smart_textfield

Description:

smart textfield

SmartTextField - Capture information seamlessly with natural language input #
SmartTextField is a TextInput that aims to extract valuable information seamlessly from raw text, making it easier to collect various types of data without breaking the user flow. 🚀

🌟 Introduction #
In traditional user interfaces, users often need to navigate through multiple input fields to provide different types of information, which can disrupt the flow and lead to a suboptimal user experience. SmartTextField addresses this issue by allowing users to enter all the required information in a single text field, using a natural language format.
💡 Use Case #
For instance, in a task management app, if a user wants to provide the due date, project, and priority for a task, they can simply type all the information in the text field as a normal, readable text in one flow. Instead of having separate input fields for each piece of information, the user can enter something like: "Buy groceries tomorrow @personal #p2"
SmartTextField will then parse and extract the relevant information from the user's input text:

Due date: tomorrow
Project: personal
Priority: p2

🛠️ Implementation #
SmartTextField achieves this functionality by taking a set of patterns and possible values from the client. The client implements a Tokenizer component, which has the following properties:

pattern: A regular expression used to match patterns in the user's input text and invoke a list of possible values. 🔍
values: A list of values that will be shown to the user if a pattern is matched. Fuzzy matching can be used to find the closest value to the user's input. Value can be any type and must implement Tokenable.

@immutable
class Project implements Tokenable {
const Project({required this.name});

final String name;

@override
String get prefix => ProjectTokenizer.prefixId;

@override
String get stringValue => name;
}

class ProjectTokenizer extends Tokenizer<Project> {
ProjectTokenizer({
required super.values,
super.prefix = prefixId,
});

static const prefixId = '@';
}

const _projects = <Project>[
Project(name: 'Run a marathon'),
Project(name: 'Learn to code'),
Project(name: 'Write a book'),
Project(name: 'House renovation'),
Project(name: 'Travel to Japan'),
Project(name: 'Learn to play the guitar'),
];

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The client can define multiple Tokenizer instances, each with its own pattern & values, to handle different types of information (e.g., dates, projects, priorities, etc.) and pass it to the SmartTextFieldController.
final _controller = SmartTextFieldController(
tokenizers: [
ProjectTokenizer(values: _projects),
],
);

return SmartTextField(
controller: _controller,
decoration: InputDecoration(
hintText: 'Enter your task...',
),
);

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Ensure that the root of your app is wrapped with SmartTextFieldOverlay to display the overlay of suggestions.
return SmartTextFieldOverlay(
child: MaterialApp(
title: 'Smart TextField',
home: Builder(builder: (context) => const SmartTextFieldScreen()),
),
);
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📖 Reading Extracted Values #
highlightedTokens stores a list of extracted values from the raw text. To listen for latest changes, attach a listener on initState. 👂
@override
void initState() {
super.initState();
_controller.highlightedTokens.addListener(_onHighlightedTokensChanged);
}

void _onHighlightedTokensChanged() {
final _extractedTime = _controller.highlightedDateTime; /// Returns the extracted DateTime from the raw text.

final highlightedTokens = _controller.highlightedTokens.value; /// Map of extracted tokens that can be looked up by their prefix.

final _project = highlightedTokens[ProjectTokenizer.prefixId];
}
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🚀 Benefits #

Streamlined User Experience: Users can enter all the required information in a single, continuous flow, without the need to navigate between multiple input fields. 🏃‍♀️
Natural Language Input: Users can express information using natural language, making the input process more intuitive and user-friendly. 🗣️
Customizable Patterns and Values: Clients can define their own patterns and possible values based on their specific requirements, making SmartTextField highly flexible and adaptable. 🔧

Ready to take your app's user experience to the next level? Give SmartTextField a try! 🎉