How can I add getter and setter extension methods as per below? The below doesn't work because _foo isn't defined and setting to foo directly like set foo(val) => foo = val; creates an infinite loop.
extension on Uri {
String get foo => _foo;
set foo(val) => _foo = val;
}
main() {
var uri = Uri();
uri.foo = 'bar';
}
If you want to store data on the Uri object, you need a place to store it.
You can't declare extension fields because extensions don't change the class they extend, so they can't add storage to the object.
What you can do is use an Expando:
extension on Uri {
static final _storage = Expando<String>();
String get foo => _storage[this];
set foo(String value) {
_storage[this] = value;
}
}
An Expando is intended for adding storage "on the side" for any object without leaking storage when the objects get garbage collected.
(You can't use it to store values on strings, numbers, booleans or null, because those are special wrt. identity because you can create them from literals, ... and because in JavaScript they aren't real objects).
Related
I'm working on a library, and I have a implementation pattern users are required to follow:
class MyView extends LibView {
static Foo f = Foo();
#override
void render(){
use(f); // f should be static, otherwise things not work correctly
}
}
I would like to tell the compiler that, if someone ever does this, it's incorrect:
class MyView {
Foo f = Foo(); // Error: Foo can only be used in Static field.
...
}
Anyone know if this is possible? I find it really hard to find good docs on these sorta of language details when it comes to dart.
[EDIT] Since the "why" question always comes up, imagine something like:
class ViewState{
Map<int, Object> props = {};
}
ViewState _state = ViewState();
class View {
View(this.state);
ViewState state;
static int _key1 = getRandomInt();
void render(){
print(state(_key1))
}
}
// These should both print the same value off of state since the 'random' int is cached
View(_state);
View(_state);
If the key's were not static, everything would compile fine, but they would not print the same results.
What you properly need are a singleton which can be created in different ways in Dart. One way is to use a factory constructor like this:
class Foo {
static final Foo _instance = Foo._();
factory Foo() => _instance;
// Private constructor only used internally
Foo._();
}
void main() {
final a = Foo();
final b = Foo();
print(identical(a, b)); // true
}
By doing it like this, there will only be one instance of Foo which are then shared each time an instance are asked for. The instance are also first created the first time it is asked for since static variables in Dart are lazy and only initialized when needed.
I just want to do the functional equivalent of
int someUniqueKey = 0, or MyViewEnums.someUniqueKey but do it with a typed object rather than a int/enym, like: Object<Foo> someUniqueKey = Object<Foo>(). In order for this to work with Objects, it needs to be static. It's similar to how int someUniqueKey = random.nextInt(9999) would have to be static in order to be used as a key that all instances could share. That way keys are auto-managed and unique, and people don't need to assign int's, strings, or whatever. It also has the advantage of letting me use the type later for compile time checks.
bool prop = getPropFromRef(_prop1Ref); //Will throw error prop1Ref is not Ref<bool>
I think I've figured out something that does the trick using darts package-level methods.
class Ref<T> {}
// Re-use existing ref if it already exists
Ref<T> getRef<T>(Ref<T> o) => o ?? Ref<T>();
class RefView {}
// In some other package/file:
class MyView extends RefView {
static Ref<bool> prop1Ref = getRef(prop1Ref);
static Ref<int> prop2Ref = getRef(prop2Ref);
}
This will make sure that prop1 and prop2 have the same values across all instances of MyView and it will throw an error if these are not static (since you can not pass an instance field before Constructor)
This still has the downside of a potential hard to spot error:
class MyView extends RefView {
static Ref<bool> prop1 = getRef(prop1);
static Ref<bool> prop2 = getRef(prop1); // passing prop1 to prop2's getRef, and they have the same<T>, compiler will miss it
}
But I think it might be preferable than having this potential error:
class MyView extends RefView {
//Both of these will fail silently, keys will change for each instance of MyView
Ref<bool> prop1 = getRef(prop1);
Ref<bool> prop2 = getRef(prop2);
}
I have a class like this:
class A extends B {
final Property<bool> property = Property<bool>(this);
}
class Property<T> {
Property(this.b);
final B b;
}
But I get an error on this saying:
Invalid reference to 'this' expression.
