Test latest Dart and Flutter

.github/workflows/lint.yml → .github/workflows/code-analysis.yml

@@ -12,15 +12,21 @@ on:
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+env:
+  # Do code analysis with latest SDK.
+  # Pick a concrete version instead of "latest" to avoid builds breaking due to changes in new SDKs.
+  FLUTTER_VERSION: 3.29.2 # Available versions: https://docs.flutter.dev/release/archive
+  DART_VERSION: 3.7.2 # Available versions: https://dart.dev/get-dart/archive
+
 jobs:
-  analyze:
+  analyze-and-format:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@d632683dd7b4114ad314bca15554477dd762a938 # v4.2.0
-      # Prefer running on Ubuntu over Dart Docker image
-      - uses: dart-lang/setup-dart@0a8a0fc875eb934c15d08629302413c671d3f672 # v1.6.5
+      - uses: subosito/flutter-action@44ac965b96f18d999802d4b807e3256d5a3f9fa1 # v2.16.0
         with:
-          sdk: 3.5.2
+          flutter-version: ${{ env.FLUTTER_VERSION }}
+          cache: true
       - name: Get dependencies
         run: |
           dart pub get --directory=benchmark
@@ -40,7 +46,12 @@ jobs:
           dart analyze objectbox
           dart analyze objectbox_test
       - name: Check formatting of all packages
-        run: dart format --set-exit-if-changed --fix .
+        # Since Dart 3.7, dart format needs pub get to run before formatting,
+        # so to check formatting of Flutter packages run pub get for them first.
+        run: |
+          flutter pub get --directory=flutter_libs
+          flutter pub get --directory=sync_flutter_libs
+          dart format --set-exit-if-changed .
 
   pana:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
@@ -63,7 +74,7 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-  coverage:
+  test-coverage:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     permissions:
       checks: write # to publish the report
@@ -72,7 +83,7 @@ jobs:
       # Prefer running on Ubuntu over Dart Docker image
       - uses: dart-lang/setup-dart@0a8a0fc875eb934c15d08629302413c671d3f672 # v1.6.5
         with:
-          sdk: 3.5.2
+          sdk: ${{ env.DART_VERSION }}
       - name: Install coverage tools
         run: |
           ./tool/apt-install.sh lcov

.github/workflows/dart.yml → .github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Build and test
+name: Test
 
 # Avoid duplicate builds for pull requests, allow manual trigger.
 on:
@@ -8,40 +8,53 @@ on:
   pull_request:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+# Minimal access by default
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
 defaults:
   run:
     shell: bash
 
-# Minimal access by default
-permissions:
-  contents: read
+env:
+  # Run generator integration tests and init script with latest SDK.
+  # Pick a concrete version instead of "latest" to avoid builds breaking due to changes in new SDKs.
+  # NOTE: also update matrix configurations below!
+  FLUTTER_VERSION: 3.29.2 # Available versions: https://docs.flutter.dev/release/archive
+  DART_VERSION: 3.7.2 # Available versions: https://dart.dev/get-dart/archive
 
 jobs:
-  generator:
+
+  # Runs generator integration tests, e.g. ensures generator works as expected.
+  # Note: no need to test oldest SDK here, generator package is also built as part of unit-tests job.
+  generator-integ-tests:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@d632683dd7b4114ad314bca15554477dd762a938 # v4.2.0
       # Prefer running on Ubuntu over Dart Docker image
       - uses: dart-lang/setup-dart@0a8a0fc875eb934c15d08629302413c671d3f672 # v1.6.5
         with:
-          sdk: 3.5.2
+          sdk: ${{ env.DART_VERSION }}
       - name: Install ObjectBox C library
         run: ./install.sh --install # Install globally for generator integration tests
       - name: Integration test
         run: ./generator/test.sh
 
-  # make sure the init script doesn't stop working - it's not something we usually run during normal development
+  # Check the init script works - it's not something we usually run during normal development.
+  # The init script gets dependencies for all packages and runs code generation for those that
+  # need it.
   init-script:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@d632683dd7b4114ad314bca15554477dd762a938 # v4.2.0
       - uses: subosito/flutter-action@44ac965b96f18d999802d4b807e3256d5a3f9fa1 # v2.16.0
         with:
-          flutter-version: 3.24.2
+          flutter-version: ${{ env.FLUTTER_VERSION }}
           cache: true
       - run: ./tool/init.sh
 
