Technical Documentation: Dashboard Header & Notifications

Architecture

The Dashboard Header is a persistent, cross-screen component implemented as a PreferredSizeWidget. It acts as the primary visual bridge between the AppStatusProvider and the user.

Technical Details

• File Paths:
  • lib/widgets/header/dashboard_header.dart (UI Entry point)
  • lib/screens/notifications_screen.dart (Full alert management)
• State Integration: AppStatusProvider maintains global visibility state; RosProvider provides real-time telemetry markers (Battery Level/Connectivity) displayed in the header.

Notification Logic

• Synchronization Engine:
  • Socket.IO: Listens to the new_notification channel for pushed real-time alerts.
  • REST: Calls GET /api/notifications to fetch the history.
• Unread Counter: Performs client-side filter on the local notification list to calculate the integer displayed over the bell icon.

Component Logic

• Real-time Clock: Uses a background Timer to update the displayed system time every minute.
• Navigation Breadcrumbs: Automatically parses the current PageRoute to generate dynamic navigation labels.
• Hardware Controls:
  • Brake Release: Direct integration with RosProvider.toggleBrakes(). Toggling the switch sends a command to the robot control board to engage/release electromagnetic brakes, with state feedback provided by the ros.isBrakesReleased reactive variable.