dispose() on it, otherwise it leaks:

final shared = TextEditingController(); // you own it
email.attachTextController(shared, owns: false);

// later, in your State.dispose():
@override
void dispose() {
  shared.dispose(); // you must call this — field.dispose() won't
  _form.dispose();
  super.dispose();
}

Cursor behavior #

When the user types, the cursor stays where they placed it — valiform only reads controller.text in the sync listener and never writes back during user input (the internal _syncing flag + equality check prevent cascading updates).

When you call field.set('new value') programmatically, Flutter's TextEditingController.text setter resets the cursor to the end of the text (offset: -1). That's Flutter's default behavior for the text setter — use controller.value = TextEditingValue(text: ..., selection: ...) directly if you need to preserve a custom cursor position on a programmatic update.

onValueChanged — bridge for non-ValueNotifier state #

When the external state isn't a ValueNotifier<T?> (analytics, a custom data store, anything):

final dispose = email.onValueChanged((value) {
  analytics.log('email', value);
});
// later: dispose();

The callback receives the typed value on every change and returns a dispose function. It is cleaned up automatically on field.dispose().

Programmatic updates (field.set / form.set) #

Set values from code — hydrate from an API response, apply a "Reset to template", or sync from external state. Live demo (three widget shapes side by side, with buttons that mutate the model): programmatic_updates_page.dart.

Per-field:

form.field<String>('email').set('new@example.com');

Or bulk via form.set(...). The accepted shape depends on the factory:

  • VForm.map (created from V.map({...}).form()): only Map<String, dynamic> is accepted. The form's value type already is a map.
  • VForm.object<T> (created from V.object<T>().form()): both Map<String, dynamic> (partial keyed by field name) and a typed T instance (decomposed via VObject.extract) are accepted.

In both cases, missing keys leave the field untouched (partial update) and unknown keys are ignored silently. Passing anything else throws ArgumentError at runtime — the parameter is typed Object because the accepted shape depends on the factory.

// VForm.map — only Map<String, dynamic>
form.set({'email': 'new@example.com'});

// VForm.object<User> — both shapes
form.set(User(name: 'Alice', email: 'a@b.com')); // typed
form.set({'name': 'Alice', 'email': 'a@b.com'}); // partial map

⚠️ How updates propagate to the UI #

Both field.set and form.set update the field's internal ValueNotifier. Whether the widget on screen also updates depends on how the widget is wired. Three patterns, three different outcomes:

Widget Reflects field.set? What you need
TextFormField with validator + onChanged only ❌ Widget keeps text in its own FormFieldState; the field never writes back
TextFormField with attachTextController + controller: ✅ Two-way bind — field.set writes to controller.text
DropdownButtonFormField (and other widgets that read value: prop) ❌ Prop is captured at build time; nothing triggers a rebuild
Same widget wrapped in ListenableBuilder(listenable: field.listenable) ✅ Builder reruns when the field changes, repasses field.value
Custom widget that accepts an external ValueNotifier<T?> ✅ Use field.attachController(controller) — bidirectional sync

The most common confusion: a vanilla TextFormField wired with just onChanged: field.onChanged is one-way (widget → field). field.set does change the model — field.value, validators, form.value all see the new value — but the text on screen stays unchanged because the widget owns its own text state.

Examples — three widgets, three patterns #

TextFormField with attachTextController (UI reflects field.set):

// initState
email.attachTextController(TextEditingController());

// build
TextFormField(
  controller: email.textController,
  validator: email.validator,
);

// from anywhere
form.set({'email': 'a@b.com'}); // text updates on screen

DropdownButtonFormField wrapped in ListenableBuilder (UI reflects field.set):

ListenableBuilder(
  listenable: country.listenable,
  builder: (context, _) => DropdownButtonFormField<Country>(
    decoration: const InputDecoration(labelText: 'Country'),
    initialValue: country.value,
    items: Country.values
        .map((c) => DropdownMenuItem(value: c, child: Text(c.name)))
        .toList(),
    onChanged: country.set,
    validator: (_) => country.validator(country.value),
  ),
);

// from anywhere
form.set({'country': Country.br}); // dropdown selection updates

Live demo: dropdown_enum_page.dart.