I believe I can't access this at that moment, probably because the object reference is not ready yet.
So I tried other forms of initializing that variable like:
class A extends B {
final Property<bool> property;
A() : property = Property<bool>(this);
}
But I get the same error.
The only thing that works is:
class A extends B {
Property<bool> property;
A() {
property = Property<bool>(this);
}
}
Which needs me to remove the final variable declaration, which is something I don't want to.
How can I initialize a final variable in Dart that needs a reference to the object itself?
You can't reference this in any initializers as this hasn't yet been initialized itself, so you won't be able to set Property<bool> property to be final.
If you're just trying to prevent modification of the value of property from outside the instance, you can use a private member and provide a getter to prevent modification. Given your example, that would look something like this:
class A extends B {
// Since there's no property setter, we've effectively disallowed
// outside modification of property.
Property<bool> get property => _property;
Property<bool> _property;
A() {
property = Property<bool>(this);
}
}
I am programming in Flutter using Dart 2.1.0, and come across this situation:
mixin Salt {
final int pinches; // Immutable, and I want to delay initialization.
// Cannot declare constructors for mixin
}
class Meat with Salt {
Meat(int pinches) ... // How to initialize it?
}
Salt has no constructor, so I cannot use initializer list. pinches is final, so I cannot set it in Meat's constructor.
I don't want to make Salt a class because Meat may need to extend from something else.
And I want to keep pinches immutable.
Any way to do it? Thanks in advance.
You can change the declaration of your mixin to:
mixin Salt {
int get pitches;
}
And then define the field inside the implementation class
class Meat with Salt {
final int pitches;
Meat(this.pitches);
}
By design it is not possible to declare a final member into a mixin because it is not possible to declare a constructor for initializing the final member,
citing the docs:
However, in this proposal, a mixin may only be extracted from a class that has no declared constructors. This restriction avoids complications that arise due to the need to pass constructor parameters up the inheritance chain.
A compromise may be to declare a private member and implement only a getter.
_pinches is visible only inside the library, it is read-only for library users.
mixin Salt {
int _pinches;
get pinches => _pinches;
}
class Meat with Salt {
Meat(int pinches) {
_pinches = pinches;
}
}
Note: the above pattern, because of the visibility rules, works only if the mixin and the mixed classes reside in the same library.
I offer my take on a solution to this. By marking the variable late you can make it final. No warning will appear if you fail to initialize it so use with caution.
mixin Salt {
late final int pinches;
}
class Vegetable with Salt {
Vegetable(int pinches) {
this.pinches = pinches;
}
}
Similar to attdona's suggestion, but a little bit closer to what you really wanted, you could do it like
mixin Salt {
int _pinches;
int get pinches => _pinches;
void initSalt(int pinches) {
assert(_pinches == null);
_pinches = pinches;
}
}
class Meat with Salt {
Meat(int pinches) {
initSalt(pinches);
}
}
It's still not strictly final, but (so long as the mixin's in a different library so you can't change the private member directly) it's immutable at runtime. Not as good as if it could be properly final, but maybe close enough.
The following method allows you to set the data at a later time, and gets rid of the warning:
This class (or a class that this class inherits from) is marked as '#immutable', but one or more of its instance fields aren't final
mixin Salt {
final SaltData _saltData = SaltData();
int get pinches => _saltData.pinches;
set pinches(int extraData) {
_saltData.pinches = extraData;
}
}
class SaltData {
int pinches = 0;
}
So what I did is create a class SaltData. This will store all the variables you need.
The private _saltData variable is final, this will stop the warning.
