Ably Flutter Plugin

A Flutter plugin wrapping the ably-cocoa (iOS) and ably-java (Android) client library SDKs for Ably, the platform that powers synchronized digital experiences in realtime.

Ably provides the best infrastructure and APIs to power realtime experiences at scale, delivering billions of realtime messages everyday to millions of end users. We handle the complexity of realtime messaging so you can focus on your code.

Supported Platforms

iOS

iOS 10 or newer.

Android

API Level 19 (Android 4.4, KitKat) or newer.

This project uses Java 8 language features, utilising Desugaring
to support lower versions of the Android runtime (i.e. API Levels prior to 24)

If your project needs support for SDK Version lower than 24, Android Gradle Plugin 4.0.0+ must be used.
You might also need to upgrade gradle distribution accordingly.

Known Limitations

Features that we do not currently support, but we do plan to add in the future:

  • Symmetric encryption (#104)
  • Ably token generation (#105)
  • REST and Realtime Stats (#106)
  • Custom transportParams (#108)
  • Push Notifications Admin (#109)
  • Remember fallback host during failures (#47)

Example app

Running example app

  • To run the example app, you need an Ably API key. Create a free account on ably.com and then use your API key from there in the example app.
  • Clone the project

Android Studio / IntelliJ Idea

Under the run/ debug configuration drop down menu, click Edit Configurations.... Duplicate the Example App (Duplicate and modify) configuration. Leave the "Store as project file" unchecked to avoid committing your Ably API key into a repository. Update this new run configuration's additional run args with your ably API key. Run or debug the your new run/ debug configuration.

run-configuration-1

run-configuration-2

Visual Studio Code

  • Under Run and Debug,
    • Select the gear icon to view launch.json
    • Add your Ably API key to the configurations.args, i.e. replace replace_with_your_api_key with your own Ably API key.
    • To choose a specific device when more than one are connected: to launch on a specific device, make sure it is the only device plugged in. To run on a specific device when you have multiple plugged in, add another element to the configuration.args value, with --device-id=replace_with_device_id
      • Make sure to replace replace_with_your_device with your device ID from flutter devices
  • select the example configuration

Command Line using the Flutter Tool

  • Change into the example app directory: cd example
  • Install dependencies: flutter pub get
  • Launch the application: flutter run --dart-define ABLY_API_KEY=put_your_ably_api_key_here, remembering to replace put_your_ably_api_key_here with your own API key.
    • To choose a specific device when more than one are connected: get your device ID using flutter devices, and then running flutter run --dart-define=ABLY_API_KEY=put_your_ably_api_key_here --device-id replace_with_device_id

Push Notifications

See PushNotifications.md for detailed information on getting PN working with the example app.

Troubleshooting

  • Running on simulator on M1 macs:
    • Flutter has added support for running apps on the iOS simulator running on M1 architecture, but this is not yet available on the stable branch. In the mean time, you can change the iOS target to build for Mac in Xcode.
  • fatal error: 'ruby/config.h' file not found: Ruby is required to install cocoapods and other tools which are used in the build process, and your machine may not have a supported version. To install an up-to-date version of Ruby:

Usage

Specify Dependency

Package home:
pub.dev/packages/ably_flutter

See:
Adding a package dependency to an app

Import the package

import 'package:ably_flutter/ably_flutter.dart' as ably;
Dart

Configure a Client Options object

For guidance on selecting an authentication method (basic authentication vs. token authentication), read Selecting an authentication mechanism.

Authenticating using basic authentication/ API key (for running example app/ test apps and not for production)

// Specify your apiKey with `flutter run --dart-define=ABLY_API_KEY=replace_your_api_key`
final String ablyApiKey = const String.fromEnvironment(Constants.ablyApiKey);
final clientOptions = ably.ClientOptions.fromKey(ablyApiKey);
clientOptions.logLevel = ably.LogLevel.verbose;  // optional
Dart

Authenticating using token authentication

// Used to create a clientId when a client first doesn't have one. 
// Note: you should implement `createTokenRequest`, which makes a request to your server that uses your Ably API key directly.
final clientOptions = ably.ClientOptions()
// ..clientId = _clientId // Optionally set the clientId
  ..autoConnect = false
  ..authCallback = (TokenParams tokenParams) async {
    try {
      // If a clientId was set in ClientOptions, it will be available in Ably.TokenParams.
      final tokenRequestMap =
      await createTokenRequest(tokenParams: tokenParams);
      return ably.TokenRequest.fromMap(tokenRequestMap);
    } catch (e) {
      print("Something went wrong in the authCallback:");
      print(e);
    }
  };
this._ablyClient = new ably.Realtime(options: clientOptions);
await this._ablyClient.connect();
Dart

