How can I somehow suspend until a flow starts to b...

# coroutines

[jdemeulenaere]

How can I somehow suspend until a flow starts to be collected to make sure that a collector will receive the first values that will be emitted in the flow ? Example of code to fix (https://pl.kotl.in/-sNdWODnA):

package com.example.script

import kotlinx.coroutines.*
import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.*

fun main() {
    val count = MutableStateFlow(0)
    
    runBlocking {
        // Collect the values in a new coroutine.
        val job = launch {
            // Prints "3 4 5".
            count.take(3).collect {
                println("$it ")
            }
        }
        
        // TODO: Somehow synchronize and suspend here until the coroutine starts collecting
        // so that we print "0 1 2" instead.
        
        repeat(3) {
            count.value++
        }
        
        repeat(3) {
            delay(500)
            count.value++
        }
    }
}

[jdemeulenaere]

This example is bad because I'm using a StateFlow which is conflated but my main question remains "how do we wait for a collector to start collecting?"

[streetsofboston]

Assignment of the mutable-state-flow’s value is non-suspending, it races through it.
It works in the second loop, since you do a delay() there.
Does it work if you add a yield() call just after count.value++ in the first loop?

[marstran]

Isn't this what a normal Flow is for? A normal (non-buffered) Flow suspends on emit until a collector consumes it.

[Adam Powell]

Launching the collector with CoroutineStart.UNDISPATCHED will generally do the trick if you're not afraid of experimental API

[Adam Powell]

But that relies on collection only suspending once the full upstream collection has started

[Adam Powell]

So it's far from perfect

[julian]

It sounds like maybe MutableStateFlow isn't the best fit. You're having to work too hard to get around its built-in conflation.

[elizarov]

Just use a Channel.