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Flutter News App Toolkit

Headlines Feed

The Headlines Feed is the core feature of the mobile client, providing users with a scrollable list of news articles. It is a sophisticated system that supports pagination, pull-to-refresh, complex filtering, and dynamic content injection.

Core Components

Section titled “Core Components”

The feed is managed by a collection of BLoCs that handle different aspects of its functionality.

  • HeadlinesFeedBloc: The central BLoC that manages the state of the main feed. It is responsible for fetching headlines from the HeadlinesRepository, handling pagination (HeadlinesFeedFetchRequested), and applying filters (HeadlinesFeedFiltersApplied).

  • FeedInjectorService: A crucial service that dynamically injects non-headline content, such as advertisements (Ad) and account-related calls-to-action (FeedAction), into the list of headlines. It uses business logic based on the user’s status and remote configuration to determine where and when to place this content.

  • Filter BLoCs: A set of specialized BLoCs manage the state for the filter selection pages:

    • TopicsFilterBloc: Fetches and manages the list of available topics for filtering.
    • SourcesFilterBloc: Manages the complex logic for filtering by source, which also includes sub-filters for country and source type.
    • CountriesFilterBloc: Fetches and manages the list of countries for filtering.

Key Functionalities

Section titled “Key Functionalities”

Infinite Scrolling

The feed uses pagination to load headlines continuously as the user scrolls. The _onScroll listener in HeadlinesFeedPage detects when the user is near the bottom of the list and dispatches a HeadlinesFeedFetchRequested event to load the next page of content.

Pull-to-Refresh

Users can pull down from the top of the feed to refresh the content. This action triggers a HeadlinesFeedRefreshRequested event, which re-fetches the first page of headlines with the currently active filters.

Advanced Filtering

Users can tap the filter icon in the AppBar to open the HeadlinesFilterPage. This page allows them to apply filters based on topics and sources. A unique feature is the “Apply my followed items” checkbox, which automatically creates a filter based on the user’s followed topics and sources.

Dynamic Content

The FeedInjectorService intelligently inserts ads and calls-to-action (e.g., “Link your account”) into the feed. This logic is based on rules defined in the RemoteConfig, such as ad frequency per user role, ensuring a tailored experience.