How to Dynamically Add and Remove Tabs in Flutter

Learn how to dynamically manage tabs in Flutter using a custom controller to successfully add and remove tabs without running into exceptions.
---

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: How to dynamically adding and removing tabs in Flutter?

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Dynamically Add and Remove Tabs in Flutter

Adding and removing tabs dynamically in Flutter can be a bit tricky, especially if you're running into errors when trying to update your UI. When you attempt to dynamically change the tabs in a TabBar, you might find that you're met with exceptions stating that the controller's length does not match the number of tabs present. In this guide, we will explore a straightforward solution to solve this problem and ensure your tab management works flawlessly.

The Problem

When updating tabs dynamically, you may follow these steps:

Update your model (like a TabsConfig class).

Trigger a UI update via setState().

However, if you're just using the standard SingleTickerProviderStateMixin, Flutter can throw an exception when you try to add new tabs, indicating a mismatch between the controller's length and the actual number of tabs being displayed. The error message typically looks like this:

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

The solution lies in the way you've set up your TabController.

The Solution

To dynamically manage tabs in Flutter without hitting any errors, you need to take advantage of a custom TabController and implement the TickerProviderStateMixin. Below, we will walk through how to implement this solution step by step.

Step 1: Create a Custom Controller

You need to create a TabController that you can update whenever your tabs are modified. In this case, we will define it within the state class.

Step 2: Initialize the TabController

In the initState method of the StatefulWidget, you need to initialize your TabController with the length of your tabs and the state of the widget.

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

Step 3: Update the Tabs Dynamically

When adding or removing tabs, you must also update the TabController to reflect the new number of tabs. Here's how you can encapsulate this logic within an updateTabs method:

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

Step 4: Update Your UI

Here’s the complete structure of your MainWidget after modifications to support dynamic tab updating:

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

Conclusion

With the steps outlined above, you can successfully manage dynamic tabs in your Flutter application without running into issues with mismatched lengths. Remember to always dispose of the previous controller when making updates. By following these practices, you will create a flexible and responsive tab management system that enhances user experience.

With Flutter's extensive capabilities combined with these strategies, your applications can handle tabs more efficiently, leading to smoother user interactions. Happy coding!