Using the REST API

Creating the REST client instance:

ably.Rest rest = ably.Rest(options: clientOptions);
Dart

Getting a channel instance

ably.RestChannel channel = rest.channels.get('test');
Dart

Publishing messages using REST:

// both name and data
await channel.publish(name: "Hello", data: "Ably");

// just name
await channel.publish(name: "Hello");

// just data
await channel.publish(data: "Ably");

// an empty message
await channel.publish();
Dart

Get REST history:

void getHistory([ably.RestHistoryParams params]) async {
  // getting channel history, by passing or omitting the optional params
  var result = await channel.history(params);

  var messages = result.items;        // get messages
  var hasNextPage = result.hasNext(); // tells whether there are more results
  if (hasNextPage) {    
    result = await result.next();     // will fetch next page results
    messages = result.items;
  }
  if (!hasNextPage) {
    result = await result.first();    // will fetch first page results
    messages = result.items;
  }
}

// history with default params
getHistory();

// sorted and filtered history
getHistory(ably.RestHistoryParams(direction: 'forwards', limit: 10));
Dart

Get REST Channel Presence:

void getPresence([ably.RestPresenceParams params]) async {
  // getting channel presence members, by passing or omitting the optional params
  var result = await channel.presence.get(params);

  var presenceMembers = result.items; // returns PresenceMessages
  var hasNextPage = result.hasNext(); // tells whether there are more results
  if (hasNextPage) {
    result = await result.next();     // will fetch next page results
    presenceMembers = result.items;
  }
  if (!hasNextPage) {
    result = await result.first();    // will fetch first page results
    presenceMembers = result.items;
  }
}

// getting presence members with default params
getPresence();

// filtered presence members
getPresence(ably.RestPresenceParams(
  limit: 10,
  clientId: '<clientId>',
  connectionId: '<connectionID>',
));
Dart

Get REST Presence History:

void getPresenceHistory([ably.RestHistoryParams params]) async {

  // getting channel presence history, by passing or omitting the optional params
  var result = await channel.presence.history(params);

  var presenceHistory = result.items; // returns PresenceMessages
  var hasNextPage = result.hasNext(); // tells whether there are more results
  if (hasNextPage) {
    result = await result.next();     // will fetch next page results
    presenceHistory = result.items;
  }
  if (!hasNextPage) {
    result = await result.first();    // will fetch first page results
    presenceHistory = result.items;
  }
}

// getting presence members with default params
getPresenceHistory();

// filtered presence members
getPresenceHistory(ably.RestHistoryParams(direction: 'forwards', limit: 10));
Dart

Using the Realtime API

Creating the Realtime client instance:

ably.Realtime realtime = ably.Realtime(options: clientOptions);
Dart

Listening for connection state change events:

realtime.connection
  .on()
  .listen((ably.ConnectionStateChange stateChange) async {
    print('Realtime connection state changed: ${stateChange.event}');
    setState(() {
      _realtimeConnectionState = stateChange.current;
    });
});
Dart

Listening for a particular connection state change event (e.g. connected):

realtime.connection
  .on(ably.ConnectionEvent.connected)
  .listen((ably.ConnectionStateChange stateChange) async {
    print('Realtime connection state changed: ${stateChange.event}');
    setState(() {
      _realtimeConnectionState = stateChange.current;
    });
});
Dart

Creating a Realtime channel instance:

ably.RealtimeChannel channel = realtime.channels.get('channel-name');
Dart

Listening for channel events:

channel.on().listen((ably.ChannelStateChange stateChange) {
  print("Channel state changed: ${stateChange.current}");
});
Dart

Attaching to the channel:

await channel.attach();
Dart

Detaching from the channel:

await channel.detach();
Dart

Subscribing to messages on the channel:

var messageStream = channel.subscribe();
var channelMessageSubscription = messageStream.listen((ably.Message message) {
  print("New message arrived ${message.data}");
});
Dart

Use channel.subscribe(name: "event1") or channel.subscribe(names: ["event1", "event2"]) to listen to specific named messages.

UnSubscribing from receiving messages on the channel:

await channelMessageSubscription.cancel();
Dart

Publishing channel messages

// both name and data
await channel.publish(name: "event1", data: "hello world");
await channel.publish(name: "event1", data: {"hello": "world", "hey": "ably"});
await channel.publish(name: "event1", data: [{"hello": {"world": true}, "ably": {"serious": "realtime"}]);

// single message
await channel.publish(message: ably.Message()..name = "event1"..data = {"hello": "world"});

// multiple messages
await channel.publish(messages: [
  ably.Message()..name="event1"..data = {"hello": "ably"},
  ably.Message()..name="event1"..data = {"hello": "world"}
]);
Dart

