Creating a Dynamic Experience: Building Typing Indicators in Flutter

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In today’s fast-paced digital world, user experience plays a crucial role in the success of any application. One effective way to enhance user engagement and provide real-time feedback is by implementing typing indicators. This article will guide you through the process of building dynamic typing indicators in your Flutter applications, using the power of the StreamBuilder widget.

Flutter’s Building Blocks for a Typing Indicator

To fully appreciate the process of designing a typing indicator in Flutter, it’s vital to understand the core concepts and components: Widget, State, and Animation.

Understanding Widget, State, and Animation Concepts

In Flutter, every element, including typing indicators, is a Widget. Widgets define the visual representation of an application’s components based on their configuration and state. State is dynamic information that can change during a widget’s lifetime, such as the visibility of a typing indicator.

To create a typing indicator, we need to manage its state and leverage Flutter’s animation capabilities. A basic indicator might be a simple “Typing…” text. However, incorporating animations, like moving bubbles or dots, can significantly enhance the user experience and make the indicator more engaging.

   // Here is a simple implementation of a TypingIndicator that utilizes Widget, State, and Animation in Flutter
    
    class TypingIndicator extends StatefulWidget {
      final bool isVisible;
    
      TypingIndicator({ this.isVisible });
    
      @override
      TypingIndicatorState createState() => TypingIndicatorState();
    }
    
    class TypingIndicatorState extends State<TypingIndicator> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin {
      AnimationController controller;
    
      @override
      initState() {
        super.initState();
        controller = AnimationController(vsync: this)... ;
      }
    
      @override
      dispose() {
        controller.dispose();
        super.dispose();
      }
    
      @override
      Widget build(context) {
        return (widget.isVisible) ? AnimatedBuilder(
          builder: ...,
          animation: controller,
        ) : Container();
      }
    }

Developing the Typing Indicator Widget Structure

To provide an authentic real-time communication feel in our chat application, we need to create a customized typing indicator. Let’s dive into the widget structure and see how we can embody the traditional mobile messaging look in our chat application.

Initiating the Typing Indicator Stateful Widget

In Flutter, all components are widgets. For our typing indicator, we’ll define a stateful TypingIndicator widget. This widget will accept customizable properties like bubble color, flashing circle colors, and a boolean to control its visibility.

   // This is the code for our TypingIndicator StatefulWidget
    class TypingIndicator extends StatefulWidget {
      final bool showIndicator;
      final Color bubbleColor;
      final Color flashingCircleDarkColor;
      final Color flashingCircleBrightColor;
    
      TypingIndicator({
        this.showIndicator = false,
        this.bubbleColor = const Color(0xFF646b7f),
        this.flashingCircleDarkColor = const Color(0xFF333333),
        this.flashingCircleBrightColor = const Color(0xFFaec1dd),
      });
    
      @override
      State<TypingIndicator> createState() => _TypingIndicatorState();
    }

Customizing Visual Elements of the Typing Indicator

To create a visually appealing typing indicator, let’s mimic the style of Apple’s iPhone messaging feature. We’ll customize our indicator with flashing circles or “bubbles” using different colors and Flutter’s animation capabilities. This engaging and expressive design will captivate users and alleviate the stress of waiting for a response.

// Let's define the circle bubble as a StatelessWidget
    class CircleBubble extends StatelessWidget {
      final double size;
      final Color bubbleColor;
    
      CircleBubble({required this.size, required this.bubbleColor});
    
      @override
      Widget build(BuildContext context) {
        return Container(
          width: size,
          height: size,
          decoration: BoxDecoration(
            shape: BoxShape.circle,
            color: bubbleColor,
          ),
        );
      }
    }
    
    // We can then use multiple CircleBubble to create a set of bubbles in our typing indicator.

Implementing Animated Space for Smooth Appearance

Our goal is to ensure that the appearance and disappearance of the typing indicator are seamless and smooth. We can achieve this by animating the height of the typing indicator’s space. The height of the typing indicator could be the natural height of the speech bubbles within the typing indicator.

     // Implementation of an AnimatedBuilder which is displaying the indicator dynamically using SizedBox
    
    Widget build(BuildContext context) {
      return AnimatedBuilder(
        animation: _indicatorSpaceAnimation,
        builder: (context, child) {
          return SizedBox(height: _indicatorSpaceAnimation.value,);
        },
      );
    }

Conclusion

By incorporating typing indicators into your Flutter applications, you can significantly enhance user engagement and create a more dynamic and interactive experience. The StreamBuilder widget provides a flexible and efficient way to implement real-time updates, ensuring that your typing indicators accurately reflect the user’s activity. With a well-designed and customized typing indicator, you can elevate your app’s user experience and foster a more connected and engaging environment.

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