Custom FormField<T> with attachController (when the widget accepts a ValueNotifier<T?>):

// Custom controller (extends ValueNotifier<T?>)
final ctrl = LuneSelectFieldController<Country>();
country.attachController(ctrl);

// build
LuneSelectField<Country>(
  controller: ctrl,
  // ... widget reads / writes through the controller
);

// from anywhere
form.set({'country': Country.br}); // ctrl.value updates → widget rebuilds

The example app has a custom ChipFormField<T> extending FormField<T> in custom_class_field_page.dart — model side of the same pattern.

Why this design #

Forms in Flutter are widget-driven by default — widgets own their state via FormFieldState, and valiform stays out of the way (no opinionated wrapper widget). The price is that two-way sync isn't free: you opt into it via a controller (attachTextController / attachController) or a ListenableBuilder. The benefit is that you keep full control of the widget tree, can mix custom design-system inputs, and pay nothing for fields you don't programmatically mutate.

Imperative Errors #

Force validation errors programmatically — backend rejections, async checks, external business rules. Full demo with 3 fields, 6 buttons: manual_error_page.dart.

Via VForm #

// Single field
form.setError('email', 'Email already taken');

// Batch (typical API response)
form.setErrors({
  'email': 'Invalid domain',
  'cpf':   'Already registered',
});

// Clearing
form.clearError('email');
form.clearErrors();

Via VField #

final email = form.field<String>('email');
email.setError('Email already taken');
email.clearError();

Options #

Flag Behaviour
persist: false (default) One-shot — consumed on the next validation, even when a standard error wins precedence. No ghost errors later.
persist: true Keeps the error across validations until clearError().
force: false (default) Standard validators win — manual error only shows when the field is otherwise valid.
force: true Overrides standard precedence — manual error shows regardless.

Combine persist: true, force: true for server-side blocks (e.g. "Account suspended") that stay visible until cleared.

Single-field refresh #

Attach field.key to your TextFormField (or any FormField) so setError revalidates only that field — other fields aren't touched:

final email = form.field<String>('email');

TextFormField(
  key: email.key,
  validator: email.validator,
  onChanged: email.onChanged,
);

// later:
email.setError('Email already taken'); // only the email field refreshes

Inspecting Errors #

Read-only access to the current validation state — useful for live error summaries, debug panels, or custom error displays. Live panels in errors_preview_page.dart.

// All current errors across the form (null when all fields pass)
final errors = form.errors();
// { 'email': 'Invalid email', 'age': 'Must be at least 18' }

// Single field's current error
final emailError = form.field<String>('email').error;
// 'Invalid email' or null

Both are non-consuming — they don't clear one-shot manual errors and don't trigger any UI refresh. Safe to call from a ListenableBuilder that rebuilds on every keystroke.

ListenableBuilder(
  listenable: form.listenable,
  builder: (context, _) {
    final errors = form.errors();
    if (errors == null) return const Text('All good ✓');
    return Column(
      children: errors.entries
          .map((e) => Text('${e.key}: ${e.value}'))
          .toList(),
    );
  },
)

Detailed errors with path — vError / vErrors() #

When you need more than the first message — array element indices, validator codes, custom error rendering — use field.vError / form.vErrors(). They return the full validart List<VError> with code, path, and message. Live demo: v_errors_page.dart.

final form = V.map({
  'emails': V.array<String>(V.string().email()).min(1),
}).form();

form.field<List<String>>('emails').set(['a@b.com', 'bad']);

form.errors();
// {'emails': 'Invalid email address'}  ← just the message

form.vErrors();
// {'emails': [VError(code: 'string.email', path: [1], message: 'Invalid email address')]}
//                                                 ^^^^^^^ index of the invalid element

Cross-field validators and imperative errors (which are produced outside validart) are wrapped as VError(code: VCode.custom, message: ...).

Typical use: render an array with the failing index highlighted.

final arrayErrors = form.vErrors()?['emails'] ?? const [];
final badIndexes = arrayErrors
    .where((e) => e.path.length == 1 && e.path.first is int)
    .map((e) => e.path.first as int)
    .toSet();
// paint list items whose index is in badIndexes

Reading messages correctly: always use e.message — it holds the exact text (your setError message, or the localized text resolved when the VError was created). e.code is a machine identifier (VStringCode.email, VCode.custom, ...) for filtering/logic, not for translation at read time. Calling V.t(e.code) on a VCode.custom error pulls the generic 'custom' entry from the active locale, not the message you passed to setError.

Form-level (root) errors #

form.errors() is field-keyed: it answers "which fields are wrong, and why?". Some validation rules don't belong to any single field — date ranges, totals, "a and b must differ". Those emit root errors (errors with no field path).