Then use a getter and setter to retrieve and update the data.
int get pinches => _saltData.pinches;
set pinches(int extraData) {
_saltData.pinches = extraData;
}
If you want you can could expose the entire saltData object as well:
SaltData get saltData => _saltData;
I am struggling with the concept of getters and setters in Dart, and the more I read, the more I cannot grasp the underlying purpose. Take for example the following code:
main() {
Car car = new Car();
car.doors = 44;
print(car.doors); // 44
}
class Car {
int doors = 4;
}
Later, I decide to make “doors” a private variable, so I do the following:
main() {
Car car = new Car();
car.doors = 44;
print(car.doors); // 44
}
class Car {
int _doors = 4;
int get doors => _doors;
set doors(int numberOfDoors) => _doors = numberOfDoors;
}
According to the code, _doors is now a private variable, and so I cannot access it in main(). However, by manipulating doors, I can indirectly change the value of _doors, which is what I thought I wanted to prevent in the first place by making it a private variable. So what is the purpose of making a previously public variable into a private one, if you can still indirectly manipulate it? And, how are getters and setters even working to change the properties of these variables? I am trying to understand the fundamental concept, because without that, I don't understand how or why getters and setters are used.
Instance variables in Dart have implicit getters and setters. So for your example code, it will operate in exactly the same way, since all you have done is changed from an implicit getter and setter to an explicit getter and setter.
The value of explicit getters and setters is that you don't need to define both if you don't want. For instance we can change your example to only define a getter:
main() {
Car car = new Car();
print(car.doors); // 4
car.doors = 6; // Won't work since no doors setter is defined
}
class Car {
int _doors = 4;
int get doors => _doors;
}
Additionally, you can also add extra logic in a getter or setter that you don't get in an implicit getter or setter:
class Car {
int _doors = 4;
int get doors => _doors;
set doors(int numberOfDoors) {
if(numberOfDoors >= 2 && numberOfDoors <= 6) {
_doors = numberOfDoors;
}
}
}
The getter and setter functions allow us to make the class appear to have a property, without a explicit property being declared (_doors in your case). The property value may be calculated from other properties.
The getters and setters allow us to execute arbitrary code when the property is get or set.
Omitting a setter makes the property immutable.
An abstract class may declare getters and setters without bodies as part of a required class interface.
I would like to pass a primitive (int, bool, ...) by reference. I found a discussion about it (paragraph "Passing value types by reference") here: value types in Dart, but I still wonder if there is a way to do it in Dart (except using an object wrapper) ? Any development ?
The Dart language does not support this and I doubt it ever will, but the future will tell.
Primitives will be passed by value, and as already mentioned here, the only way to 'pass primitives by reference' is by wrapping them like:
class PrimitiveWrapper {
var value;
PrimitiveWrapper(this.value);
}
void alter(PrimitiveWrapper data) {
data.value++;
}
main() {
var data = new PrimitiveWrapper(5);
print(data.value); // 5
alter(data);
print(data.value); // 6
}
If you don't want to do that, then you need to find another way around your problem.
One case where I see people needing to pass by reference is that they have some sort of value they want to pass to functions in a class:
class Foo {
void doFoo() {
var i = 0;
...
doBar(i); // We want to alter i in doBar().
...
i++;
}
void doBar(i) {
i++;
}
}
In this case you could just make i a class member instead.
No, wrappers are the only way.
They are passed by reference. It just doesn't matter because the "primitive" types don't have methods to change their internal value.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but maybe you are misunderstanding what "passing by reference" means? I'm assuming you want to do something like param1 = 10 and want this value to still be 10 when you return from your method. But references aren't pointers. When you assign the parameter a new value (with = operator), this change won't be reflected in the calling method. This is still true with non-primitive types (classes).
Example:
class Test {
int val;
Test(this.val);
}
void main() {
Test t = new Test(1);
fn1(t);
print(t.val); // 2
fn2(t);
print(t.val); // still 2, because "t" has been assigned a new instance in fn2()
}
void fn1(Test t) {
print(t.val); // 1
t.val = 2;
}
void fn2(Test t) {
t = new Test(10);
print(t.val); // 10
}
EDIT
I tried to make my answer more clear, based on the comments, but somehow I can't seem to phrase it right without causing more confusion. Basically, when someone coming from Java says "parameters are passed by reference", they mean what a C/C++ developer would mean by saying "parameters are passed as pointers".
