Hey, anyone aware of a way to `collect` just once from a `StateFlow` or `SharedFlow` ? One can call ...

# coroutines

[Tymmm1]

Hey, anyone aware of a way to collect just once from a StateFlow or SharedFlow ? One can call cancel() on the job of the coroutine that is collecting but that seems a bit cumbersome...

[Tijl]

first()

[Tymmm1]

@Tijl first() unfortunately has different behavior from collect() in that it throws an exception when the flow is empty.

[travis]

firstOrNull

[Tymmm1]

@travis firstOrNull also has different behavior. It returns null if the flow is empty where collect would just block and wait until there is something.

[Tijl]

StateFlow always has a value, StateFlow and SharedFlow also never complete

[Tijl]

AFAIK a Flow is only seen as empty if it completes without emiting, since SharedFlow (and StateFlow) never complete, they can’t be empty then.

[Tymmm1]

I think I saw an exception being thrown by first() when I was using it on a SharedFlow (with no initial value).

[Tymmm1]

If I collect() on a SharedFlow no exception is thrown.

[Tymmm1]

But let me double check.

[Tijl]

https://pl.kotl.in/HjBbu43Ia

[Tijl]

incidentally, on StateFlow I’d just read value since reading that code it will be more clear it will not suspend ( first behaves the same in this case but on other Flows like SharedFlow it can suspend)

[Tymmm1]

Thanks.