I'm trying to specify a function parameter as a generic type T:
enum MyEnum {
Foo,
Bar
}
class DbColumn {
final Function<T>(T value) serializer;
const DbColumn({this.serializer});
}
class MyClass {
static final DbColumn rating = DbColumn(
serializer: <MyEnum>(v) {
var i = v.index;
}
);
}
However when trying to access index on v I get this type error message:
The getter 'index' isn't defined for the type 'Object'.
Try importing the library that defines 'index', correcting the name to the name of an existing getter, or defining a getter or field named 'index'.
When I hover over v in VSC it says that it's of type MyEnum.
If I instead remove the generic type and do a cast like this it works as expected:
class DbColumn {
final Function(dynamic value) serializer;
const DbColumn({this.serializer});
}
class MyClass {
static final DbColumn rating = DbColumn(
serializer: (v) {
var casted = v as MyEnum;
var i = casted.index;
}
);
}
Why is the generic type not working as expected?
EDIT:
What is even weirder is that this example works too if I put it inside MyClass:
x<T>(Function(T) c) {}
y() {
x<MyEnum>((v) {
print(v.index); // No error given and type of v is MyEnum
});
}
EDIT 2: The same problem happens when overriding methods:
abstract class MyInterface {
int someFunction<T>(T value);
}
class MyClass implements MyInterface {
#override
someFunction<MyEnum>(v) {
return v.index; // Gives same error and no intellisense happens in VSC
}
}
Instead of making the function generic, declare the class as generic and it will work as expected. Like this :
enum MyEnum {
Foo,
Bar
}
class DbColumn<T> {
final Function(T value) serializer;
const DbColumn({this.serializer});
}
class MyClass {
static final DbColumn<MyEnum> rating = DbColumn(
serializer: (v) {
var i = v.index;
print('Index : $i');
}
);
}
void main() {
MyClass.rating.serializer(MyEnum.Bar);
}
OUTPUT :
Index : 1
In Dart we can use generic classes [class]. We can also specialize those classes [class]. However at runtime the specialization is not used. (In C++ this is called template programming)
Example: The following code will result in the output
Hallo world
How are you
class MyClass<T> {
foo( print('Hallo world'); );
}
class MyClassInt implements MyClass<int> {
#override
foo( print('How are you'); );
}
main() {
MyClass<int> a = Myclass<int>();
MyClassInt b = MyClassInt();
a.foo();
b.foo();
}
How can the specialization (here type [int]) be done, that it is called at runtime, i.e.
main() {
MyClass<int> a = Myclass<int>();
a.foo();
}
should result in the outcome "How are you".
As mentioned by jamesdlin, Dart does not support specialization. But you can do something like this to make the illusion:
class MyClass<T> {
factory MyClass() {
if (T == int) {
return MyClassInt() as MyClass<T>;
} else {
return MyClass._();
}
}
// Hidden real constructor for MyClass
MyClass._();
void foo() {
print('Hallo world');
}
}
class MyClassInt implements MyClass<int> {
#override
void foo() {
print('How are you');
}
}
void main() {
final a = MyClass<int>();
final b = MyClassInt();
final c = MyClass<String>();
a.foo(); // How are you
b.foo(); // How are you
c.foo(); // Hallo world
}
Hi I just would like to know if there is any difference between giving abstract keyword or not like so.
// with
abstract class A {}
class B extends A {}
// without
class A {}
class B extends A {}
Should I give it?
With abstract you can omit implementations of methods and getters/setters
// with
abstract class A {
int foo();
String get bar;
set baz(String value);
}
var a = A(); // error about instantiating abstract class
class B extends A {
// error about missing implementations
}
var b = B(); // ok
// without
class A {
int foo(); // error about missing implementation
String get bar; // error about missing implementation
set baz(String value); // error about missing implementation
}
class B extends A {}
Is there way to overriding method in Dart like JAVA, for example:
public class A {
public void handleLoad() {
}
}
And when overriding:
A a = new A() {
#Override
public void handleLoad() {
// do some code
}
};
No, Dart does not have anonymous classes. You have to create a class that extends A and instantiate it.
No but it much less useful in Dart because you can just reassign function:
typedef void PrintMsg(msg);
class Printer {
PrintMsg foo = (m) => print(m);
}
main() {
Printer p = new Printer()
..foo('Hello') // Hello
..foo = ((String msg) => print(msg.toUpperCase()))
..foo('Hello'); //HELLO
}
However you will need some extra boilerplate to access instance.
Use type Function:
class A {
final Function h
A(this.h);
void handleLoad(String loadResult) { h(loadResult); }
}
Or
class A {
final Function handleLoad;
A(this.handleLoad);
}
A a = new A((String loadResult){
//do smth.
});
I was wondering if is possible to create an instance of a generic type in Dart. In other languages like Java you could work around this using reflection, but I'm not sure if this is possible in Dart.
