Create a SuperListView that allows most of the features of the native Android RecyclerView

[mregnauld]

I'm currently migrating a music app from native Android to Flutter, and I'm struggling with a basic concept: Lists.

What I've found so far is that we have:

• ListView (including ListView.builder, ListView.separated...)
• AnimatedList
• ReorderableListView

What I don't understand is: why isn't there any widget that does all of that at the same time?

Also, on a side note, the ReorderableListView performances are very poor when it comes to drag & dropping an item in a long list of items (2000+ items, for example).

Use case

In my app, like quite a few apps actually, I want my users to be able to:

• scroll a long list of items without performance issue
• drag & drop items, again in a long list of items without performance issue
• swipe items to the left / right with some custom behavior
• see an animation on added / updated / removed items

all of that in the same list.

A good example of what I expect can be found here.

Unfortunately, it doesn't provide everything I expect in the following section, and it has some small bugs. Also, even if such libraries exist, lists are a fundamental concept and should benefit from a much better implementation in Flutter.

Proposal

I suggest that you create a SuperListView that can be a sort of a clone of the native Android combo: RecyclerView + ListAdapter + ItemTouchHelper + ItemDecoration, and that could pick up ideas from that library, that allows the following:

• just like ListView.builder(), I want to dynamically build each item for better performances when it comes to long lists,
• just like ListView.divider(), I want to be able to add dividers in an easy way,
• I also want to simply be able to add a header and a footer, at least for design purposes (nice margins), as it is done in the mentioned library,
• just like the mentioned library, but also ListAdapter, I want to be able to add / update / remove item(s) by simply calling setState(() => myDataList = myNewDataList) or something, and that the ListView automatically does the diff (so it doesn't update / redraw the unchanged items for better performances),
• when one or multiple item(s) is(are) added / updated / removed, I need a custom animation for each item, just like the mentioned library (unfortunately, it doesn't work for updated items), but also ListAdapter,
• I also want to be able to drag & drop an item, without the performances issues we can find in ReorderableListView, as it is very well done in the mentioned library,
• I also want to be able to swipe to the left / right an item, with a custom action, as we can get with the RecyclerView and the ItemTouchHelper,
• I also want to limit drag & drop and swipe for some items, as it is possible with the RecyclerView and the ItemTouchHelper (in my case, I just need that the n first items are not draggable and also that the user can't move an item between or before those n first items, even though I need those items to be still part of the list and not in some header or something),
• finally, I also need each item to not be visible before there are rendered, for a better implementation of lazy loading, even if the list displays local data (another problem I have with the mentioned library).

Again, this feature is crucial, since lists are such a pain in Flutter when it comes to just a little bit more advanced use cases, as I mentioned here.

[iapicca]

@mregnauld assuming, but not given that "parity" with android would be desirable what would be the practical advantage to have all ListView (and all constructors), AnimatedList and ReorderableListView ? AFAIK all the features you are requesting already exist, it just comes down to implementing it with the appropriate class

[mregnauld]

what would be the practical advantage to have all ListView (and all constructors), AnimatedList and ReorderableListView ?

Because I need them all in the same list, that all, as I explained in the Use case section. But to give you more information:

• I want my users to be able to add / update / remove songs in the playlist, with animations
• drag & drop songs in the playlist so they can customize their playlists, also with animations
• see animations so they can easily understand what's happening (it's 101 of good design)
• scroll and drag & drop a long playlist without performance issue

AFAIK all the features you are requesting already exist, it just comes down to implementing it with the appropriate class

Again, having those features in separate widgets is not the answer when you need all of them in the same place. And the ReorderableListView has serious performance issues when it comes to drag & dropping items in a long list.

[HansMuller]

CC @darrenaustin @goderbauer

[nt4f04uNd]

a few more things to note for this proposal are pointed in https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/75256

• grid layout
• staggered grid layout

and i my self also would propose to add a ListWheelScrollView functionalities in it

[wph144]

Additionally, please add ImplicitlyAnimatedReorderableWrap

[aleripe]

I second this. ImplicitlyAnimatedReorderableList is bugged and poorly maintained.

[mregnauld]

Any update on this?

[darrenaustin]

We have started some initial design work on this, but have nothing ready for review yet. We will certainly update this issue when we have more to discuss or propose.

[lazy-geek]

Is work on this started?

[jpolstre]

The infinite list on flutter is the holy grail, not to mention if those lists contain images ... it's a pipe dream.

[tRuNKator]

currently great_list_view is the best for lists, but still very far from the functionality of the RecyclerView

[tk2232]

Any update on this?

[mregnauld]

Any update on this? I mean, it's been a year now...

[mregnauld]

currently great_list_view is the best for lists, but still very far from the functionality of the RecyclerView

̷A̷n̷d̷ ̷a̷l̷s̷o̷ ̷q̷u̷i̷t̷e̷ ̷b̷u̷g̷g̷y̷ (sorry, my bad), even though it's a decent alternative...

[tRuNKator]

currently great_list_view is the best for lists, but still very far from the functionality of the RecyclerView

And also quite buggy, even though it's a decent alternative...

a little offtopic, you can always create an issue in the plugin repository

[mregnauld]

currently great_list_view is the best for lists, but still very far from the functionality of the RecyclerView

And also quite buggy, even though it's a decent alternative...

a little offtopic, you can always create an issue in the plugin repository

I agree, you're right. But I just wanted to point out that's it's a real nightmare to make a not-so-advanced list work in Flutter...

[mregnauld]

Any update on this (again)?

Something like great_list_view would actually be great.

Because here are some problems with great_list_view so far:

• a divider feature is missing, and would be very helpful
• it looks like it's not maintained anymore

So a native "super list view" would be, again, very helpful.