🛰️ API Sentinel #

A structured, developer-friendly networking and debugging layer for Flutter.
api_sentinel provides a clean and consistent way to handle API requests, error mapping, and runtime debugging through an on-screen overlay.

✨ Features #

✅ Unified API call interface via ApiService.instance.request()
✅ Customizable callbacks for success, Dio exceptions, and general exceptions
✅ Centralized error handling and message parsing
✅ Floating on-screen debug overlay to visualize requests
✅ Built with dio and get (GetX) for lightweight reactivity
✅ Supports Android, iOS, and Web

📦 Installation #

Add this line to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  api_sentinel: ^0.0.4

Then run:

flutter pub get

🧠 Architecture Overview #

The library is built around three core layers:

⚙️ Usage #

1️⃣ Initialize the Service #

final api = ApiService(baseUrl: 'YOUR_BASE_URL');

2️⃣ Make a Request #

Each request is wrapped with ApiService.instance.request() This ensures that error handling, logging, and overlay integration all happen automatically.

await ApiService.instance.request(
  method: HttpMethod.get,
  url: 'SOME_REQUEST',
  onSuccess: (response) {
    print('✅ Success: ${response.data}');
  },
  onCatchDioException: (error) {
    print('❌ Dio Error: ${handleErrorMessage(error)}');
  },
  onCatchException: (error) {
    print('💥 Exception: ${handleErrorMessage(error)}');
  },
);

This pattern applies to any HTTP method — just change the method and url.

3️⃣ Supported HTTP Methods #

You can use all standard HTTP verbs through the HttpMethod enum:

enum HttpMethod { get, post, put, patch, delete }

🧩 Error Architecture #

🧰 Debug Overlay #

🧊 Floating Draggable Widget #

A persistent, draggable button gives quick access to real-time logs.

Stack(
  children: [
    // Your main widget
    MyApp(), 
    // Your debug overlay button
    const DebugOverlayWidget(),
  ]
)

Inside, you’ll see:

• A real-time log list for each request
• Search and filter by method/status code
• Tap any log to expand request/response JSON
• Toggle between Tree View and Pretty JSON
• Click to expand full-screen

🌳 JSON Tree Viewer #

Displays structured hierarchical JSON for nested inspection.

🎨 Pretty JSON Viewer #

Shows syntax-colored formatted JSON text.

🖥 Full-Screen View #

Click the expand icon (🔍) in the corner to open the full JSON view for better readability.

Whenever your app performs an API call through ApiService, it will appear in a floating overlay with:

• Method type (GET/POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE)
• Status code
• Response time
• Response preview

🧪 Example Project #

A complete example app is included under the example/ directory.

To run it:

cd example
flutter run

It includes a test page with colored buttons for:

• GET
• POST
• PUT
• PATCH
• DELETE
• 404 Error simulation

All using the ApiService and DebugOverlay.

📚 License #

MIT License © 2025 Developed and maintained by Aref Yazdkhasti

💬 Contribution #

Contributions are welcome! If you’d like to improve the debugging UI, extend the ErrorHandler, or support additional APIs, open a PR or issue.

🧭 Future Plans #

• ❌ Response caching layer
• ❌ Retry strategy for failed requests and 401 unauthenticated request
• ❌ Filterable API session logs

API Sentinel — Because understanding your API should be as clear as your code.