Flutter provides many options for state management, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. In this article, I'll compare five popular state management techniques in Flutter: Provider, BLoC, Redux, GetX, and Riverpod.

Definitions

1. Provider is a Flutter package that simplifies state management by allowing widgets to listen to changes in state without needing to rebuild the widget tree. It uses InheritedWidget to provide a way for widgets to access shared state without needing to pass down the state through each widget's constructor.

2. BLoC (Business LOgic Component) is a design pattern for managing state in a Flutter app. It involves separating the business logic from the UI layer and using streams to manage state changes. BLoC provides a clean separation of concerns and allows for testing of business logic independently of the UI layer.

3. Redux is a predictable state container for managing app state. It is a third-party package that allows for a single source of truth for the entire app's state. It involves a store that holds the state of the app and reducers that define how the state changes in response to actions.

4. GetX is a Flutter package that provides a lightweight and fast state management solution. It offers a variety of features, including dependency injection, route management, and reactive programming. GetX is easy to use and requires less boilerplate code than other state management techniques.

5. Riverpod is a Flutter package that provides a simple and flexible way to manage state. It allows for easy dependency injection and supports providers with a variety of scopes. Riverpod is easy to use and requires less boilerplate code than other state management techniques.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the five state management techniques:

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Architecture

1. Provider is a simple state management solution that relies on the InheritedWidget to propagate changes to widgets that depend on the state. It follows a simple architecture where you create a provider class that extends the ChangeNotifier class, which holds the state that you want to manage. When the state changes, you call the notifyListeners() method to notify any listeners that the state has changed.

2. BLoC is an architectural pattern that separates the presentation layer from the business logic. It relies on streams to handle events and to communicate between the layers. The architecture consists of three main components: the UI layer, the BLoC layer, and the data layer. The UI layer sends events to the BLoC layer, which processes them and updates the UI layer with new data.

3. Redux is a predictable state container for JavaScript apps, but it has also been ported to Flutter. It follows a unidirectional data flow, where the UI layer sends actions to the Redux store, which updates the state and notifies any subscribers that the state has changed. The architecture consists of three main components: the UI layer, the store, and the reducers. The reducers are pure functions that take the current state and an action, and return a new state.

4. GetX is a lightweight state management solution that relies on a reactive programming model. It provides a set of classes that enable you to create reactive components and to manage state in a reactive way. The architecture consists of four main components: the UI layer, the controller layer, the model layer, and the service layer. The UI layer sends events to the controller layer, which updates the model layer and notifies the UI layer of any changes.

5. Riverpod is a state management solution that provides a more powerful and flexible alternative to Provider. It follows a similar architecture to Provider, where you create providers that hold the state that you want to manage. However, Riverpod provides additional features such as scoped providers, which enable you to create providers that are only available within a specific widget subtree.

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Here's how you can set them up

Provider

To set up Provider in your Flutter app, follow these steps:

1. Add the provider package to your pubspec.yaml file:

    dependencies:
      provider: ^6.0.0
   

2. Create a provider class that extends the ChangeNotifier class and holds the state that you want to manage. Here's an example:

    import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
   
    class CounterProvider extends ChangeNotifier {
      int _counter = 0;
   
      int get counter => _counter;
   
      void increment() {
        _counter++;
        notifyListeners();
      }
    }
   

3. Wrap any widgets that depend on the state with a Consumer widget, which will rebuild the widget whenever the state changes. Here's an example:

    Consumer<CounterProvider>(
      builder: (context, counterProvider, child) {
        return Text('Count: ${counterProvider.counter}');
      },
    )
   

BLoC

To set up BLoC in your Flutter app, follow these steps:

1. Add the bloc and flutter_bloc packages to your pubspec.yaml file:

    dependencies:
      bloc: ^7.0.0
      flutter_bloc: ^7.0.0
   

2. Create a BLoC class that extends the Bloc class and handles events and state changes. Here's an example:

    import 'package:bloc/bloc.dart';
   
    class CounterBloc extends Bloc<CounterEvent, int> {
      CounterBloc() : super(0);
   