⚠️ Important — root errors do NOT show up under any FormField automatically. They are not wired into Flutter's per-field FormField.validator channel (a field path is needed to know where to render). You must render them yourself — typically as a banner above the form. form.validate() does include root errors in its return value (so the submit gate is correct), but the visual feedback is on you.

Recommendation — prefer rules with a path when you can. Path-pinned rules surface inline under the offending field automatically. Reach for root errors only when the rule genuinely belongs to the form as a whole.

Which schema constructs emit root vs field-keyed errors #

Construct Path Where it shows up
Per-field validators (V.string().email(), .min(3), ...) [fieldName, ...] inline under the field
.when(field, equals:, then: {target: ...}) [target] inline under target
.whenMatches(predicate, dependsOn:, then: {target: ...}) [target] inline under target
VObject<T>.whenMatchesRaw(predicate, dependsOn:, then: {target: ...}) [target] inline under target — predicate sees the raw map
VMap.refineField(check, path: 'x') [x] inline under x
VObject<T>.refineField(check, path: 'x') [x] inline under x
VMap.refineField(check, path: 'x', stage: RefineStage.pre) [x] inline under x — callback sees raw input (pre-pipeline)
VObject<T>.refineFieldRaw(check, path: 'x') [x] inline under x — callback sees raw input
VMap.refine(check) / .refine(check, dependsOn: {...}) (no path) [] (empty) form.rootErrors only — no inline UI
VObject<T>.refine(check, dependsOn: {...}) [] (empty) form.rootErrors only — no inline UI
.equalFields(a, b) on VMap / VObject<T> [] (empty) form.rootErrors only — no inline UI

VForm demuxes the validart VFailure for you: errors with a non-empty top-level path land on the corresponding VField (so they reach field.error, form.errors(), and FormField.validator), and errors with an empty path land in form.rootErrors. This means refineField / refineFieldRaw get inline rendering for free — you don't have to wire anything per-field.

If you can express the rule with a path: argument, do that — the user gets inline feedback for free. Use root errors only for cross-field or form-wide invariants that don't have a single "target" field.

Rendering root errors #

final form = V.map({
  'startDate': V.date(),
  'endDate':   V.date(),
}).refine(
  (m) => (m['endDate'] as DateTime).isAfter(m['startDate'] as DateTime),
  message: 'endDate must be after startDate',
  dependsOn: const {'startDate', 'endDate'},
).form();

ListenableBuilder(
  listenable: form.listenable,
  builder: (context, _) {
    final root = form.rootErrors;
    if (root.isEmpty) return const SizedBox.shrink();
    return RootErrorBanner(messages: root);
  },
)

Live demo: root_errors_page.dart.

rootErrors is self-contained — each access re-runs the schema-level safeParse against the current parsed values, so the banner stays in sync with what the user types without you having to call silentValidate() first. form.validate() also re-runs the schema, so its return value is correct even when the only failure is at root level.

For async schemas the sync getter throws VAsyncRequiredException; use form.rootErrorsAsync (also self-contained — awaits each field's async pipeline before re-running safeParseAsync). form.validateAsync() already incorporates root errors into its return value too.

Async Validation #

When a schema contains async steps (refineAsync, preprocessAsync, transformAsync), use the *Async methods. Sync inspection methods throw VAsyncRequiredException — this mirrors validart's own contract and prevents a form from silently submitting before the async check ran. The only sync method that stays tolerant is VField.validator(T?) (the required adapter for Flutter's sync FormField.validator; it is also the channel validateAsync uses to paint errors through setError). Full demo: async_validation_page.dart.

final form = V.map({
  'username': V.string().min(3).refineAsync(
    (value) async {
      final available = await api.checkUsername(value);
      return available;
    },
    message: 'Username already taken',
    timeout: const Duration(seconds: 2),
  ),
}).form();

// Sync rules (min 3) fire automatically as the user types.
// Run the async check on submit:
Future<void> onSubmit() async {
  if (await form.validateAsync()) {
    final data = await form.valueAsync;
    print(data);
  }
}

form.validateAsync() runs the full pipeline for every field and propagates async errors through the same UI channel as sync validation — no extra wiring needed on your FormFields. Afterwards, read form.valueAsync to get the parsed value (transforms applied).

