Flutter initstate called multiple times

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Explanation of Flutter initState called multiple times

The initState() method in Flutter is a lifecycle method that is called automatically when a State object is created. It is called after the widget is inserted into the widget tree but before the build method is called. The initState() method is typically used to initialize variables, create subscriptions, or perform any other setup tasks.

If you observe that initState() is being called multiple times, there could be a few reasons:

  1. Hot Reload / Hot Restart: When you perform a Hot Reload or Hot Restart during the development process, the Flutter framework recreates the widget tree, including all the State objects. As a result, the initState() method is called again.
  2. Widgets Being Inserted / Removed: If your widget is being inserted or removed from the widget tree dynamically, Flutter may create a new State object and call initState() accordingly.
  3. Stateful Widget Rebuilding: If the parent widget of your Stateful widget rebuilds, it can cause the State object to be recreated and initState() to be called again.

Here’s an example to demonstrate the different scenarios:


import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

class MyWidget extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _MyWidgetState createState() => _MyWidgetState();
}

class _MyWidgetState extends State {
  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    print("initState called");
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    print("build method called");
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(
        title: Text("My Widget"),
      ),
      body: Center(
        child: Text("Hello, World!"),
      ),
    );
  }
}

void main() {
  runApp(MaterialApp(
    home: MyWidget(),
  ));
}

In this example, if you perform a Hot Reload or Hot Restart, you will see that both initState() and build() methods are called again.

If you want to avoid multiple initState() calls, you can consider using alternatives like didChangeDependencies(), didUpdateWidget(), or dispose() methods depending on your specific requirements.

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