I'm trying to create a mixin that manages some AnimationController's in Flutter, but in order to create an animation we must provide it a TickerProvider. Normally this would be provided by another mixin, TickerProviderStateMixin.
This forces me to cast the mixin instance in order to make it work:
mixin MultiAnimationStateMixin on State {
...
_anim1 = AnimationController(vsync: this as TickerProviderStateMixin);
...
}
This seems brittle. Is there no way to define to MultiAnimationStateMixin that it should require the TickerProviderStateMixin?
There is a way:
mixin MultiAnimationStateMixin on State, TickerProvider {
...
_anim1 = AnimationController(vsync: this);
...
}
Having two (or more) types in the on clause means that the mixin must be applied to something which implements both (or all) interfaces.
Related
A common question, specifically since Dart 2, is if it is possible to require some or all generic type arguments on some or all types - for example List<int> instead of List or MyType<Foo> instead of MyType.
It's not always clear what the intention is though - i.e. is this a matter of style (you/your team likes to see the types), to prevent bugs (omitting type arguments seems to cause more bugs for you/your team), or as a matter of contract (your library expects a type argument).
For example, on dart-misc, a user writes:
Basically, if I have this:
abstract class Mixin<T> {}
I don't have to specify the type:
// Works class Cls extends Object with Mixin<int> {} // ...also works
class Cls extends Object with Mixin {}
Is there some way to make the second one not allowed?
Strictly speaking, yes, and no.
If you want to enforce that type arguments are always used in your own projects (instead of relying on type inference or defaults), you can use optional linter rules such as always_specify_types. Do note this rule violates the official Dart style guide's recommendation of AVOID redundant type arguments on generic invocations in many cases.
If you want to enforce that generic type arguments are always used when the default would be confusing - such as List implicitly meaning List<dynamic>, no such lint exists yet - though we plan on adding this as a mode of the analyzer: https://github.com/dart-lang/sdk/issues/33119.
Both of the above recommendations will help yourself, but if you are creating a library for others to use, you might be asking if you can require a type argument to use your class. For example, from above:
abstract class Mixin<T> {}
abstract class Class extends Object with Mixin {}
The first thing you could do is add a default bounds to T:
// If T is omitted/not inferred, it defaults to num, not dynamic.
abstract class Mixin<T extends num> {}
If you want to allow anything but want to make it difficult to use your class/mixin when T is dynamic you could choose a different default bound, for example Object, or even better I recommend void:
In practice, I use void to mean “anything and I don’t care about the elements”
abstract class Mixin<T extends void> {
T value;
}
class Class extends Mixin {}
void main() {
var c = Class();
// Compile-time error: 'oops' isn't defined for the class 'void'.
c.value.oops();
}
(You could also use Object for this purpose)
If this is a class under your control, you could add an assertion that prevents the class from being used in a way you don't support or expect. For example:
class AlwaysSpecifyType<T> {
AlwaysSpecifyType() {
assert(T != dynamic);
}
}
Finally, you could write a custom lint or tool to disallow certain generic type arguments from being omitted, but that is likely the most amount of work, and if any of the previous approaches work for you, I'd strongly recommend those!
I have abstracted a bunch of code to behaviors, and now when i do:
class B extends A with behave {
B():super(){}
}
class A extends PolymerElement{
A(){}
}
abstract class behave {
test(){ print("Test"); }
}
So what I have been trying to do is create a workflow without having to append references to this new function test
As of right now, if you implement test in A or B, it will override the behavior I had created. But I was hoping to append more to it, something similar to:
class B extends A with behave {
B():super(){}
test():super.test(){}
}
and this would do something like call the parent test. Now when looking this, i would say, this would make sense if the behavior was in the parent. So lets test that out.
abstract class behave { ... }
class A extends behave { ... }
class B extends A {
test(){
super.test();
}
}
This would work and execute what I was wanting to do... Why cant i reference it in the instantiation? test():super.test(){ ... } It seems that doing as just stated will error as a constructor error.
Now what if we put it back to my original design, as behave being with B
abstract class behave { ... }
class A { ... }
class B extends A with behave {
test(){
super.test();
print("Foo");
}
}
now here it seems to work as expected, requiring us to create a super reference to this behavior.
Is there an idea of using : for referencing a parent function call, or is this only ever used for constructors? I would say, yes it is only used for constructors for now, but why not append additional functionality. If i wanted to create a series of functions in the behavior which mimic the child implementation, I should either run super.test() either at the top of bottom of the function depending on the order required to function?
Is there something I am missing in dart when reading the docs, or is this how it is suppose to work for the time being?
I doubt that foo() : super.foo() syntax will be added to the language. The : for constructor initializers is useful because the initializers can be analyzed at compile time, which make it simple to verify that final fields are set for instance. The : syntax in a function would just be syntactic sugar for putting that function call at the beginning of the function, which doesn't seem to add much value.
By the way, you can add #mustCallSuper to your the test() function. This will add a check to the linter that all methods that override test() must call super.test().
I wanted to write a simple behavior in Dart to be used by a custom element.
#behavior
abstract class AlignmentBehavior implements PolymerBase {
#Property()
bool alignTop = false;
// more properties ...
ready() {
updateAlignment();
}
#reflectable
updateAlignment([_,__]) {
// reference to the element the Behavior is attached to.
// 1) Is that the correct way?
var ele = Polymer.dom(root);
// We need to inherit from PolymerBase to access set(...)
