Difference between Flow, Shared Flow and StateFlow in Android?
5 min readSep 15, 2023
In the world of programming and software development, terms like “StateFlow,” “Flow,” and “SharedFlow” may sound intimidating, but they are essential concepts to grasp.
What is Flow?
- Imagine a Flow as a continuous stream of data. It’s like a river that flows, and you can dip a cup into it to get some water (data).
- In programming, Flow represents a sequence of values that can be asynchronously computed and delivered over time.
- It’s a way to handle data that arrives at different intervals, such as fetching data from a database or streaming updates.
What is StateFlow?
- Think of StateFlow as a specific type of Flow. It’s like a stream of water (data) with a current state.
- In programming, StateFlow represents a value that can be observed over time, and whenever the value changes, you can react to it.
- It’s often used to represent the state of a user interface or application, such as whether a button is pressed or a user is logged in.
What is SharedFlow?
- SharedFlow is another type of Flow but with a difference. It’s like a shared water source that multiple people can access and get…