Summary
After dropping TextDecorationRef in #c68d30953 (because TextDecoration became a final class in newer Flutter SDKs), it became clear that many other ref types in packages/mix/lib/src/core/prop_refs.dart and packages/mix/lib/src/theme/tokens/token_refs.dart are also dead code — they're declared, exported, and matched in assertIsRealType, but nothing in the codebase ever produces an instance.
We should decide what to do with them: either wire them up to real MixToken subclasses (so users can actually tokenize these types) or remove them.
Unused refs
In prop_refs.dart (31 classes, never instantiated by getReferenceValue or any MixToken):
AlignmentGeometryRef, AlignmentRef, AlignmentDirectionalRefFontFeatureRefOffsetRef, RectRefLocaleRefImageProviderRef, DecorationImageRefGradientTransformRef, GradientRef, LinearGradientRef, RadialGradientRef, SweepGradientRefMatrix4RefTextScalerRef, StrutStyleRef, TextHeightBehaviorRefTableColumnWidthRef, TableBorderRefBoxBorderRefBorderRadiusGeometryRef, BorderRadiusRef, BorderRadiusDirectionalRefEdgeInsetsGeometryRef, EdgeInsetsRef, EdgeInsetsDirectionalRefBoxDecorationRefShapeBorderRefBoxConstraintsRefCurveRef
In token_refs.dart (4 classes, unreachable — actual shadow tokens are list-based):
ShadowRef, BoxShadowRefShadowMixRef, BoxShadowMixRef
Why this matters
- They appear in the public API surface (exported) but can't be created by users, so they're misleading.
- They bloat
assertIsRealType with branches that are never exercised in real flows.
- Some (like
TextDecorationRef) actively break compilation when Flutter marks the implemented type final or sealed. Several of the above (e.g. Alignment, EdgeInsets, BoxConstraints) are also at risk.
- The token-migration guide currently advertises some of these as supported, which is stale.
Options
- Remove them all (and trim
assertIsRealType + getReferenceValue + the migration guide).
- Add corresponding
MixToken subclasses so they become real, supported token types.
- Hybrid — keep the ones we plan to support and remove the rest.
Worth a discussion before picking a direction.
Summary
After dropping
TextDecorationRefin #c68d30953 (becauseTextDecorationbecame afinal classin newer Flutter SDKs), it became clear that many other ref types inpackages/mix/lib/src/core/prop_refs.dartandpackages/mix/lib/src/theme/tokens/token_refs.dartare also dead code — they're declared, exported, and matched inassertIsRealType, but nothing in the codebase ever produces an instance.We should decide what to do with them: either wire them up to real
MixTokensubclasses (so users can actually tokenize these types) or remove them.Unused refs
In
prop_refs.dart(31 classes, never instantiated bygetReferenceValueor anyMixToken):AlignmentGeometryRef,AlignmentRef,AlignmentDirectionalRefFontFeatureRefOffsetRef,RectRefLocaleRefImageProviderRef,DecorationImageRefGradientTransformRef,GradientRef,LinearGradientRef,RadialGradientRef,SweepGradientRefMatrix4RefTextScalerRef,StrutStyleRef,TextHeightBehaviorRefTableColumnWidthRef,TableBorderRefBoxBorderRefBorderRadiusGeometryRef,BorderRadiusRef,BorderRadiusDirectionalRefEdgeInsetsGeometryRef,EdgeInsetsRef,EdgeInsetsDirectionalRefBoxDecorationRefShapeBorderRefBoxConstraintsRefCurveRefIn
token_refs.dart(4 classes, unreachable — actual shadow tokens are list-based):ShadowRef,BoxShadowRefShadowMixRef,BoxShadowMixRefWhy this matters
assertIsRealTypewith branches that are never exercised in real flows.TextDecorationRef) actively break compilation when Flutter marks the implemented typefinalorsealed. Several of the above (e.g.Alignment,EdgeInsets,BoxConstraints) are also at risk.Options
assertIsRealType+getReferenceValue+ the migration guide).MixTokensubclasses so they become real, supported token types.Worth a discussion before picking a direction.