view_model 0.14.0

Everything is ViewModel. Enjoy automatic lifecycle management, prevent memory leaks, and share state effortlessly. Simple, lightweight, and powerful.

✨ view_model: Flutter-Native State Management

Designed for Flutter's OOP & Widget style - Low intrusion | VM-to-VM access | Any class can be ViewModel | Fine-grained updates

Built for Flutter, not ported from web frameworks 🚀

Package	Version
view_model
view_model_annotation
view_model_generator

ChangeLog | 中文文档 | Architecture Guide

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Agent Skills

For AI Agent usage, see Agent Skills.

💡 Why view_model?

Flutter-native state management built for Flutter's class-oriented nature, not ported from web frameworks.

Many popular solutions bring frontend web patterns into Flutter without considering if they actually fit. Flutter is class-oriented and built around OOP, yet these solutions push you toward functions everywhere, reactive primitives, and data graphs.

view_model works with Flutter's nature:

• Classes as first-class citizens - with ViewModel on any class (Widgets, Repositories, Services, anything)
• Object-oriented composition - not functional composition
• Built for Flutter's widget lifecycle - not ported from React/Vue/Solid

✨ Three Core Strengths

🪶 Ultra-Lightweight = Zero Overhead

• Minimal footprint: Only ~6K lines of code, 3 dependencies (flutter + meta + stack_trace)
• Zero setup: No root widget wrapping, no mandatory initialization
• On-demand creation: ViewModels are created lazily and disposed automatically

🎯 Minimal Intrusion = Maximum Compatibility

• Just with: Add with ViewModelStateMixin to your State—that's it
• Drop-in ready: Works with any existing Flutter code, integrate anytime
• Pure Dart mixins: Leverages Dart 3 mixin capabilities, zero inheritance pollution

🌈 Complete Flexibility

• Access anywhere: Use ViewModels in Widgets, Repositories, Services—no BuildContext needed
• Automatic memory management: Reference counting + auto-disposal means no memory leaks
• Share or isolate: Need a singleton? Add a key. Need isolation? Don't. It's that simple.

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📦 Installation

dependencies:
  view_model: ^latest_version

dev_dependencies:
  build_runner: ^latest_version
  view_model_generator: ^latest_version  # Highly recommended for less boilerplate!

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🚀 Get Started in 3 Steps

Step 1️⃣: Write Your Business Logic

Just use with ViewModel (yes, it's that simple):

class CounterViewModel with ViewModel {
  int count = 0;

  void increment() {
    update(() => count++);  // Automatically notifies UI
  }
}

Why with instead of extends? Dart mixins enable composition over inheritance—more flexible and keeps your class hierarchy clean!

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Step 2️⃣: Register a Provider

final counterProvider = ViewModelProvider<CounterViewModel>(
  builder: () => CounterViewModel(),
);

Pro tip: Skip this step entirely by using view_model_generator—just add an annotation and it's auto-generated! 🎉

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Step 3️⃣: Use in Your Widget

Add one mixin, unlock superpowers:

class CounterPage extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  State<CounterPage> createState() => _CounterPageState();
}

class _CounterPageState extends State<CounterPage>
    with ViewModelStateMixin {  // 👈 Just this one line!

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    final vm = vef.watch(counterProvider);  // Automatically listens

    return Scaffold(
      body: Center(child: Text('${vm.count}')),
      floatingActionButton: FloatingActionButton(
        onPressed: vm.increment,
        child: Icon(Icons.add),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Intrusion comparison:

Solution	Changes Required	Root Wrapping	BuildContext Dependency
view_model	✅ Just add mixin	❌ No	❌ No
Provider	⚠️ InheritedWidget	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Riverpod	⚠️ ConsumerWidget	✅ Yes	❌ No
GetX	⚠️ Often global state	❌ No	❌ No

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🛠️ Core Features

1️⃣ Universal Access with Vef (Custom Ref)

What is vef? Vef = ViewModel Execution Framework. It's a mixin you can add to any class, giving it the power to access ViewModels anywhere!

