Help implement a use case - provider disposed too quickly

[wujek-srujek]

I have a problem implementing a use case and I would like to get some input.

I have a list page ListPage which reads the items from itemsProvider (an auto-disposed StateProvider). It is possible to add items by clicking +, which goes to another page InputPage - this page, after the user gives her input and presses the submit button, adds the new item to itemsProvider and then pops itself so that ListPage is shown again, with the new item nicely added. Then it is possible to 'start' some process (which leads to another page ProcessPage), which needs the items and reads them from itemsProvider. Once the process is finished, it is possible to pop ProcessPage and ListPage is shown again so the items can be edited (or not) and the process can be restarted. Once ListPage is popped, itemsProvider is auto-disposed and items are forgotten. All of this works flawlessly.

I have another use case (which is giving me trouble) which is very similar but is like a 'shortcut' - instead of first showing ListPage and allowing adding items, the page that is shown is InputPage - the one that allows the user to add an item. This time, when item definition is finished, submitting the item first adds it to itemsProvider (so that it has only 1 items) and starts the process immediately (leading to ProcessPage). When the process is finished, it should be possible to pop ProcessPage to go to InputPage again (it will have the state with user data), and itemsProvider should be auto-disposed. Restarting the process would do the same: first add the item to a new itemsProvider and then push ProcessPage.

And here is the issue: in InputPage, when the submit button is pressed, the current item is added to itemsProvider, and ProcessPage is pushed. However, the provider is immediately disposed right after adding the item, and the items that ProcessPage gets are from a new provider instance, i.e. it is an empty list. The code of the submit callback:

ref.read(itemsProvider).state = [item];
Navigator.of(context).push(...code to push ProcessPage...);

I guess this is because itemsProvider is auto-disposed, so after it is read there are no listeners so it is disposed again immediately, and then when ProcessPage reads it again to get the items, it gets an empty list from a completely new instance.

I guess I can make the provider non auto-disposed but then I will need to make sure I explicitly reset the state whenever the 'process' is done. I would very much prefer the nice auto-dispose behavior that works in the first use case (the one with the list).

I can also use ref.watch(itemsProvider) in the callback, but I don't think I should do it - or is it safe?

Would anybody have any pointers how to implement my use case AND keep auto-disposing?

[wujek-srujek]

Never mind, I restructured the code a bit and now it works (although I don't get why).