How to use LifecycleScope to execute coroutine - kotlin

Question

I am discovering Kotlin and android app dev. I fail to get data from my room database (because of Cannot access database on the main thread). So I try with lifecyclescope.
The concerned code, in Fragment onViewCreated function, is :
lifecycleScope.launch {
withContext(Dispatchers.Default) {
val accountConfiguration = viewModel.get();
println("{${accountConfiguration}}")
}
}
The called function (in viewModel) is :
fun get() = viewModelScope.launch {
repository.get()
}
There is the "full" code (simplified), Entity & DAO :
#Entity
data class AccountConfiguration(
#PrimaryKey val server_address: String,
#ColumnInfo(name = "user_name") val user_name: String,
// [...]
)
#Dao
interface AccountConfigurationDao {
#Query("SELECT * FROM accountconfiguration LIMIT 1")
fun flow(): Flow<AccountConfiguration?>
#Query("SELECT * FROM accountconfiguration LIMIT 1")
suspend fun get(): AccountConfiguration?
// [...]
}
Repository :
package fr.bux.rollingdashboard
import androidx.annotation.WorkerThread
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
class AccountConfigurationRepository(private val accountConfigurationDao: AccountConfigurationDao) {
val accountConfiguration: Flow<AccountConfiguration?> = accountConfigurationDao.flow()
// [...]
#Suppress("RedundantSuspendModifier")
#WorkerThread
suspend fun get() : AccountConfiguration? {
return accountConfigurationDao.get()
}
}
ViewModel & Factory :
class AccountConfigurationViewModel(private val repository: AccountConfigurationRepository) : ViewModel() {
val accountConfiguration: LiveData<AccountConfiguration?> = repository.accountConfiguration.asLiveData()
// [...]
fun get() = viewModelScope.launch {
repository.get()
}
// [...]
}
class AccountConfigurationViewModelFactory(private val repository: AccountConfigurationRepository) : ViewModelProvider.Factory {
override fun <T : ViewModel> create(modelClass: Class<T>): T {
if (modelClass.isAssignableFrom(AccountConfigurationViewModel::class.java)) {
#Suppress("UNCHECKED_CAST")
return AccountConfigurationViewModel(repository) as T
}
throw IllegalArgumentException("Unknown ViewModel class")
}
}
Fragment :
class AccountConfigurationFragment : Fragment() {
private var _binding: AccountConfigurationFragmentBinding? = null
// This property is only valid between onCreateView and
// onDestroyView.
private val binding get() = _binding!!
private val viewModel: AccountConfigurationViewModel by activityViewModels {
AccountConfigurationViewModelFactory(
(activity?.application as RollingDashboardApplication).account_configuration_repository
)
}
lateinit var accountConfiguration: AccountConfiguration
// [...]
override fun onViewCreated(view: View, savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
super.onViewCreated(view, savedInstanceState)
binding.buttonGoBackMain.setOnClickListener {
findNavController().navigate(R.id.action_AccountConfigurationFragment_to_DashboardFragment)
}
lifecycleScope.launch {
withContext(Dispatchers.Default) {
val accountConfiguration = viewModel.get();
println("{${accountConfiguration}}")
}
}
binding.buttonSave.setOnClickListener {
save()
}
}
// [...]
}

Answer 1

In your current code,
lifecycleScope.launch {
withContext(Dispatchers.Default) {
val accountConfiguration = viewModel.get();
println("{${accountConfiguration}}")
}
}
viewModel.get() is not a suspend function, so it returns immediately and proceeds to the next line. It actually returns the Job created by viewModelScope.launch().
If you want your coroutine to wait for the result before continuing you should make the get() function suspend and return the AccountConfiguration?
suspend fun get(): AccountConfiguration? {
return repository.get()
}
You need not change dispatchers to Dispatchers.Default because Room itself will switch to a background thread before executing any database operation.
Right now if there is a configuration change while coroutines inside lifecyclerScope are running, everything will get cancelled and restarted.
A better way would have been to put the suspending calls inside the ViewModel and expose a LiveData/Flow to the UI.

Answer 2

The problem is the viewModel function :
fun get() = viewModelScope.launch {
repository.get()
}
This function must be the coroutine instead launch the coroutine itself. Correct code is :
suspend fun get(): AccountConfiguration? {
return repository.get()
}