Using Futures to load config.json in Flutter - dart

Question

Being new to Dart/Flutter I am using this snippet to try and load a config.json file that I have stored in my assets folder. In trying to read this file, I am using models on the Dart language Futures documentation and in the Flutter docs on reading local text files:
import 'dart:async' show Future;
import 'package:flutter/services.dart' show rootBundle;
import 'dart:convert';
Future<List> loadAsset() async {
String raw = await rootBundle.loadString('assets/config.json');
List configData = json.decode(raw);
return configData;
}
Then, inside my class, I try to load the config into a List, like this:
Future<List> configData = loadAsset();
print(configData.toString());
// prints out: Instance of 'Future<List<dynamic>>'
The result of all this seems to work. Yet I can find no way of using the data I have loaded. Any effort to access elements in the List, e.g. configData[0] results in an error:
The following _CompileTimeError was thrown building
HomePage(dirty, state: HomePageState#b1af8):
'package:myapp/pages/home_page.dart': error:
line 64 pos 19: lib/pages/home_page.dart:64:19:
Error: The method '[]' isn't defined for the class
'dart.async::Future<dart.core::List<dynamic>>'.
Try correcting the name to the name of an existing method,
or defining a method named '[]'.
I would like to convert the configData Future into a normal object that I can read and pass around my app. I am able to do something very similar, and to get it to work inside a widget's build method, using a FutureBuilder and the DefaultAssetBundle thus...
DefaultAssetBundle
.of(context)
.loadString('assets/config.json')
...but I don't want the overhead of reloading the data inside all the widgets that need it. I would like to load inside a separate Dart package and have it available as a global configuration across all my app. Any pointers would be appreciated.
I have tried the suggestion by Rémi Rousselet:
List configData = await loadAsset();
print(configData[0]);
In this case, I get a compiler error:
compiler message: lib/pages/home_page.dart:55:21: Error: Getter not found: 'await'.
compiler message: List configData = await loadAsset();
compiler message: ^^^^^

Answer 1

You can't do configData[0] as configData is not a List but a Future.
Instead, await the future to have access to the List inside
List configData = await loadAsset();
print(configData[0]);

Answer 2

You can only use await INSIDE async methods.
If you want to you your assets in entire application you want to load the asset in the main method similar like this.
void main() async {
StorageUtils.localStorage = await SharedPreferences.getInstance();
}
Now you can use localStorage synchronously in entire application and you don't need to deal with another asynchronous calls or load it again.
Different example, same principle.