Get Realtime history

void getHistory([ably.RealtimeHistoryParams params]) async {
  var result = await channel.history(params);

  var messages = result.items;        // get messages
  var hasNextPage = result.hasNext(); // tells whether there are more results
  if (hasNextPage) {    
    result = await result.next();     // will fetch next page results
    messages = result.items;
  }
  if (!hasNextPage) {
    result = await result.first();    // will fetch first page results
    messages = result.items;
  }
}

// history with default params
getHistory();

// sorted and filtered history
getHistory(ably.RealtimeHistoryParams(direction: 'forwards', limit: 10));
Dart

Enter Realtime Presence:

await channel.presence.enter();

// with data
await channel.presence.enter("hello");
await channel.presence.enter([1, 2, 3]);
await channel.presence.enter({"key": "value"});

// with Client ID
await channel.presence.enterClient("user1");

// with Client ID and data
await channel.presence.enterClient("user1", "hello");
await channel.presence.enterClient("user1", [1, 2, 3]);
await channel.presence.enterClient("user1", {"key": "value"});
Dart

Update Realtime Presence:

await channel.presence.update();

// with data
await channel.presence.update("hello");
await channel.presence.update([1, 2, 3]);
await channel.presence.update({"key": "value"});

// with Client ID
await channel.presence.updateClient("user1");

// with Client ID and data
await channel.presence.updateClient("user1", "hello");
await channel.presence.updateClient("user1", [1, 2, 3]);
await channel.presence.updateClient("user1", {"key": "value"});
Dart

Leave Realtime Presence:

await channel.presence.leave();

// with data
await channel.presence.leave("hello");
await channel.presence.leave([1, 2, 3]);
await channel.presence.leave({"key": "value"});

// with Client ID
await channel.presence.leaveClient("user1");

// with Client ID and data
await channel.presence.leaveClient("user1", "hello");
await channel.presence.leaveClient("user1", [1, 2, 3]);
await channel.presence.leaveClient("user1", {"key": "value"});
Dart

Get Realtime Presence members:

var presenceMessages = await channel.presence.get();

// filter by Client Id
var presenceMessages = await channel.presence.get(
  ably.RealtimePresenceParams(
    clientId: 'clientId',
  ),
);

// filter by Connection Id
var presenceMessages = await channel.presence.get(
  ably.RealtimePresenceParams(
    connectionId: 'connectionId',
  ),
);
Dart

Get Realtime Presence history

void getPresenceHistory([ably.RealtimeHistoryParams params]) async {
  var result = await channel.presence.history(params);

  var messages = result.items;        // get messages
  var hasNextPage = result.hasNext(); // tells whether there are more results
  if (hasNextPage) {    
    result = await result.next();     // will fetch next page results
    messages = result.items;
  }
  if (!hasNextPage) {
    result = await result.first();    // will fetch first page results
    messages = result.items;
  }
}

// presence history with default params
getPresenceHistory();

// sorted and filtered history
getPresenceHistory(ably.RealtimeHistoryParams(direction: 'forwards', limit: 10));
Dart

Subscribe to Realtime Presence messages

// subscribe for all presence actions
channel
  .presence
  .subscribe()
  .listen((presenceMessage) {
    print(presenceMessage);
  },
);

// subscribe for specific action
channel
  .presence
  .subscribe(action: PresenceAction.enter)
  .listen((presenceMessage) {
    print(presenceMessage);
  },
);

// subscribe for multiple actions
channel
  .presence
  .subscribe(actions: [
    PresenceAction.enter,
    PresenceAction.update,
  ])
  .listen((presenceMessage) {
    print(presenceMessage);
  },
);
Dart

Push Notifications

See PushNotifications.md for detailed information on using PN with this plugin.

Caveats

RTE6a compliance

Using the Streams based approach doesn't fully conform with
RTE6a
from our
client library features specification.

The Problem

StreamSubscription subscriptionToBeCancelled;

// Listener registered 1st
realtime.connection.on().listen((ably.ConnectionStateChange stateChange) async {
  if (stateChange.event == ably.ConnectionEvent.connected) {
    await subscriptionToBeCancelled.cancel();       // Cancelling 2nd listener
  }
});

// Listener registered 2nd
subscriptionToBeCancelled = realtime.connection.on().listen((ably.ConnectionStateChange stateChange) async {
  print('State changed');
});
Dart

In the example above, the 2nd listener is cancelled when the 1st listener is notified about the "connected" event.
As per
RTE6a,
the 2nd listener should also be triggered.
It will not be as the 2nd listener was registered after the 1st listener and stream subscription is cancelled immediately after 1st listener is triggered.

This wouldn't have happened if the 2nd listener had been registered before the 1st was.

However, using a neat little workaround will fix this...

The Workaround - Cancelling using delay

Instead of await subscriptionToBeCancelled.cancel();, use

Future.delayed(Duration.zero, () {
    subscriptionToBeCancelled.cancel();
});
Dart

GitHub

https://github.com/ably/ably-flutter