Kotlin coroutines industry practices - kotlin

I have written this function to load data from db, change it asynchronously and return the new data. It appears to work fine, but since I am new to koltin, I wanted to ask if this code is ok by industry standards.
override fun update(resourceCommand: UpdateResourceCommand): List<Resource> = runBlocking {
val resources = resourceCommand.resources.map {
async {
val resource = load(it)
resource.isProtected = it.isProtected
resource
}
}.awaitAll()
return#runBlocking resources
}
Thank you in advance

The question is kind of subjective, but my take on it is that is not really idiomatic to create a variable to only return it after. I believe your code can be made more compact like
override fun update(resourceCommand: UpdateResourceCommand): List<Resource> = runBlocking {
resourceCommand.resources.map {
async {
load(it).apply {
isProtected = it.isProtected
}
}
}.awaitAll()
}
Whether it's better or more to industry standards I don't know and is subjective. But that's how I would do it.

Related

Combine a Flow and a non Flow api response Kotlin

I currently have a piece of logic as follows:
interface anotherRepository {
fun getThings(): Flow<List<String>>
}
interface repository {
suspend fun getSomeThings(): AsyncResult<SomeThings>
}
when (val result = repository.getSomeThings()) {
is AsyncResult.Success -> {
anotherRepository.getThings().collectLatest {
// update the state
}
else -> { }
}
}
The problem I am having is that, if repository.getSomeThings has been triggered multiple times before, anotherRepository.getThings is getting triggered for the amount of all the pre-loaded values from repository.getSomeThings. I was wondering what is the proper way to use these repositories, one a suspend function, the other a Flow together. The equivalent behaviour that is combineLatest{} in Rx.
Thank you.
There are a couple of ways to solve your problem. One way is just to call
repository.getSomeThings() in the collectLatest block and cache last result:
var lastResult: AsyncResult<SomeThings>? = null
anotherRepository.getThings().collectLatest {
if (lastResult == null) {
lastResult = repository.getSomeThings()
}
// use lastResult and List<String>
}
Another approach is to create a Flow, which will be calling repository.getSomeThings() function, and combine two Flows:
combine(
anotherRepository.getThings(),
flow {emit(repository.getSomeThings())}
) { result1: List<String>, result2: AsyncResult<SomeThings> ->
...
}

Alternative solution to injecting dispatchers to make the code testable

I run into a problem during writing tests for a viewModel. The problem occurred when I was trying to verify LiveData that is updated with channelFlow flow on Dispatchers.IO.
I created a simple project to show the issue.
There is a data provider class that is providing 10 numbers:
As it is, the numbers variable in the test is empty and the test fails. I know it is a problem with coroutine dispatchers.
val numbersFlow: Flow<Int> = channelFlow {
var i = 0
while (i < 10) {
delay(100)
send(i)
i++
}
}.flowOn(Dispatchers.IO)
a simple viewModel that is collecting data:
class NumbersViewModel: ViewModel() {
private val _numbers: MutableLiveData<IntArray> = MutableLiveData(IntArray(0))
val numbers: LiveData<IntArray> = _numbers
val dataProvider = NumbersProvider()
fun startCollecting() {
viewModelScope.launch(Dispatchers.Main) {
dataProvider.numbersFlow
.onStart { println("start") }
.onCompletion { println("end") }
.catch { exception -> println(exception.message.orEmpty())}
.collect { data -> onDataRead(data) }
}
}
fun onDataRead(data: Int) {
_numbers.value = _numbers.value?.plus(data)
}
}
and the test:
class NumbersViewModelTest {
#get:Rule
var instantTaskExecutorRule = InstantTaskExecutorRule()
#get:Rule
var mainCoroutineRule = MainCoroutineRule()
private lateinit var viewModel: NumbersViewModel
#Before
fun setUp() {
viewModel = NumbersViewModel()
}
#Test
fun `provider_provides_10_values`() {
viewModel.startCollecting()
mainCoroutineRule.advanceTimeBy(2000)
val numbers = viewModel.numbers.value
assertThat(numbers?.size).isEqualTo(10)
}
}
There is a common solution with changing the main dispatcher for test usage but... is there any good solution for dealing with the IO one?
I found a solution with injecting dispatchers everywhere - similarly to how I would inject NumbersProvider using Hilt in a real app - and that enables injecting our test dispatcher when we need it. It works but now I have to inject dispatchers everywhere in the code and I don't really like that if it only serves to solve the testing problem
I tried another solution and created a Singleton which makes all the standard dispatchers available in the production code and which I can configure for tests (by setting every dispatcher to the test one). I like how the resulting source code looks more - there is no additional code in viewModels and data providers but there is this singleton and everyone shouting 'Don't use singletons'
Is there any better option to correctly test code with coroutines?

