Using go_router package in a flutter app with a statefulShellRoute, how to navigate to routes outside of the shell?

Question

I have implemented go_router statefulShellRoute for bottomNavigationBar to have nested routes in a flutter app.

But I also have pages I want to be outside of the statefulShellRoute (outside bottom nav bar), i have these routes defined in GoRouter outside of the shell routes list but when I navigate to them using context.push(), as expected I can still see the Bottom Navigation Bar since it pushes the new screen onto the nested navigation stack.

If I use context.go(), even though I can reach the page and make the bottom nav bar disappear, I can't go back now since the previous route was replaced.

How can I push a route outside of the bottom navigation bar shell and still have the ability to come back?

Answer 1

Was searching for the same question before. Here is the answer for future searchers: you need to assign parentNavigatorKey for your route to be pushed over shell route. Example from go_router repo (pay attention to _rootNavigatorKey):

  final GoRouter _router = GoRouter(
    navigatorKey: _rootNavigatorKey,
    initialLocation: '/a',
    debugLogDiagnostics: true,
    routes: <RouteBase>[
      /// Application shell
      ShellRoute(
        navigatorKey: _shellNavigatorKey,
        builder: (BuildContext context, GoRouterState state, Widget child) {
          return ScaffoldWithNavBar(child: child);
        },
        routes: <RouteBase>[
          /// The first screen to display in the bottom navigation bar.
          GoRoute(
            path: '/a',
            builder: (BuildContext context, GoRouterState state) {
              return const ScreenA();
            },
            routes: <RouteBase>[
              // The details screen to display stacked on the inner Navigator.
              // This will cover screen A but not the application shell.
              GoRoute(
                path: 'details',
                builder: (BuildContext context, GoRouterState state) {
                  return const DetailsScreen(label: 'A');
                },
              ),
            ],
          ),

          /// Displayed when the second item in the the bottom navigation bar is
          /// selected.
          GoRoute(
            path: '/b',
            builder: (BuildContext context, GoRouterState state) {
              return const ScreenB();
            },
            routes: <RouteBase>[
              /// Same as "/a/details", but displayed on the root Navigator by
              /// specifying [parentNavigatorKey]. This will cover both screen B
              /// and the application shell.
              GoRoute(
                path: 'details',
                parentNavigatorKey: _rootNavigatorKey,
                builder: (BuildContext context, GoRouterState state) {
                  return const DetailsScreen(label: 'B');
                },
              ),
            ],
          ),