-  lib:
+  # Runs generator and objectbox unit tests
+  unit-tests:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false # To see all Dart SDKs that fail, also sometimes with more helpful errors.
       matrix:
@@ -50,11 +63,12 @@ jobs:
           - macos-13
           - ubuntu-24.04
         sdk:
-          # Always include lowest supported version (see sdk key in objectbox and generator
-          # pubspec.yaml, but may be higher due to dependencies).
-          - 3.5.2
-          - 3.4.4
-          - 2.18.6
+          # Test latest available and lowest supported SDK (see dev-doc/updating-dart-flutter-and-dependencies.md).
+          # Pick a concrete version instead of "latest" to avoid builds breaking due to changes in new SDKs.
+          # Can not use env variables here, only within 'steps'.
+          # For available versions see https://dart.dev/get-dart/archive
+          - 3.7.2
+          - 2.18.6 # Use latest bugfix release to get tooling fixes
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
       - uses: dart-lang/setup-dart@0a8a0fc875eb934c15d08629302413c671d3f672 # v1.6.5
@@ -82,20 +96,22 @@ jobs:
           export OBX_IN_MEMORY=true
           ../tool/pub.sh run test --concurrency=1
 
-  flutter-integration-test:
+  # Builds a mobile and a desktop release of the main Flutter examples
+  flutter-examples:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os:
           - macos-13
           - ubuntu-24.04
-          - windows-2022 # Flutter 2.9 and newer need Visual Studio 2022 to build desktop.
+          - windows-2022 # Flutter 2.9 and newer need Visual Studio 2022 to build for desktop
         flutter-version:
-          # Include lowest working version (use lowest tested Dart SDK as a guideline, see lib tests
-          # above; but may be higher due to dependency conflicts)
-          # https://docs.flutter.dev/development/tools/sdk/releases lists included Dart SDK.
-          - 3.24.2
-          - 3.7.12
+          # Test latest available and lowest supported SDK (see dev-doc/updating-dart-flutter-and-dependencies.md).
+          # Pick a concrete version instead of "latest" to avoid builds breaking due to changes in new SDKs.
+          # Can not use env variables here, only within 'steps'.
+          # For available versions see https://docs.flutter.dev/release/archive
+          - 3.29.2
+          - 3.7.12 # Use latest bugfix release to get tooling fixes
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@d632683dd7b4114ad314bca15554477dd762a938 # v4.2.0

.gitlab-ci.yml

@@ -1,17 +1,26 @@
 stages:
-  - analyze
+  - code-analysis
   - test
+  - test-coverage
 
 variables:
-  # Note: use specific tags as docker images may not always be pulled due to "if-not-present" pull policy.
-  #       Thus, do not use tags like latest/beta, but check https://hub.docker.com/_/dart?tab=tags for latest.
-  DART_VERSION: '3.5.2'
+  # Test latest available and lowest supported SDK (see dev-doc/updating-dart-flutter-and-dependencies.md).
+  # # Pick a concrete version instead of "latest" to avoid builds breaking due to changes in new
+  # SDKs. For available versions see https://hub.docker.com/_/dart?tab=tags
+  DART_VERSION_LATEST: '3.7.2'
+  DART_VERSION_LOWEST: '2.18.6' # Use latest bugfix release to get tooling fixes
+  DART_VERSION: $DART_VERSION_LATEST # Also used for caching, see .cache template
+
+.common:
+  image: dart:$DART_VERSION # Official Dart Docker image https://hub.docker.com/_/dart
+  tags: [ x64, linux, docker ] # Jobs use shell commands and scripts, so only run on Linux
 
 # Make PUB_CACHE cacheable in GitLab;
 # see also https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/77791/diffs and
 # https://dikman.medium.com/optimising-flutter-ci-by-caching-packages-8a1d537e0b23
 # Requires extending job to set DART_VERSION variable.
 .cache:
+  extends: .common
   before_script:
     - export PUB_CACHE="$CI_PROJECT_DIR/.pub-cache" # https://dart.dev/tools/pub/environment-variables
     - export PATH="$PATH":"$PUB_CACHE/bin"
@@ -23,11 +32,9 @@ variables:
     key: "linux-x64-dart-$DART_VERSION-pub-cache"
 
 # Analyze (only) Dart packages, check formatting in Dart and Flutter packages.
-analyze:
+analyze-and-format:
   extends: .cache
-  stage: analyze
-  tags: [ x64, linux, docker ]
-  image: dart:$DART_VERSION
+  stage: code-analysis
   script:
     # Get dependencies
     - dart pub get --directory=benchmark
@@ -49,23 +56,29 @@ analyze:
     - dart analyze objectbox
     - dart analyze objectbox_test
     - dart analyze objectbox/example/dart-native/vectorsearch_cities
-    # Check formatting of all packages
-    - dart format --set-exit-if-changed --fix .
+    # Since Dart 3.7, dart format needs pub get to run before formatting,
+    # so can no longer check formatting of Flutter packages (would require Flutter SDK):
+    # Check formatting only for Dart packages
+    - dart format --set-exit-if-changed benchmark
+    - dart format --set-exit-if-changed generator
+    - dart format --set-exit-if-changed objectbox
+    - dart format --set-exit-if-changed objectbox_test
+    - dart format --set-exit-if-changed objectbox/example/dart-native
 
 # Runs generator integration tests, e.g. ensures generator works as expected.
-test-generator:linux:x64:
+# Note: no need to test oldest SDK here, generator package is also built as part of unit-tests job.
+generator-integ-tests:
   extends: .cache
   stage: test
-  tags: [ x64, linux, docker ]
-  image: dart:$DART_VERSION
   script:
     - ./install.sh --install # Install globally for generator integration tests
     - ./generator/test.sh
 