      @override
      Stream<int> mapEventToState(CounterEvent event) async* {
        if (event is IncrementEvent) {
          yield state + 1;
        } else if (event is DecrementEvent) {
          yield state - 1;
        }
      }
    }
   

3. Wrap the widget that depends on the state with a BlocProvider widget, which provides the BLoC instance to the widget tree. Here's an example:

    BlocProvider(
      create: (context) => CounterBloc(),
      child: CounterWidget(),
    )
   

Redux

To set up Redux in your Flutter app, follow these steps:

1. Add the redux package to your pubspec.yaml file:

    dependencies:
      redux: ^5.0.0
   

2. Create a store that holds the state and the reducers that handle state changes. Here's an example:

    import 'package:redux/redux.dart';
   
    int counterReducer(int state, dynamic action) {
      if (action == IncrementAction) {
        return state + 1;
      } else if (action == DecrementAction) {
        return state - 1;
      }
      return state;
    }
   
    final store = Store<int>(
      counterReducer,
      initialState: 0,
    );
   

3. Wrap the widget that depends on the state with a StoreProvider widget, which provides the store instance to the widget tree. Here's an example:

    dartCopy codeStoreProvider<int>(
      store: store,
      child: CounterWidget(),
    )
   

GetX

To set up GetX in your Flutter app, follow these steps:

1. Add the get package to your pubspec.yaml file:

    dedependencies:
      get: ^4.6.1
   

2. Create a controller class that extends the GetxController class and holds the state that you want to manage. Here's an example:

    import 'package:get/get.dart';
   
    class CounterController extends GetxController {
      RxInt counter = 0.obs;
   
      void increment() {
        counter.value++;
      }
    }
   

3. Wrap any widgets that depend on the state with a GetX widget, which will rebuild the widget whenever the state changes. Here's an example:

    GetX<CounterController>(
      builder: (counterController) {
        return Text('Count: ${counterController.counter.value}');
      },
    )
   

Riverpod

To set up Riverpod in your Flutter app, follow these steps:

1. Add the riverpod package to your pubspec.yaml file:

    dependencies:
      riverpod: ^1.0.3
   

2. Create a provider function that returns the state that you want to manage. Here's an example:

    import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
   
    final counterProvider = StateProvider((ref) => 0);
   

3. Wrap any widgets that depend on the state with a Consumer widget, which will rebuild the widget whenever the state changes. Here's an example:

    Consumer(
      builder: (context, watch, child) {
        final counter = watch(counterProvider).state;
        return Text('Count: $counter');
      },
    )
   

Alternatively, you can use the ProviderScope widget to provide the state to the widget tree:

ProviderScope(
  child: CounterWidget(),
  overrides: [
    counterProvider.overrideWithValue(0),
  ],
)

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Pros and Cons

Provider

Pros:

• Simple and easy to set up

• Lightweight and performant

• Built-in support for ChangeNotifier, which makes it easy to manage stateful widgets

Cons:

• Can become difficult to manage for complex applications with multiple providers

• Can lead to spaghetti code if not structured properly

BLoC

Pros:

• Separates business logic from UI, which makes it easier to maintain and test

• Built-in support for streams and reactive programming

• Can be used with other state management solutions, such as Provider or Riverpod

Cons:

• Requires more boilerplate code compared to other solutions

• Steep learning curve, especially for those unfamiliar with reactive programming

Redux

Pros:

• Centralized state management makes it easy to track and debug changes

• Built-in support for time-travel debugging

• Can be used with multiple platforms, not just Flutter

Cons:

• Requires more boilerplate code compared to other solutions

• Can become complex for large applications

• Steep learning curve, especially for those unfamiliar with functional programming

GetX

Pros:

• Lightweight and performant

• Easy to set up and use, especially for smaller applications

• Built-in support for reactive programming, dependency injection, and navigation management

Cons:

• May not scale well for larger applications

• Limited support for testing compared to other solutions

Riverpod

Pros:

• Lightweight and performant

• Built-in support for dependency injection and asynchronous operations

• Easy to test and maintain

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with provider-based state management

• Limited documentation and community support compared to other solutions

Overall, the best state management solution depends on the specific requirements of your application. Simple applications may benefit from a lightweight solution like Provider or GetX, while larger applications may require the more centralized approach of BLoC or Redux. Riverpod is a newer solution that is gaining popularity due to its performance and ease of use, but may not have as much community support or documentation as other solutions.