Method Triggers UI Returns
form.validateAsync() ✓ (via persistent errors + FormState) Future<bool>
form.silentValidateAsync() ✗ Future<bool>
form.errorsAsync() ✗ Future<Map<String, String>?>
form.vErrorsAsync() ✗ Future<Map<String, List<VError>>?>
form.valueAsync ✗ Future<T>
form.hasAsync / field.hasAsync ✗ bool
field.validateAsync() ✗ Future<bool>
field.errorAsync ✗ Future<String?> (includes _manualError)
field.computeAsyncError() ✗ Future<String?> (ignores _manualError — primitive for autovalidate-async wiring)
field.vErrorAsync ✗ Future<List<VError>?>
field.parsedValueAsync ✗ Future<T?>

Mixed sync/async schemas: individual sync fields still surface their own errors via field.validator (that's what Flutter's TextFormField calls while typing). The form-level sync methods (form.validate, silentValidate, errors, vErrors, value) throw VAsyncRequiredException — run validateAsync on submit.

Submit-time async — guard against double-submit #

form.validateAsync() returns a Future<bool>. If the user taps the submit button twice while the first call is still in flight, the second one re-enters before any UI feedback has been painted — at best you fire the same API call twice, at worst the two callbacks race against each other. Track an in-flight flag on the page state and disable the button while it's set:

bool _submitting = false;

Future<void> _onSubmit() async {
  if (_submitting) return;
  setState(() => _submitting = true);
  try {
    if (await _form.validateAsync()) {
      final data = await _form.valueAsync;
      await api.save(data);
    }
  } finally {
    if (mounted) setState(() => _submitting = false);
  }
}

ElevatedButton(
  onPressed: _submitting ? null : _onSubmit,
  child: _submitting
      ? const SizedBox(width: 16, height: 16, child: CircularProgressIndicator(strokeWidth: 2))
      : const Text('Submit'),
)

Valiform doesn't track this for you — the in-flight state is a UX concern (you may want a spinner, a snackbar, queueing) so it stays on the consumer.

Async with AutovalidateMode.always — per-keystroke async needs explicit wiring #

AutovalidateMode.always / onUserInteraction make Flutter re-run field.validator on every change. That validator is sync (it's the only signature FormField.validator accepts), so any refineAsync in the schema is silently skipped — sync rules light up, async rules don't run at all. To validate async per-keystroke, fire field.computeAsyncError() yourself in onChanged and push the result back through setError(persist: true) / clearError():

TextFormField(
  key: field.key,
  validator: field.validator,           // covers sync rules
  onChanged: (value) async {
    field.onChanged(value);
    final err = await field.computeAsyncError();   // runs refineAsync
    if (!mounted) return;
    if (err == null) field.clearError();
    else field.setError(err, persist: true);
  },
);

This works, but firing an async request on every keystroke surfaces three real problems:

  • Out-of-order responses (race condition) — a slow response for "a" arrives after the fast response for "abcd" and overwrites it. The user sees a stale verdict on the current input.
  • Wasted work — N keystrokes ⇒ N requests; only the last one's result matters.
  • No native Future cancellation in Dart — the in-flight request can't be aborted from the consumer side.

Valiform doesn't impose a strategy here — the right answer depends on your latency profile, your backend, and your UX. Pick one (or combine):

Strategy What it does When to reach for it
Request token Monotonic counter captured at dispatch; ignore result if a newer fired. Always — cheapest correctness fix, composes with everything else.
Debounce Hold a Timer for ~300-500ms after each keystroke; only fire on idle. Slow backends, costly checks. Adds perceived latency.
Dedup Skip the call if the input matches the last fired input. Re-render churn / rebuild cycles that trigger onChanged with the same value.
HTTP cancel Use http.Client().send + Completer.complete on the next keystroke. When the backend is the bottleneck and you can free those sockets.
Stream + switchMap (package:rxdart) Stream of inputs that auto-cancels previous subscription. If you're already on rxdart elsewhere.

The minimum viable guard is the token — without it the demo intentionally toggles the wrong answer on screen. Full demo (naïve vs token-guarded side by side, inverted-latency reproducer): async_race_page.dart.

Validation Modes #

Valiform exposes several ways to validate — pick based on whether you want UI side-effects and whether you want state mutation.

Method Triggers UI Consumes one-shot manual errors Includes schema-level rules (refine, equalFields, dependsOn) Returns
form.validate() ✓ (via Flutter's FormState.validate()) ✓ ✓ bool
form.silentValidate() ✗ ✓ ✓ bool
form.errors() ✗ ✗ only field-keyed errors Map<String, String>?
form.vErrors() ✗ ✗ only field-keyed errors Map<String, List<VError>>?
form.rootErrors ✗ ✗ only schema-level errors with empty path List<String>
field.validator(v) depends on widget ✓ only via when rules targeting this field String?
field.validate() ✗ ✗ per-field only bool
field.error ✗ ✗ per-field only String?
field.vError ✗ ✗ per-field only List<VError>?