💡 Fun fact: ViewModelStateMixin is actually powered by WidgetVef under the hood—a Flutter-optimized variant of Vef. This ensures a consistent API whether you're in Widgets, ViewModels, or pure Dart classes!

class StartupTaskRunner with Vef {
  Future<void> run() async {
    final authVM = vef.read(authProvider);
    await authVM.checkAuth();

    final configVM = vef.read(configProvider);
    await configVM.fetchRemoteConfig();

    
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    super.dispose(); 
  }
}

#### 📱 In Widgets (Built-in)

```dart
class _MyPageState extends State<MyPage> with ViewModelStateMixin {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    final vm = vef.watch(myProvider);  // Auto-reactive
    return Text(vm.data);
  }
}

🧠 In ViewModels (Built-in)

ViewModels can coordinate with each other:

class CartViewModel with ViewModel {
  void checkout() {
    final userVM = vef.read(userProvider);  // Direct access to other VMs
    processOrder(userVM.user);
  }
}

🏗️ In Any Class (Custom Ref)

Need a pure logic manager? Just with Vef:

class StartupTaskRunner with Vef {
  Future<void> run() async {
    final authVM = vef.read(authProvider);
    await authVM.checkAuth();

    final configVM = vef.read(configProvider);
    await configVM.fetchRemoteConfig();
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    super.dispose();  // Auto-cleans all dependencies
  }
}

🎯 Quick Reference: Vef Methods

Method	Behavior	Best For
vef.watch(provider)	Reactive	Inside build()—rebuilds on change
vef.read(provider)	Direct access	Callbacks, event handlers, or other ViewModels
vef.listen(provider)	Side effects	Navigation, snackbars, etc.
vef.watchCached(key:)	Targeted	Access specific shared instance by key
vef.readCached(key:)	Targeted	Read specific shared instance without listening
vef.listenState(provider)	State Listener	Listen to state changes (previous, current)
vef.listenStateSelect(provider)	Selector	Listen to specific state property changes

Legacy API support: Prefer the classic watchViewModel syntax? Go ahead! It's fully supported and powered by the high-performance vef engine under the hood:

Legacy Method	Modern Equivalent	Description
watchViewModel	vef.watch	Watch + auto-rebuild
readViewModel	vef.read	Direct read, zero overhead
listenViewModel	vef.listen	Listen without rebuild
watchCachedViewModel	vef.watchCached	Watch cached instance
readCachedViewModel	vef.readCached	Read cached instance
listenViewModelState	vef.listenState	Listen to state changes
listenViewModelStateSelect	vef.listenStateSelect	Listen to selected state changes

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2️⃣ Immutable State (StateViewModel)

For developers who love clean, immutable state! Pairs beautifully with Freezed ✨

class UserViewModel extends StateViewModel<UserState> {
  UserViewModel() : super(state: UserState());

  void loadUser() async {
    setState(state.copyWith(isLoading: true));
    // ... fetch data ...
    setState(state.copyWith(isLoading: false, name: 'Alice'));
  }
}

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3️⃣ Fine-Grained Reactivity

Performance optimization starts here! Why rebuild your whole widget when only one field changed?

🎯 Option 1: StateViewModelValueWatcher

Perfect for partial updates in StateViewModel—only rebuild when specific fields change:

class UserViewModel extends StateViewModel<UserState> {
  UserViewModel() : super(state: UserState(name: '', age: 0, city: ''));

  void updateName(String name) => 
    setState(state.copyWith(name: name));
  
  void updateAge(int age) => 
    setState(state.copyWith(age: age));
}

// In your widget:
class _PageState extends State<Page> with ViewModelStateMixin {
  @override
  Widget build(context) {
    final vm = vef.read(userProvider);  // 👈 use read(), not watch()
    
    return Column(
      children: [
        // ✅ Only rebuilds when name OR age changes, NOT when city changes
        StateViewModelValueWatcher<UserState>(
          viewModel: vm,
          selectors: [
            (state) => state.name,
            (state) => state.age,
          ],
          builder: (state) {
            return Text('${state.name}, ${state.age} years old');
          },
        ),
        
        // ✅ Independent update area—only rebuilds when city changes
        StateViewModelValueWatcher<UserState>(
          viewModel: vm,
          selectors: [(state) => state.city],
          builder: (state) {
            return Text('Lives in: ${state.city}');
          },
        ),
      ],
    );
  }
}

When to use:

• ✅ You're using StateViewModel
• ✅ Your state object has many fields
• ✅ Different UI parts depend on different fields
• ✅ You want surgical precision in rebuilds

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🎯 Option 2: ObservableValue + ObserverBuilder

Standalone reactive values—perfect for simple, isolated state:

class _PageState extends State<Page> {
  // Create reactive values (no ViewModel needed!)
  final counter = ObservableValue<int>(0);
  final username = ObservableValue<String>('Guest');

  @override
  Widget build(context) {
    return Column(
      children: [
