Fixing kotlinx.coroutines.flow.SafeFlow@... Issue in Android Room with MVVM

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If you're developing an Android application using the MVVM architecture, Kotlin Coroutines, and Room database, you might have encountered an intriguing problem:

Understanding the Problem

In your setup, you are fetching a list of products that have a one-to-many relationship with their variants from a network source, storing them in a Room database, and then trying to display them in your UI. Upon successfully fetching and inserting data, you expected the variable productListN to reflect the new data, but instead, you just see a default representation of the Flow object.

Analyzing Your Code

To serve the purpose of clarity, let's break down the primary components that contribute to this issue:

Reinitializing the Flow: In your ViewModel, you initially declare productListN as a Flow, but then later on, you try to reassign it to a new value after fetching data. This could lead to the loss of its original state and any observers that were actively using it.

Flow Collection in Activity: In your activity, there might be some confusion when collecting the flow data that should feed your adapter.

Proposed Solutions

Let's explore how to resolve these issues step by step.

1. Use a Consistent Flow Object

Instead of reinitializing the productListN, you should maintain the same instance. Consider using StateFlow or SharedFlow for emitting the data changes:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

2. Initialize Recycler View Adapter Outside of the Launch Block

Ensure that your adapter and binding setup occur outside of the launch function. This will avoid multiple unnecessary initializations:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

For developers working with Kotlin and Android, understanding how to manage data flow and lifecycle effectively can greatly enhance the user experience within your applications.

If you have further questions or need more assistance, feel free to reach out in the comments below or consult the official documentation for additional insights.