Rule of thumb:

  • Submit button → form.validate(). It now covers per-field AND schema-level rules — no need to combine with silentValidate().
  • Business logic / debouncing / analytics → form.silentValidate() or form.errors().
  • Custom error UIs → form.errors() (field-keyed) + form.rootErrors (form-level banner) + field.error.

Reactive Features #

Live JSON preview of a form as you type: reactive_form_page.dart.

Form-level value changes #

// At construction time
final form = V.map({...}).form(
  onValueChanged: (value) => print(value),
);

// Or later, dynamically
void listener(Map<String, dynamic> value) => print(value);
form.addValueChangedListener(listener);
// later:
form.removeValueChangedListener(listener);

The callback always receives Map<String, dynamic> with the raw field values, even for forms created from V.object<T>(...). A field change does not imply the form is valid enough for the builder to construct T — emitting raw values keeps the listener safe against partial state. Use form.value (or form.valueAsync) after form.validate() returns true when you need the typed T; alternatively guard the builder with ?? defaults or nullable parameters. Same callback shape works on sync and async schemas.

Per-field reactive UI #

final email = form.field<String>('email');

ListenableBuilder(
  listenable: email.listenable,
  builder: (context, _) => Text('${email.value?.length ?? 0} chars'),
);

Disposing Resources #

Both VForm and VField hold listeners and (optionally) own controllers — always dispose them.

// Typical: dispose the whole form in your State.dispose()
@override
void dispose() {
  _form.dispose(); // disposes every VField + any owned controllers
  super.dispose();
}

// Standalone VField (rare — usually the form manages fields for you)
final field = VField<String>(type: V.string(), validators: []);
// ...
field.dispose();

If you attached a controller with owns: false, you are responsible for its dispose() — the field won't touch it.

More from Validart #

Valiform handles form state and UI wiring; the validation rules and localized messages come from Validart. Anything valid in a Validart schema works inside V.map({...}).form() or V.object<T>(...).form().

Validation Rules #

For the full catalog of built-in validators — email(), password(), regex(), cpf(), cnpj(), type coercions, refine / refineAsync, preprocess / transform, custom messages — read the Validart documentation. Valiform forwards every rule unchanged; this README focuses on the Flutter/form layer on top.

Internationalization (i18n) #

Error messages are localized through Validart's locale system — switch locale globally or customize individual messages at the schema level. See Validart's i18n guide for the full locale catalog and override patterns, and locale_page.dart for a live runtime-switch demo.

API Reference #

VField<T> #

Member Description
value Raw value
initialValue Stable initial value (resolved at construction). Prefer over value when binding to widget initialValue parameters so reset() targets the true starting point
parsedValue Value after pipeline transforms (trim, toLowerCase, ...)
set(T?) Update value programmatically
onChanged(T?) Wire to widget onChanged callbacks
onSaved(T?) Wire to widget onSaved callbacks
reset() Restore initial value
listenable Listenable for reactive UI
hasAsync true when the field depends on any async step
validator(T?) Returns error or null — consumes one-shot manual errors (for Flutter's FormField pipeline)
validate() Returns true if valid — read-only, non-consuming. Throws when hasAsync is true
validateAsync() Async variant — runs full pipeline including refineAsync
error / errorAsync Current error message or null (sync throws when hasAsync, async always safe). errorAsync includes manualError
computeAsyncError() Runs the async pipeline and returns the first error, ignoring manualError. Use to wire refineAsync to autovalidate per-keystroke (push result via setError / clearError)
vError / vErrorAsync Current errors as List<VError>? (sync throws when hasAsync, async always safe)
parsedValueAsync Future with pipeline-transformed value (includes async preprocessors)
manualError Current imperative error or null
setError(message, {persist, force}) Set an imperative error
clearError() Remove imperative error
key GlobalKey<FormFieldState<T>> — attach to FormField for single-field refresh
attachController(ValueNotifier<T?>, {owns}) Bidirectional sync with a ValueNotifier<T?> (or subclass). Owned by default.
attachTextController(TextEditingController, {owns}) (extension on VField<String>) Bidirectional sync with a text controller
controller Attached ValueNotifier<T?>?
textController (extension on VField<String>) Attached TextEditingController?
detachController() Remove sync listeners (does not dispose)
onValueChanged(callback) Bridge for external state — returns a dispose function
dispose() Release resources (disposes owned controllers)

