Support for Excluding Flavors When Conditionally Defining Assets

In software development, managing assets across multiple app flavors can be complex, especially when an asset needs to be excluded from specific flavors. Issue #148584, opened by lucas-goldner, proposes a streamlined solution for excluding flavors using a .gitignore-style syntax in pubspec.yaml, simplifying asset management.

Issue Overview

Issue ID: #148584
Status: Open
Opened by: lucas-goldner
Date Opened: Yesterday
Comments: 0

Comments

User: @lucas-goldner

Date: Yesterday

Use Case

Imagine having an app with 20 different flavors. There is a need to include a particular file in 19 flavors but exclude it from one specific flavor. The current process requires listing all 19 flavors individually, which can be cumbersome.

Example in pubspec.yaml

flutter:
  assets:
    - assets/normal-asset.png
    - path: assets/good-tasting.png
      flavors: 
        - vanilla
        - strawberry
        - chocolate
        - lemon
        - smurf
        - orange
        - ...more

Proposal

A proposed solution is to handle exclusions similarly to a .gitignore file using “!” to specify the flavors to exclude. This would allow the asset to be included in all flavors except the ones marked with “!”.

Proposed Change in pubspec.yaml

flutter:
  assets:
    - assets/normal-asset.png
    - path: assets/good-tasting.png
      flavors: 
        - !strawberry

This change would simplify the process by specifying only the flavors to exclude rather than listing all the flavors where the asset should be included.

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Information in Table Format

Section	Content
Issue Overview	Issue ID: #148584 Status: Open Opened by: lucas-goldner Date Opened: Yesterday Comments: 0
Comments	### User: @lucas-goldner Date: Yesterday
Use Case	Imagine having an app with 20 different flavors. There is a need to include a particular file in 19 flavors but exclude it from one specific flavor. The current process requires listing all 19 flavors individually, which can be cumbersome.
Example in pubspec.yaml	yaml<br>flutter:<br> assets:<br> - assets/normal-asset.png<br> - path: assets/good-tasting.png<br> flavors: <br> - vanilla<br> - strawberry<br> - chocolate<br> - lemon<br> - smurf<br> - orange<br> - ...more<br>
Proposal	A proposed solution is to handle exclusions similarly to a .gitignore file using “!” to specify the flavors to exclude. This would allow the asset to be included in all flavors except the ones marked with “!”.
Proposed Change in pubspec.yaml	yaml<br>flutter:<br> assets:<br> - assets/normal-asset.png<br> - path: assets/good-tasting.png<br> flavors: <br> - !strawberry<br>

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FAQs for Excluding Flavors When Conditionally Defining Assets

What is the purpose of excluding flavors when defining assets?

Excluding flavors when defining assets allows developers to include a particular asset in most flavors of an app while excluding it from specific ones. This simplifies the asset management process, especially when dealing with multiple flavors.

Why is the current method of listing flavors cumbersome?

The current method requires listing all the flavors where an asset should be included. For an app with many flavors, this can result in a long and unwieldy list. It is especially cumbersome when an asset needs to be excluded from only one or a few flavors.

How does the proposed solution work?

The proposed solution introduces a method similar to the .gitignore file, where using “!” allows developers to specify the flavors to exclude. This means that an asset will be included in all flavors except the ones marked with “!”, making the process more efficient.

Can you provide an example of the current method in pubspec.yaml?

Sure! Here’s an example of the current method where the asset good-tasting.png is included in multiple flavors:

flutter:
  assets:
    - assets/normal-asset.png
    - path: assets/good-tasting.png
      flavors: 
        - vanilla
        - strawberry
        - chocolate
        - lemon
        - smurf
        - orange
        - ...more

How does the proposed change improve the pubspec.yaml file?

The proposed change simplifies the pubspec.yaml file by allowing developers to specify only the flavors from which the asset should be excluded. Here’s an example:

flutter:
  assets:
    - assets/normal-asset.png
    - path: assets/good-tasting.png
      flavors: 
        - !strawberry

This makes the configuration cleaner and easier to manage.

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What are the benefits of using the exclusion method?

Using the exclusion method reduces redundancy and the potential for errors when listing many flavors. It makes the asset definition process more intuitive and less error-prone, particularly for apps with numerous flavors.

How do I implement the proposed change in my pubspec.yaml file?

To implement the proposed change, use the “!” symbol to indicate the flavors you want to exclude. For example:

flutter:
  assets:
    - assets/normal-asset.png
    - path: assets/good-tasting.png
      flavors: 
        - !strawberry

This will include good-tasting.png in all flavors except for “strawberry”.

Will this change affect my existing asset configurations?

If your existing configuration already includes assets for specific flavors, transitioning to the exclusion method will require updating your pubspec.yaml file to use the “!” notation. This should streamline your configurations and reduce the likelihood of errors.