        // ✅ Only rebuilds when counter changes
        ObserverBuilder<int>(
          observable: counter,
          builder: (count) => Text('Count: $count'),
        ),
        
        // ✅ Only rebuilds when username changes
        ObserverBuilder<String>(
          observable: username,
          builder: (name) => Text('Hello, $name!'),
        ),
        
        ElevatedButton(
          onPressed: () => counter.value++,  // Triggers rebuild
          child: Text('Increment'),
        ),
      ],
    );
  }
}

Share values across widgets using shareKey:

final sharedCounter = ObservableValue<int>(0, shareKey: 'app_counter');

// Widget A:
ObserverBuilder<int>(
  observable: sharedCounter,
  builder: (count) => Text('A sees: $count'),
)

// Widget B:
ObserverBuilder<int>(
  observable: sharedCounter,
  builder: (count) => Text('B sees: $count'),  // Auto-synced!
)

Multiple values? Use ObserverBuilder2 or ObserverBuilder3:

ObserverBuilder2<int, String>(
  observable1: counter,
  observable2: username,
  builder: (count, name) {
    return Text('$name clicked $count times');
  },
)

When to use:

• ✅ Simple, isolated state (toggles, counters, form fields)
• ✅ No need for a full ViewModel
• ✅ Want minimal boilerplate
• ✅ Need to share individual values across widgets

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Performance comparison:

Approach	Rebuild Scope	Best For
vef.watch(provider)	Entire widget	Simple cases, few fields
StateViewModelValueWatcher	Selected fields only	Complex StateViewModel
ObservableValue	Per-value granularity	Standalone reactive values

Pro tip: Combine them! Use vef.watch() for your main structure, then sprinkle StateViewModelValueWatcher or ObserverBuilder in the hot-path areas that update frequently. 🚀

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4️⃣ Dependency Injection (Arguments)

Real talk: Many Flutter "DI" libraries are actually Service Locators in disguise. True DI requires reflection or powerful meta-programming, but Flutter disables reflection.

We chose to embrace reality—use a clean, explicit argument system:

final userProvider = ViewModelProvider.arg<UserViewModel, int>(
  builder: (int id) => UserViewModel(id),
);

// Usage:
final vm = vef.watch(userProvider(42));

Simple, direct, debuggable. No magic tricks.

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4️⃣ Instance Sharing (Keys)

• Isolated by default: Each widget gets its own ViewModel instance
• Shared instances: Add a key, and widgets with the same key share the same instance

final productProvider = ViewModelProvider.arg<ProductViewModel, String>(
  builder: (id) => ProductViewModel(id),
  key: (id) => 'prod_$id',  // Same ID = shared instance
);

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5️⃣ Automatic Lifecycle ♻️

Set it and forget it—memory management handled automatically:

1. Creation: Auto-created on first watch or read
2. Alive: Stays alive as long as any widget is using it
3. Disposal: Auto-cleaned when the last user unmounts

Need a global singleton? Add aliveForever: true, perfect for Auth, App Config, etc:

final authProvider = ViewModelProvider(
  builder: () => AuthViewModel(),
  aliveForever: true,  // Never disposed
);

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🏗️ Architecture Patterns

In real-world apps, Repositories and Services can use with ViewModel to coordinate with other ViewModels—no BuildContext passing needed:

class UserRepository with ViewModel {
  Future<User> fetchUser() async {
    final token = vef.read(authProvider).token;  // Direct access
    return api.getUser(token);
  }
}

For detailed patterns, check out our Architecture Guide

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🧪 Testing Made Easy

Mocking is straightforward—no simulator required:

testWidgets('Displays correct user data', (tester) async {
  final mockVM = MockUserViewModel();
  userProvider.setProxy(ViewModelProvider(builder: () => mockVM));

  await tester.pumpWidget(MyApp());
  expect(find.text('Alice'), findsOneWidget);
});

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⚙️ Global Configuration

Configure in main():

void main() {
  ViewModel.initialize(
    config: ViewModelConfig(
      isLoggingEnabled: true,
      onListenerError: (error, stack, context) {
         // Report to Crashlytics
      },
    ),
  );
  runApp(MyApp());
}

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📊 The Numbers Don't Lie

Metric	Value
Core codebase	~6K lines (with comments)
Required dependencies	3 (flutter, meta, stack_trace)
Mixins needed	1 (ViewModelStateMixin)
Root widget wrapping	❌ None
Mandatory initialization	❌ Optional
Performance overhead	Minimal (reference counting + Zone)

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📜 License

MIT License—use it freely! 💖

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🎉 Bottom Line

Tired of:

• ❌ Passing BuildContext everywhere
• ❌ Complex global state management
• ❌ Memory leaks
• ❌ Invasive code changes

Try view_model! Lightweight, clean, elegant—it'll transform how you build Flutter apps ✨

Remember: Just with, and everything becomes simple!

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