VForm<T> #

Member Description
key GlobalKey<FormState> for the Flutter Form widget
value / valueAsync Parsed form value (typed T) — valueAsync awaits async pipelines
rawValue Raw field values as Map<String, dynamic>
hasAsync true when any field needs async validation
field<F>(key) Type-safe field access
listenable Combined Listenable across all fields
validate() Validate all fields with UI errors
validateAsync() Async variant — full pipeline, surfaces errors via persistent manual errors
silentValidate() / silentValidateAsync() Validate without touching the UI (sync / async)
errors() / errorsAsync() Map of current error messages — read-only (sync / async)
vErrors() / vErrorsAsync() Map of List<VError> per field (preserves code, path, message)
rootErrors / rootErrorsAsync Form-level error messages from schema refine(..., dependsOn:) — banner
save() Trigger FormState.save()
reset() Restore initial values
set(Object data) Bulk-update field values. On VForm.map: only Map<String, dynamic>. On VForm.object<T>: Map<String, dynamic> OR a T instance (decomposed via VObject.extract). Missing keys leave the field untouched (partial update); unknown keys ignored. Wrong shape → ArgumentError at runtime
setError(field, message, {persist, force}) Set error on a specific field
setErrors(errors, {persist, force}) Batch set errors across fields
clearError(field) Clear error on a specific field
clearErrors() Clear all imperative errors
addValueChangedListener(fn) / removeValueChangedListener(fn) Dynamic form-level listeners
dispose() Release all resources (each field + owned controllers)

Example App #

Every feature in this README has a page in the example app. Run it to interact with each pattern live:

cd example
flutter create .   # generate platform folders the first time
flutter run
Page What it shows
basic_map_form_page.dart Simplest VMap form + initial values
object_form_page.dart VObject<User> returning a typed class
object_validation_page.dart VObject equalFields, when, refineField — typed cross-field rules
multi_type_form_page.dart All field types combined
checkbox_form_page.dart V.bool().isTrue() with a checkbox
dropdown_enum_page.dart V.enm<Country> with dropdown
custom_class_field_page.dart V.object<Category>() inside VMap
array_field_page.dart V.array<String>() with tag input
optional_fields_page.dart Every type with .nullable()
default_value_page.dart defaultValue vs initialValues — resolution & semantics
required_message_page.dart V.bool(message: ...) vs preprocess for custom required error
transforms_page.dart Live rawValue vs value preview
live_pipeline_page.dart Per-keystroke pipeline trace: preprocess → trim → toLowerCase → min → transform (input stays raw)
preprocess_page.dart Container vs field preprocess — cross-field rewrite for VMap and VObject, raw vs parsed in real time
conditional_validation_page.dart .when() conditional rules
when_matches_page.dart .whenMatches() predicate-based rules — numeric thresholds and combined-field triggers
password_match_page.dart refineField vs equalFields
refine_field_raw_page.dart refineField (parsed) vs refineFieldRaw (raw) — same rule, different verdicts under a transform
root_errors_page.dart form.rootErrors banner from refine(..., dependsOn:) — form-level error aggregation
controller_sync_page.dart TextEditingController + ValueNotifier<int?> counter
async_validation_page.dart refineAsync + form.validateAsync() with loading state
async_race_page.dart Per-keystroke refineAsync race condition: naïve vs token-guarded, inverted-latency reproducer
complex_form_page.dart Kitchen-sink: all types + nested map + array + enum + union + .when() sync/async + refineField
manual_error_page.dart setError, persist, force, batch
programmatic_updates_page.dart form.set(Map | T) + field.set and which widgets reflect (TextFormField with/without controller, Dropdown with ListenableBuilder); partial initialValues map seed
errors_preview_page.dart Live form.errors() / field.error panels
v_errors_page.dart Structured vErrors() with code + path — array indices, i18n-ready error codes
reactive_form_page.dart Live JSON preview via onValueChanged
locale_page.dart VLocale switching at runtime

License #

See LICENSE for details.

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Metadata

Schema-driven Flutter forms on top of Validart. Typed VField<T>, ValueNotifier-based reactive state, sync + async cross-field validation.

Repository (GitHub)
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Topics

#form #validation #flutter #form-validation

License

MIT (license)

Dependencies

flutter, validart

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