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Use Case

Provider

• Managing simple state that only needs to be shared within a single widget or subtree

• Avoiding the need to rebuild an entire widget tree when state changes

BLoC

• Separating business logic from UI code

• Handling complex asynchronous operations

• Sharing state across multiple screens and widgets

Redux

• Centralizing and managing state across the entire application

• Supporting time-travel debugging and undo/redo functionality

• Scaling for larger applications with multiple developers

GetX

• Rapidly prototyping small to medium-sized applications

• Managing simple state that only needs to be shared within a single widget or subtree

• Reactively updating UI in response to changes in state or data

Riverpod

• Managing complex state that needs to be shared across multiple screens and widgets

• Dependency injection for testability and maintainability

• Managing asynchronous operations

It's important to note that these are just general guidelines, and the best state management solution for a given project will depend on its specific requirements and constraints. For example, an application with a small codebase and simple state requirements may not need the complexity of BLoC or Redux, while a larger application with many developers may benefit from the centralized state management of Redux.

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Recommended Templates

Provider

1. Flutter Provider Architecture - Separating Widgets From Logic: A template for separating widgets from logic using Provider.

2. Flutter Provider Template: A template project that demonstrates how to use Provider to manage state and dependency injection in a Flutter application.

3. Flutter Provider Example - Complete Guide: A comprehensive example of using Provider to manage state and dependency injection in a Flutter application.

BLoC

1. Flutter BLoC Example - Tutorial and Explanation: A tutorial and example project demonstrating how to use BLoC for state management in a Flutter application.

2. Flutter BLoC Library Template: A template for creating a Flutter library that uses BLoC for state management.

3. Flutter BLoC Code Generator: A code generator that simplifies the process of setting up a BLoC architecture in a Flutter project.

Redux

1. Flutter Redux Example - Flutter Counter: A comprehensive example of using Redux for state management in a Flutter application.

2. Flutter Redux Starter Template: A starter template that demonstrates how to use Redux for state management in a Flutter application.

3. Flutter Redux Toolkit: A toolkit for integrating Redux into a Flutter project, providing tools for managing state and handling asynchronous actions.

GetX

1. Flutter GetX Starter Template: A starter template that demonstrates how to use GetX for state management and dependency injection in a Flutter application.

2. Flutter GetX Complete Guide: A comprehensive guide to using GetX for state management, dependency injection, and navigation in a Flutter application.

3. Flutter GetX Architecture: A template for structuring a Flutter project using GetX, including examples of using GetX for state management, dependency injection, and navigation.

Riverpod

1. Flutter Riverpod Example: A simple example of using Riverpod for state management and dependency injection in a Flutter application.

2. Flutter Riverpod Counter Example: An example of using Riverpod to manage state and dependency injection in a Flutter counter application.

3. Flutter Riverpod Starter Template: A starter template that demonstrates how to use Riverpod for state management and dependency injection in a Flutter application.

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In conclusion, each state management technique in Flutter (Provider, BLoC, Redux, GetX, and Riverpod) has its own pros and cons, use cases, and recommended templates. Choosing the right state management technique for a Flutter application depends on various factors such as the complexity of the application, the size of the development team, and personal preferences.

Provider is a lightweight and easy-to-use state management technique that is ideal for smaller applications or projects that don't require complex state management. BLoC is a more advanced state management technique that is suitable for larger applications and can handle more complex state management. Redux is a popular state management technique that is known for its predictability and can handle very large applications. GetX is a relatively new state management technique that combines state management, dependency injection, and navigation, making it an ideal choice for medium to large applications. Riverpod is another new state management technique that emphasizes simplicity, testability, and flexibility.

Ultimately, the choice of state management technique depends on the specific needs of the application and the preferences of the development team. All of the state management techniques discussed here have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it's up to the developer to choose the right one for their particular use case.

That is it for this one see you at the next one

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