Difference between Kotlin arrow IO, IO.fx, IO !effect

I am trying to use arrow in kotlin
Arrow has three functions
IO {}
IO.fx {}
IO.fx { !effect}
I want to know the difference between these. I know IO.fx and IO.fx {!effect} help us use side effects but then whats the difference between the two and why would I use one over the other
While this is going to change shortly, on version 0.11.X:
IO { } is a constructor that takes a suspend function, so you can call any suspend function inside. It's a shortcut for IO.effect { }
suspend fun bla(): Unit = ...
fun myIO(): IO<Unit> = IO { bla() }
fun otherIO(): IO<Unit> = IO.effect { bla() }
IO.fx { } is the same as IO except it adds a few DSL functions that are shortcuts for other APIs of IO. The most important one is ! or bind, which executes another IO inside.
fun myIO(): IO<Unit> = IO.fx { bla() }
fun nestIO(): IO<IO<Unit>> = IO.fx { myIO() }
fun unpackIO(): IO<Unit> = IO.fx { !myIO() }
Another function it enables is the constructor effect from the first point. So what you're effectively doing is adding an additional layer of wrapping that may not be necessary.
fun inefficientNestIO(): IO<IO<Unit>> = IO.fx { effect { bla() } }
fun inefficientUnpackedIO(): IO<Unit> = IO.fx { !effect { bla() } }
We frequently see that inefficientUnpackedIO from people who come to the support channels, and it's easily replaceable by just IO { bla() }.
Why have two ways of doing the same in effect and fx? It's something we're looking to improve on the next releases. We recommend using the least powerful abstraction wherever possible, so reserve fx only when using other IO-based APIs such as scheduling or parallelization.
IO.fx {
val id = getUserIdSuspend()
val friends: List<User> =
!parMapN(
userFriends(id),
IO { userProfile(id) },
::toUsers
)
!friends.parTraverse(IO.applicative()) { user ->
IO { broadcastStatus(user) }
}
}

How To await a function call?

So I have some asynchronous operations happening, I can create some lambada, call a function and pass that value to them. But what i want is not to have the result of the operation as a parameter, I want to return them.
As a example, I have a class A with some listeners, if there is a result all listeners are notified. So basically the asyncFunction should return a result if there is one otherwise be suspended.
object A {
val listeners = mutableListOf<(Int) -> Unit>()
fun onResult(value: Int) {
listeners.forEach { it(value) }
}
}
fun asyncFunction(): Deferred<Int> {
return async {
A.listeners.add({ result ->
})
return result
}
}
What I'm thinking right now (maybe I'm completely on the wrong track), is to have something like a Deferred, to which i can send the result and it returns. Is there something like that? Can I implement a Deffered myself?
class A {
private val awaiter: ??? // can this be a Deferred ?
fun onResult(result: Int) {
awaiter.putResult(result)
}
fun awaitResult(): Int {
return awaiter.await()
}
}
val a = A()
launch {
val result = a.awaitResult()
}
launch {
a.onResult(42)
}
So I do know that with callbacks this can be handled but it would be cleaner and easier to have it that way.
I hope there is a nice and clean solution im just missing.
Your asyncFunction should in fact be a suspendable function:
suspend fun suspendFunction(): Int =
suspendCoroutine { cont -> A.listeners.add { cont.resume(it) } }
Note that it returns the Int result and suspends until it's available.
However, this is just a fix for your immediate problem. It will still malfunction in many ways:
the listener's purpose is served as soon as it gets the first result, but it stays in the listener list forever, resulting in a memory leak
if the result arrived before you called suspendFunction, it will miss it and hang.
You can keep improving it manually (it's a good way to learn) or switch to a solid solution provided by the standard library. The library solution is CompletableDeferred:
object A {
val result = CompletableDeferred<Int>()
fun provideResult(r: Int) {
result.complete(r)
}
}
suspend fun suspendFunction(): Int = A.result.await()

Simplify the statement using rxkotlin

I've wanted to try RxJava with kotlin to make coding easier, so I've produced this:
fun postAnswers() {
disposable = getToken.execute().subscribe({ token ->
questions.forEach { form ->
val answers = form.answers?.filter { it.isChecked }?.map { it.answer_id }
disposable = postAnswer.execute(token?.token!!, SavedAnswer(form.form_id, answers)).subscribe({
//Post live data about success
}, {
//Post live data failure
})
}
}, {
//Post live data failure
})
}
But I have an impression it can be done better, but I do not know how. Basically what I am trying to achieve is getting a Token object from database, that returns Flowable Token? and then use it to call postAnswer in a for cycle, because I need to post each answer separately (That's how the API is designed). After that, postAnswer only returns Completable, but I need to let the Activity know (this is from ViewModel code) how many answers were posted
I've thought about using .flatMap or .concat functions, but I am not sure if it will be helpful in this case. Also, do I need to assign getToken.execute() to disposable?
Thank you for your answers
EDIT:
Here is my questions list:
private var questions: List<Form> = emptyList()
It gets filled by viewModel functions
Try to think with nesting :) This here will probably do: for each saved answer, post a request.
disposable = getToken.execute()
.switchMap { token -> // switchMap because your old token is probably invalidated
val savedAnswers = questions
.map { form->
val formId = form.form_id
form.answers
?.filter { it.isChecked }
?.map { it.answer_id }
?.let { SavedAnswer(formId, answersIds) }
?: SavedAnswer(formId, emptyList() ) // if no checked answer, then return empty list of ids
}
Observable.list(savedAnswers)
.concatMap { savedAnswer -> // concatMap because you want the whole list to be executed once per time, use flatMap if you want it to be in parallel.
postAnswer.execute(token?.token!!, savedAnswer) // FYI: !! is bad practice in Kotlin, try make it less anbiguous
}
.toList()
}
.subscribe({ listOfResultsFromPostings : List<SomeResultHere> ->
//Post live data about success
}, {
//Post live data failure
})