// 2) Is that the correct way?
set('alignTop', aTop);
// .. to more stuff
}
}
My first two questions are already written in the code. How do I access the element the behavior is attached to? What's the proper way of doing this? I currently use Polymer.dom(root) but I don't know if that even works since I have some runtime errors which I am going to explain later in this post. What is the official way of accessing the underlying element? Is it using the JsObject? Is it calling a Behavior function from the parent PolymerElement and pass this, or should you not access it at all?
Another question is whether I have to inherit from PolymerBase or not. The Behavior example at the Github wiki doesn't do so, but in order to access methods such as set to modify a #Property I have to inherit from it. What's the proper way of doing so?
My last two questions are about errors I get. One error asks me to implement getters and setters for my properties, such as adding a getter and setter for alignTop.
And last but not least, I cannot invoke updateAlignment() from my custom element. It says Class 'MainApp' has no instance method 'updateAlignment'.
1)
var ele = Polymer.dom(root);
If you want to access the DOM of the element, this fine.
Just root gives you the same AFAIK.
If you want to access the elements class instance, there is nothing to do. It's this but that is implicit in Dart anyway.
You can only access what is known in the mixin. To make "things" known to the mixin you can create an interface class.
abstract class MyComponentInterface {
void someFunction();
int someField;
String get someValue;
set someValue(String value);
...
}
Then implement the interface in the mixin and the element class and you have a shared contract.
abstract class AlignmentBehavior implements MyComponentInterface, PolymerBase {
The mixin can now access the members because the implementsMyComponentInterface` claims they will exist and
class MyComponent extends PolymerElement with AlignmentBehavior {
will force you to implement it to fulfill the contract of the mixin.
2) looks fine
3)
Another question is whether I have to inherit from PolymerBase or not.
Is basically the same as 1) Any Polymer element in Dart has to extend PolymerBase. To be able to access the members of PolymerBase from within the mixin it has to implement it as well. This doesn't result in any limitations because the classes that the mixin will be applied to, will fulfill that contract anyway.
If you don't need to access any members provided by PolymerBase there is no need to implement it.
I'm trying to get my head around DI. Am I doing it correctly for classes that follow DI pattern?
class Boo
{
public $title = 'Mr';
public $name = 'John';
protected $deps;
public function __construct($deps)
{
$this->deps = $deps;
}
public function methodBoo()
{
return 'Boo method '.$this->deps;
}
}
class Foo
{
private $objects;
public function __construct()
{
}
// Set the inaccessible property magically.
public function __set($name, $value)
{
$this->$name = $value;
}
// Set the inaccessible $class magically.
public function __get($class)
{
if(isset($this->objects[$class]))
{
return $this->objects[$class];
}
return $this->objects[$class] = new $class($this->deps);
}
public function methodFoo()
{
return $this->Boo->methodBoo();
}
}
$Foo = new Foo();
$Foo->deps = 'says hello';
var_dump($Foo->methodFoo());
result,
string 'Boo method says hello' (length=21)
I don't want to use construction injection in some cases because not all methods in Foo rely on the same injections. For instance,methodFoo()in Foo relies on Boo only, while other methods rely on other classes/ injections.
Also, I don't want to use setter injection either because I might have to write lots of them in Foo, like
setBoo() {}
setToo() {}
setLoo() {}
... and so on...
So I thought using the magic method __get and __set could save me from ending up writing a long list of them. With this, I only 'inject' the dependency when it is needed by a method in Foo.
Is this correct way of doing it? I haven't done any test with an unit test before. Can this solution be tested?
Or any better solutions you have got?
Don't Use Magic Methods If Possible...
Don't use magic methods if possible as it can make it very difficult for yourself or anyone else to come back at a later date and understand where and how certain objects were injected (even when using a good IDE). These __set and __get magic methods are not a long term solution to your problem and will only add confusion in the long run.
As you already know you can use 'constructor' injection for setting properties and injecting objects that are 'required' during instantiation of your object.
Alternatively, if you have dependencies that are 'optional' then use setter / getter methods. That way you 'know' what objects your class uses to perform it's function.
If your class needs say 5 or more dependencies (required or optional) than perhaps your class is try to do to much. Break it down into smaller classes that require less dependencies and you will find your code not only becomes more readable / understandable but also more modular and reusable. (Separation of concerns, etc.)
Regarding testing of a class that uses magic methods, I'm sure it can be done but at much more pains than if one didn't use magic methods.
Google 'Design Patterns'. What you find and learn about design patterns will improve the way you 'join' or 'wire' your classes together.
Suppose I want my class to do things on attribute access. I can of course do that in setters and getters:
class Foo {
set bar (v) {
// do stuff
}
}
However, if I want to attach the same behavior to multiple attributes, I'd have to explicitly define the same setters and getters for every one of them. (The use case I have in mind is an observable, i.e. a class that knows when its attributes are being changed).
What I'd like to do is something like:
class Foo {
var bar = new AttributeWithAccessBehavior();
}
Python does this with descriptors - what is the closest thing in Dart?
AFAIK there isn't anything with getter/setter syntax that you can reuse.
You could assign a function to a field, that you can access using call notation (), but you have to be careful to call the function instead of overriding the field assignment.
A similar but more powerful alternative are classes that can emulate functions (see https://www.dartlang.org/articles/emulating-functions/)
A class that has a call method can be used like a method.
This is similar to assigned functions mentioned above but in addition you can store state information.
If you implement actual getter/setter you can of course delegate to whatever you want, but that is obviously not what you are looking for.
For the use case you mentioned, there is the observe package.
I have no idea how exactly it solves the problem, but it works quite well.