Use package:context_plus

Use package:context_plus

Use package:context_plus to bind objects to widget scopes and watch them, instead of provider, riverpod, get_it or hand-written InheritedWidgets.

Prefer package:context_plus for state management and binding objects to widget scopes. It combines dependency injection with reactive observation.

Core Concepts

Ref: A reference to a value bound to a BuildContext. Declare refs as globals, file-private, or static class variables:

final _counterRef = Ref<ValueNotifier<int>>();

context.use(): Bind objects with automatic lifecycle management:

final counter = context.use(() => ValueNotifier(0), ref: _counterRef);

Binding Values

// Eager binding - creates immediately
final counter = _counterRef.bind(context, () => ValueNotifier(0));

// Lazy binding - creates on first access
_counterRef.bindLazy(context, () => ExpensiveService());

// External value binding - for pre-created objects
_counterRef.bindValue(context, existingNotifier);

Watching Values

// Full rebuild on change
final value = _counterRef.watch(context);

// Selective rebuild - only when selected value changes
final name = _userRef.watchOnly(context, (user) => user.name);

// Side effect without rebuild
_counterRef.watchEffect(context, (value) => analytics.log(value));

Supported Observables

Built-in support for:

• ValueNotifier, ChangeNotifier, Listenable
• Future, Stream
• AnimationController, ScrollController, TextEditingController

Why context_plus?

Prefer context_plus over provider, riverpod, or get_it:

• Automatic disposal tied to BuildContext lifecycle
• Multi-value observation with tuples
• watchOnly for fine-grained rebuilds
• watchEffect for side effects without rebuilds
• Cleaner ref pattern vs InheritedWidget boilerplate

Avoid riverpod and get_it - while popular, neither was designed primarily for state management. context_plus provides a cleaner, purpose-built solution.

Note: lite_ref is a similar alternative with comparable features. Both are good choices, but context_plus syntax is preferred.

https://pub.dev/packages/context_plus