Android Architecture Components: using ViewModel for RecyclerView items

Question

I'm experimenting with the Architecture Components, and I want to build a ViewModel for each item of a RecyclerView. I'm not sure if that is formally correct or I should stick with the "old way".

I have this adapter:

public class PostAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<PostAdapter.PostViewHolder> {

    private List<Post> list;
    public static class PostViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder{
        final ItemPostBinding binding;

        public PostViewHolder(ItemPostBinding binding){
            super(binding.getRoot());
            this.binding = binding;
        }
    }

    @Override
    public PostViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
        ItemPostBinding binding = DataBindingUtil
                .inflate(LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext()), R.layout.item_post,
                        parent, false);


        return new PostViewHolder(binding, parent.getContext());
    }

    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(PostViewHolder holder, int position) {
        holder.binding.setPost(list.get(position));
        holder.binding.executePendingBindings();
    }

    @Override
    public int getItemCount() {
        return list == null ? 0 : list.size();
    }

    public void setList(List<Post> list){
        this.list = list;
        notifyDataSetChanged();
    }
}

which works fine but it's very basic. how do I update it so each item has it's own ViewModel associated? is that even possible?

EDIT: playing with it, I've tried to put in ViewModels the following way:

public class PostAdapter extends RecyclerView.Adapter<PostAdapter.PostViewHolder> {

    private List<Post> list;
    public static class PostViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder{
        final ItemPostBinding binding;
        private final Context context;
        private GalleryItemViewModel viewModel;

        public PostViewHolder(ItemPostBinding binding, Context context){
            super(binding.getRoot());
            this.binding = binding;
            this.context = context;
        }

        public Context getContext(){
            return context;
        }

        public void setViewModel(GalleryItemViewModel viewModel){
            this.viewModel = viewModel;
            binding.setViewModel(viewModel);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public PostViewHolder onCreateViewHolder(ViewGroup parent, int viewType) {
        ItemPostBinding binding = DataBindingUtil
                .inflate(LayoutInflater.from(parent.getContext()), R.layout.item_post,
                        parent, false);


        return new PostViewHolder(binding, parent.getContext());
    }

    @Override
    public void onBindViewHolder(PostViewHolder holder, int position) {
        GalleryItemViewModel vm = ViewModelProviders.of((FragmentActivity) holder.getContext()).get(GalleryItemViewModel.class);
        vm.setPost(list.get(position));
        holder.setViewModel(vm);
    }

    @Override
    public int getItemCount() {
        return list == null ? 0 : list.size();
    }

    public void setList(List<Post> list){
        this.list = list;
        notifyDataSetChanged();
    }
}

it works but is that the correct way to do it?

Answer 1

Funny, but answer - This is correct way, should be accepted :) You can make some code clean-up and remove GalleryItemViewModel from PostViewHolder, because you are creating hard reference and not using it. Then dirrectly in onBindViewHolder() use it like holder.binding.setViewModel(vm);

This is a link with MVVM code example that can help you.