How to Save and Retrieve Google Places Objects in Flutter Using Shared Preferences

Learn how to save and retrieve `PlacesDetailsResponse` objects in Flutter using Shared Preferences. This guide breaks down the solution into clear steps for better understanding.
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How to Save and Retrieve Google Places Objects in Flutter Using Shared Preferences

Flutter developers often encounter the need to store and retrieve data locally, and one common use case is saving information retrieved from APIs like Google Places. In this guide, we'll tackle the problem of saving a PlacesDetailsResponse object from Google Places into Shared Preferences and then retrieving it without encountering errors.

The Problem

When working with the Google Places API in Flutter, you may want to save details about the place a user interacts with. The common approach is to serialize this data in JSON format and store it in Shared Preferences for future use. However, many developers face challenges while trying to decode the JSON back into the appropriate object type.

In our specific case, the code for saving and retrieving a PlacesDetailsResponse looks like this:

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

Upon attempting to decode the stored JSON, an error occurs:

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

The main issue here is that the JSON isn’t being properly converted back into a PlacesDetailsResponse object.

The Solution

The good news is that this problem can be easily resolved! The key to solving the issue lies in utilizing the fromJson method provided in the PlacesDetailsResponse class. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Save the Object Correctly

Ensure that you are saving your PlacesDetailsResponse object using JSON encoding when saving it to Shared Preferences. This step seems to be correct in your original code.

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

Step 2: Retrieve and Decode the Object

When you retrieve the stored data, make sure to use the fromJson method to convert the JSON back into a PlacesDetailsResponse object. Modify your retrieval code as follows:

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

Important Notes

Ensure Non-null Values: Always check if the retrieved String is not null before decoding; otherwise, you might encounter runtime errors.

Error Handling: It’s a good practice to handle possible exceptions when dealing with JSON parsing, e.g., using try-catch blocks to catch and manage JSON format exceptions gracefully.

Example Code

Here’s a concise example of how the complete solution can look in practice:

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

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, you can easily save and retrieve Google Places objects in your Flutter applications using Shared Preferences without the hassle of type errors. This not only helps in enhancing user experience but also optimizes data management in your app.

Happy coding, and let us know if you have any further questions or need clarification on specific steps!