[FormBuilderTypeAhead]: Calls dispose on the TextEditingController even when it is passed in

[cds-reis]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Package/Plugin version

10.1.0

Platforms

• Android
• iOS
• Linux
• MacOS
• Web
• Windows

Flutter doctor

Flutter doctor

[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.16.9, on macOS 14.2.1 23C71 darwin-arm64, locale en-BR)
    • Flutter version 3.16.9 on channel stable at /Users/cardosoOReis/fvm/versions/3.16.9
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    • Framework revision 41456452f2 (6 months ago), 2024-01-25 10:06:23 -0800
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      If the Android SDK has been installed to a custom location, please use
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[✓] Connected device (2 available)
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! Doctor found issues in 1 category.

Minimal code example

Code sample

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:form_builder_extra_fields/form_builder_extra_fields.dart';

class Example extends StatefulWidget {
  const Example({super.key});

  @override
  State<Example> createState() => _ExampleState();
}

class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
  final _controller = TextEditingController();

  @override
  void dispose() {
    // This will throw a `TextEditingController was used after being disposed`
    // exception, since it was already disposed by the FormBuilderTypeAhead.
    _controller.dispose();
    super.dispose();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return FormBuilderTypeAhead<String>(
      name: 'name',
      controller: _controller,
      itemBuilder: (context, itemData) => const SizedBox(),
      suggestionsCallback: (pattern) => [],
    );
  }
}

Current Behavior

When I call a dispose on a controller I have created, and pass it to a FormBuilderTypeAhead, it throws a:

A TextEditingController was used after being disposed.

Once you have called dispose() on a TextEditingController, it can no longer be used.
The relevant error-causing widget was ...

Expected Behavior

I expect the FormBuilderTypeAhead widget to dispose the controllers it created itself, and not to dispose the controller created outside of it.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Run:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:form_builder_extra_fields/form_builder_extra_fields.dart';

void main(List<String> args) {
  runApp(
    const MaterialApp(
      home: HomeWidget(),
    ),
  );
}

class HomeWidget extends StatelessWidget {
  const HomeWidget({
    super.key,
  });

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      body: Center(
        child: TextButton(
          onPressed: () {
            Navigator.push(
              context,
              MaterialPageRoute(
                builder: (context) => Scaffold(
                  appBar: AppBar(),
                  body: const Center(child: Example()),
                ),
              ),
            );
          },
          child: const Text('Open page'),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

class Example extends StatefulWidget {
  const Example({super.key});

  @override
  State<Example> createState() => _ExampleState();
}

class _ExampleState extends State<Example> {
  final _controller = TextEditingController();

  @override
  void dispose() {
    // This will throw a `TextEditingController was used after being disposed`
    // exception, since it was already disposed by the FormBuilderTypeAhead.
    _controller.dispose();
    super.dispose();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return FormBuilderTypeAhead<String>(
      name: 'name',
      controller: _controller,
      itemBuilder: (context, itemData) => const SizedBox(),
      suggestionsCallback: (pattern) => [],
    );
  }
}

2. See the error.

Aditional information

A way to fix this problem is using the same validation that FormBuilderTextField uses:

  @override
  void dispose() {
    // Dispose the _controller when initState created it
    _controller!.removeListener(_handleControllerChanged);
    if (null == widget.controller) {
      _controller!.dispose();
    }
    super.dispose();
  }

Disposing the controller only when initState creates it. Currently it disposes anyway:

  @override
  void dispose() {
    // Dispose the _typeAheadController when initState created it
    super.dispose();
    _typeAheadController.dispose();
  }

[deandreamatias]

@cardosoOReis Take a look if the last version (11.0) solved this issue
Thanks!