Introduction

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. In today's discussion, we'll delve into the world of Dart's new data type - Record, recently introduced in Flutter 3.10. This data type, akin to a data structure, brings new possibilities to the table. Let's explore how it works and how you can leverage it in your Dart programming.

Enabling Records

Before we dive into Record, it's essential to note that this type is generally available in Flutter 3.10 but starting from Flutter 3.7, you can use this type, but you need to enable it in your analysis_options.yaml file:

analyzer:
 enable-experiment:
  — records

This step ensures that the Dart analyzer recognizes and allows the use of Records in your code.

Defining Records

Now, let's take a look at how you can define a variable using the Record type. Traditionally, we define variables like this:

int new_data = 1;

With Records, you can define variables in a more structured way:

(int, String, {bool isValid}) triple_data = (1, "one", isValid: true);

Here, triple_data is a Record variable containing an integer, a string, and an optional boolean field.

Returning Multiple Types from a Function

One notable feature of Records is the ability to return multiple types from a function. Consider the following example:

(int, String, {bool isValid}) someRandomFunction(){
  // Do your stuff

  return (1, "one", isValid: true);
}

triple_data = someRandomFunction();

This allows for more flexibility and expressiveness when designing functions.

Operations on Record

Records support various operations, similar to regular data types. For instance, you can use Records in switch cases:

switch (triple_data) {
  case (int value, String name, isValid: bool ok):
    // ....
}

This showcases the versatility of Records in different control structures.

Accessing Record Fields

Individual fields of a Record can be accessed using positional or named notation. For example:

int value = triple_data.$1;
String name = triple_data.$2;
bool ok = triple_data.isValid;

This syntax makes it easy to work with the data contained in a Record.

Considerations when using Records

When using Records, keep in mind a few important considerations:

1. Avoid using certain field names like hashCode, runtimeType, toString, and noSuchMethod.

2. Field names cannot start with an underscore (_) as they cannot be library-private.

Conclusion

To explore more about Records and their capabilities, you can visit the official Dart documentation site on Records here.

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Happy coding with Dart's new Record data type in Flutter!