As dart is compiled into JavaScript, I tried something that works for JS, and guess what!? It worked for dart!
Basically, what you can do is put your value inside an object, and then any changes made on that field value inside that function will change the value outside that function as well.
Code (You can run this on dartpad.dev)
main() {
var a = {"b": false};
print("Before passing: " + a["b"].toString());
trial(a);
print("After passing: " + a["b"].toString());
}
trial(param) {
param["b"] = true;
}
Output
Before passing: false
After passing: true
One of the way to pass the variables by reference by using the values in List. As arrays or lists are Pass by reference by default.
void main() {
List<String> name=['ali' ,'fana'];
updatename(name);
print(name);
}
updatename(List<String> name){
name[0]='gufran';
}
Try this one, This one of the simplest way to pass by reference.
You can use ValueNotifier
And, you can pass it as ValueListenable to classes or methods that needs to know up-to-date value, but should not edit it:
class Owner {
final theValue = ValueNotifier(true);
final user = User(theValue);
...
}
class User {
final ValueListeneble<bool> theValue;
User(this.theValue);
...
}
It provides more functionality than actually needed, but solves the problem.
If ValueNotifier + ValueListenable do not work for you (you want to make sure the client does not listen to every change of the value, or your package is pure Dart package and thus cannot reference Flutter libraries), use a function:
class Owner {
int _value = 0;
int getValue() => _value;
void increase() => _value++;
}
void main() {
final owner = Owner();
int Function() obtainer = owner.getValue;
print(obtainer());
owner.increase();
print(obtainer());
}
Output will be:
0
1
This approach has memory usage related downside: the obtainer will hold the reference to the owner, and this, even if owner is already not referenced, but obtainer is still reachable, owner will be also reachable
and thus will not be garbage collected.
If you do not want the downside, pass the smaller container than the entire owner:
import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
class ListenableAsObtainer<T> implements ValueObtainer<T> {
ListenableAsObtainer(this._listenable);
final ValueListenable<T> _listenable;
#override
T get value => _listenable.value;
}
class FunctionAsObtainer<T> implements ValueObtainer<T> {
FunctionAsObtainer(this._function);
final T Function() _function;
#override
T get value => _function();
}
class ValueAsObtainer<T> implements ValueObtainer<T> {
ValueAsObtainer(this.value);
#override
T value;
}
/// Use this interface when the client needs
/// access to the current value, but does not need the value to be listenable,
/// i.e. [ValueListenable] would be too strong requirement.
abstract class ValueObtainer<T> {
T get value;
}
The usage of FunctionAsObtainer will still result in holding the owner from garbage collection, but two other options will not.
Just to make it clear:
void main() {
var list1 = [0,1,2];
var modifiedList1 = addMutable(list1, 3);
var list2 = [0,1,2];
var modifiedList2 = addImmutable(list2, 3);
print(list1);
print(modifiedList1);
print(list2);
print(modifiedList2);
}
List<int> addMutable(List<int> list, int element){
return list..add(element);
}
List<int> addImmutable(List<int> list, int element){
return [...list, element];
}
Output:
[0, 1, 2, 3]
[0, 1, 2, 3]
[0, 1, 2]
[0, 1, 2, 3]
All variables are passed by value. If a variable contains a primitive (int, bool, etc.), that's it. You got its value. You can do with it whatever you want, it won't affect the source value. If a variable contains an object, what it really contains is a reference to that object.
The reference itself is also passed by value, but the object it references is not passed at all. It just stayed where it was. This means that you can actually make changes to this very object.
Therefore, if you pass a List and if you .add() something to it, you have internally changed it, like it is passed by reference. But if you use the spread operator [...list], you are creating a fresh new copy of it. In most cases that is what you really want to do.
Sounds complicated. Isn't really. Dart is cool.