EasyAdapter

This project evolved into module easyadapter from Surf Android Standard repository (Documentation in Russian). It contains modules, which is used for developing Android projects by mobile studio Surf.

This project demonstrates simple approach for implementation complex lists, based on RecyclerView.

You don't need call methods notify...(), beсause it is called automatically when you set data. It also works with mutable data objects, unlike android.support.v7.util.DiffUtil. You also don't need extend RecyclerView.Adapter.

You need only create ItemController for each type of list items and describe order of elemets in Activity/Fragment. ItemController incapsulates all interactions with list item, so it is very easy for reading, modifying and reusing.

Project contains template of ItemController for Android Studio.

There is article with explanation of this approach.(Russian language)

A big thanks to Surf developers, especially to Fedor Atyakshin , for their help in developing.

Example 1 - Six types of elements:

main

Code in activity:

 private fun initList() {
    this.adapter = EasyAdapter()
    recycler.itemAnimator = SlideItemAnimator()
    recycler.layoutManager = LinearLayoutManager(this)
    recycler.adapter = adapter

    headerController = HeaderController()
    carouselController = CarouselController(
            onElementClickListener = { openPaginationScreen() },
            onShowAllClickListener = { openPaginationScreen() })
    deliveryController = DeliveryController(
            onClickListener =  { openPaginationScreen() })
    commercialController = CommercialController(
            onClickListener =  { openPaginationScreen() })
    elementController = ElementController(
            onClickListener = { openPaginationScreen() })
    emptyStateController = EmptyStateController()
}

fun render(screenModel: MainScreenModel) {
    val itemList = ItemList.create()
            .addIf(screenModel.hasHeader(), headerController)
            .addAll(screenModel.carousels, carouselController)
            .addIf(!screenModel.isEmpty(), deliveryController)
            .addIf(screenModel.hasCommercial, commercialController)
            .addAll(screenModel.elements, elementController)
            .addIf(screenModel.hasBottomCarousel(), screenModel.bottomCarousel, carouselController)
            .addIf(screenModel.isEmpty(), emptyStateController)
    adapter.setItems(itemList)
    //You don't need call notify...() methods and override getItemViewType(), onBindViewHolder(), etc. inside Adapter  
}

Example of ItemController:

class ElementController(
        val onClickListener: (element: Element) -> Unit
) : BindableItemController<Element, ElementController.Holder>() {

    override fun createViewHolder(parent: ViewGroup): Holder = Holder(parent)

    override fun getItemId(data: Element): Long = data.id.hashCode().toLong() //must return unique value for element

    inner class Holder(parent: ViewGroup) : BindableViewHolder<Element>(parent, R.layout.element_item_layout) {
        private lateinit var data: Element
        private val nameTv: TextView

        init {
            itemView.setOnClickListener { onClickListener.invoke(data) }
            nameTv = itemView.findViewById(R.id.name_tv)
            //find views here
        }

        override fun bind(data: Element) {
            this.data = data
            nameTv.text = data.name
            //render data here
        }
    }
}

Example 2 - Loading data and pagination:

pagination

Placeholders are also elements of RecyclerView

Code in activity:

fun render(screenModel: PaginationScreenModel) {
    val itemList = when (screenModel.loadState) {
        LoadState.LOADING -> ItemList.create(screenModel.stubs, stubController)
        LoadState.ERROR -> ItemList.create(errorStateController)
        LoadState.EMPTY -> ItemList.create(emptyStateController)
        LoadState.NONE -> ItemList.create(screenModel.elements, elementController)
    }
    adapter.setItems(itemList, screenModel.paginationState)
}

Code in presenter for pagination:

fun loadMore() {
    loadMoreSubscription = subscribe(
            elementRepository.getElements(screenModel.elements.nextPage),
            { elements ->
                screenModel.elements.merge(elements) //merge old data with new block
                screenModel.setNormalPaginationState()
                view.render(screenModel)
            },
            { _ ->
                screenModel.setErrorPaginationState()
                view.render(screenModel)
            })
}

GitHub