 # Runs generator and objectbox unit tests.
-.test:
+.unit-tests-template:
   extends: .cache
   stage: test
+  needs: ["generator-integ-tests"] # Wait for generator integration tests
   script:
     # Generator tests
     - cd generator
@@ -84,28 +97,33 @@ test-generator:linux:x64:
     - export OBX_IN_MEMORY=true
     - dart test --concurrency=1 --reporter expanded
 
-test-lib:linux:x64:
-  extends: .test
-  tags: [ x64, linux, docker ]
-  image: dart:$DART_VERSION
-  needs: ["test-generator:linux:x64"] # Wait for generator test
+unit-tests:
+  extends: .unit-tests-template
   parallel:
     matrix:
-      # Note: use specific versions instead of latest/beta tags as Docker images may not always be
-      # pulled due to "if-not-present" pull policy. Check https://hub.docker.com/_/dart?tab=tags.
-      # Always include lowest supported version (see sdk key in objectbox and generator
-      # pubspec.yaml, but may be higher due to dependencies).
-      - DART_VERSION: [ '2.18.6', '3.4.4', '3.5.2' ]
+      - DART_VERSION: [ $DART_VERSION_LOWEST, $DART_VERSION_LATEST ]
+
+# For the Dart Native example compiles and runs the executable (analysis and code formatting is
+# checked by analyze job).
+vectorsearch-example:
+  extends: .cache
+  stage: test
+  needs: ["generator-integ-tests"] # Wait for generator integration tests
+  script:
+    - cd objectbox/example/dart-native/vectorsearch_cities
+    - dart pub get
+    - dart run build_runner build
+    - ../../../../install.sh
+    - dart compile exe bin/vectorsearch_cities.dart
+    - ./bin/vectorsearch_cities.exe
 
 # Runs tests with coverage on the objectbox package.
 # Note: As this requires to run tests, make sure this does not block the actual test jobs so test
 # issues can be seen.
-coverage:
+test-coverage:
   extends: .cache
-  stage: test
-  needs: ["test-lib:linux:x64"] # Get test results first
-  tags: [ x64, linux, docker ]
-  image: dart:$DART_VERSION
+  stage: test-coverage
+  needs: ["unit-tests"] # Get test results first
   script:
     # Install coverage tools
     - apt-get update
@@ -124,18 +142,3 @@ coverage:
   artifacts:
     paths:
       - objectbox/coverage/html/
-
-# For the Dart Native example compiles and runs the executable (analysis and code formatting is 
-# checked by analyze job).
-dart-examples-test:
-  extends: .cache
-  stage: test
-  tags: [ x64, linux, docker ]
-  image: dart:$DART_VERSION
-  script:
-    - cd objectbox/example/dart-native/vectorsearch_cities
-    - dart pub get
-    - dart run build_runner build
-    - ../../../../install.sh
-    - dart compile exe bin/vectorsearch_cities.dart
-    - ./bin/vectorsearch_cities.exe

dev-doc/updating-dart-flutter-and-dependencies.md

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Testing and updating Dart and Flutter SDKs and dependencies
+
+## Testing SDKs
+
+Officially the Dart developers only [commit to release security fixes](https://dart.dev/security)
+for the latest version of the Dart SDK. The Flutter developers have so far not released fixes for a
+previous minor version of the Flutter SDK.
+
+[Packages specify](https://dart.dev/tools/pub/pubspec#sdk-constraints) a minimum supported Dart and
+optionally Flutter SDK. And allow any new not major Dart SDK (and technically 
+[any new Flutter SDK](https://dart.dev/tools/pub/pubspec#flutter-sdk-constraints)).
+
+So packages should work with the latest allowed SDKs (tools, APIs), but remain compatible with the
+lowest allowed SDKs (APIs, language features).
+
+Based on that, the ObjectBox packages should be
+
+- **tested with the latest available Flutter and Dart SDK** and
+- SDKs matching **the lowest supported Dart and Flutter version**.
+
+Note: regarding API compatibility, the issue is that the tools won't error if an API is used that
+is not available in the lowest supported SDK. Testing with an older SDK is a workaround for this.
+
+## Updating required SDKs and dependencies
+
+The pub tool prevents upgrading a dependency of an application or library when
+
+- its highest allowed Dart or Flutter SDK, or
+- the highest allowed version of one of its shared transitive dependencies
+
+is too low. So assume that applications or libraries may not support the most recent SDKs and 
+dependencies, but are safe from breaking changes.
+
+Based on that, ObjectBox packages
+
+- may require the latest, but **should require at most the latest major version of a dependency** 
+  and
+- may require the latest, but **should require the lowest version of the Dart and Flutter SDK
+  required by dependencies** and
+- to simplify testing, **all packages should require the same SDK versions**.