I have this class:
class GenericController <T extends RequestHandler> {
void processRequest() {
T t = new T(); // ERROR
}
}
I tried mezonis approach with the Activator and it works. But it is an expensive approach as it uses mirrors, which requires you to use "mirrorsUsed" if you don't want to have a 2-4MB js file.
This morning I had the idea to use a generic typedef as generator and thus get rid of reflection:
You define a method type like this: (Add params if necessary)
typedef S ItemCreator<S>();
or even better:
typedef ItemCreator<S> = S Function();
Then in the class that needs to create the new instances:
class PagedListData<T>{
...
ItemCreator<T> creator;
PagedListData(ItemCreator<T> this.creator) {
}
void performMagic() {
T item = creator();
...
}
}
Then you can instantiate the PagedList like this:
PagedListData<UserListItem> users
= new PagedListData<UserListItem>(()=> new UserListItem());
You don't lose the advantage of using generic because at declaration time you need to provide the target class anyway, so defining the creator method doesn't hurt.
You can use similar code:
import "dart:mirrors";
void main() {
var controller = new GenericController<Foo>();
controller.processRequest();
}
class GenericController<T extends RequestHandler> {
void processRequest() {
//T t = new T();
T t = Activator.createInstance(T);
t.tellAboutHimself();
}
}
class Foo extends RequestHandler {
void tellAboutHimself() {
print("Hello, I am 'Foo'");
}
}
abstract class RequestHandler {
void tellAboutHimself();
}
class Activator {
static createInstance(Type type, [Symbol constructor, List
arguments, Map<Symbol, dynamic> namedArguments]) {
if (type == null) {
throw new ArgumentError("type: $type");
}
if (constructor == null) {
constructor = const Symbol("");
}
if (arguments == null) {
arguments = const [];
}
var typeMirror = reflectType(type);
if (typeMirror is ClassMirror) {
return typeMirror.newInstance(constructor, arguments,
namedArguments).reflectee;
} else {
throw new ArgumentError("Cannot create the instance of the type '$type'.");
}
}
}
I don't know if this is still useful to anyone. But I have found an easy workaround. In the function you want to initialize the type T, pass an extra argument of type T Function(). This function should return an instance of T. Now whenever you want to create object of T, call the function.
class foo<T> {
void foo(T Function() creator) {
final t = creator();
// use t
}
}
P.S. inspired by Patrick's answer
2022 answer
Just came across this problem and found out that although instantiating using T() is still not possible, you can get the constructor of an object easier with SomeClass.new in dart>=2.15.
So what you could do is:
class MyClass<T> {
final T Function() creator;
MyClass(this.creator);
T getGenericInstance() {
return creator();
}
}
and when using it:
final myClass = MyClass<SomeOtherClass>(SomeOtherClass.new)
Nothing different but looks cleaner imo.
Here's my work around for this sad limitation
class RequestHandler {
static final _constructors = {
RequestHandler: () => RequestHandler(),
RequestHandler2: () => RequestHandler2(),
};
static RequestHandler create(Type type) {
return _constructors[type]();
}
}
class RequestHandler2 extends RequestHandler {}
class GenericController<T extends RequestHandler> {
void processRequest() {
//T t = new T(); // ERROR
T t = RequestHandler.create(T);
}
}
test() {
final controller = GenericController<RequestHandler2>();
controller.processRequest();
}
Sorry but as far as I know, a type parameter cannot be used to name a constructor in an instance creation expression in Dart.
Working with FLutter
typedef S ItemCreator<S>();
mixin SharedExtension<T> {
T getSPData(ItemCreator<T> creator) async {
return creator();
}
}
Abc a = sharedObj.getSPData(()=> Abc());
P.S. inspired by Patrick
simple like that.
import 'dart:mirrors';
void main(List<String> args) {
final a = A<B>();
final b1 = a.getInstance();
final b2 = a.getInstance();
print('${b1.value}|${b1.text}|${b1.hashCode}');
print('${b2.value}|${b2.text}|${b2.hashCode}');
}
class A<T extends B> {
static int count = 0;
T getInstance() {
return reflectClass(T).newInstance(
Symbol(''),
['Text ${++count}'],
{Symbol('value'): count},
).reflectee;
}
}
class B {
final int value;
final String text;
B(this.text, {required this.value});
}
Inspired by Patrick's answer, this is the factory I ended up with.
class ServiceFactory<T> {
static final Map<Type, dynamic> _cache = <String, dynamic>{};
static T getInstance<T>(T Function() creator) {
String typeName = T.toString();
return _cache.putIfAbsent(typeName, () => creator());
}
}
Then I would use it like this.
final authClient = ServiceFactory.getInstance<AuthenticationClient>(() => AuthenticationClient());
Warning: Erik made a very good point in the comment below that the same type name can exist in multiple packages and that will cause issues. As much as I dislike to force the user to pass in a string key (that way it's the consumer's responsibility to ensuring the uniqueness of the type name), that might be the only way.