Tony/351 not logged in

lib/common/rest_api/file_helper.dart

@@ -299,6 +299,11 @@ class NoteFileHelper with PodOperationsMixin {
     bool overwrite = false,
     bool isExternal = false,
   }) async {
+    // Tracks whether the `Saving the note!` animation is still on screen
+    // so we can guarantee it is dismissed exactly once on any code path.
+
+    var loadingDialogShown = true;
+
     try {
       // Encrypt note text using created time as the key
       // av: 20250519 - We need to encrypt the note text because
@@ -340,16 +345,49 @@ class NoteFileHelper with PodOperationsMixin {
 
       Navigator.of(context, rootNavigator: true)
           .pop(); // Dismiss the saving note dialog
+      loadingDialogShown = false;
 
       scaffoldController.navigateToSubpage(childPage);
 
       if (!context.mounted) {
         throw Exception('Context not found');
       }
+    } on NotLoggedInException catch (e) {
+      debugPrint(
+        'NotLoggedInException (encrypting and saving note):\n $e',
+      );
+
+      // Dismiss the in-flight `Saving the note!` animation so the UI
+      // does not appear to hang while we prompt the user to log in.
+
+      if (loadingDialogShown && context.mounted) {
+        Navigator.of(context, rootNavigator: true).pop();
+        loadingDialogShown = false;
+      }
+
+      if (!context.mounted) return;
+
+      // Prompt the user to log in (or cancel back to the note editor).
+      // Using solidui's shared `SolidLoginRequiredDialog` keeps the
+      // look-and-feel and the redirect-to-Solid-login-page behaviour
+      // consistent with the rest of the app.
+
+      await SolidLoginRequiredDialog.showAndHandle(
+        context,
+        message: 'Please log in to your POD first before saving the note.',
+      );
     } on Exception catch (e) {
       debugPrint(
         'Exception (encrypting and saving note, and navigating to return page):\n $e',
       );
+
+      // Make sure the loading dialog is always dismissed on failure so
+      // the UI never gets stuck on `Saving the note!`.
+
+      if (loadingDialogShown && context.mounted) {
+        Navigator.of(context, rootNavigator: true).pop();
+        loadingDialogShown = false;
+      }
     }
   }
 }

lib/notes/list_my_notes_screen.dart

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ library;
 
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
+import 'package:solidpod/solidpod.dart' show isUserLoggedIn;
 import 'package:solidui/solidui.dart';
 
 import 'package:notepod/constants/app.dart';
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ import 'package:notepod/notes/new_note.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/services/note_service.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/widgets/err_card.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/widgets/msg_card.dart';
+import 'package:notepod/widgets/not_logged_in_card.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/widgets/note_list_del_dialog.dart';
 
 /// A [StatefulWidget] that fetches the user's notes in their app data folder
@@ -59,7 +61,12 @@ class _ListMyNotesScreenState extends State<ListMyNotesScreen> {
   final GlobalKey<ScaffoldState> _scaffoldKey = GlobalKey<ScaffoldState>();
 
   /// Future function to retrieve user's notes list
-  static Future? _asyncDataFetch;
+  Future<NotesCallResult>? _asyncDataFetch;
+
+  /// Tracks the user's login status. `null` while the asynchronous
+  /// check is in flight (used to show the loading screen), then
+  /// updated by [_checkLoginAndFetch]
+  bool? _isLoggedIn;
 
   /// Scroll controller for single child scroll view
   late final ScrollController _scrollController;
@@ -71,8 +78,24 @@ class _ListMyNotesScreenState extends State<ListMyNotesScreen> {
   void initState() {
     super.initState();
     _scaffoldController = widget.scaffoldController;
-    _asyncDataFetch = NoteService().getOwnNoteList();
     _scrollController = ScrollController();
+    _checkLoginAndFetch();
+  }
+
+  /// Confirms the user is logged in before triggering the POD fetch.
+  ///
+  /// When the user is not logged in we skip the fetch entirely and let
+  /// [build] render the [NotLoggedInCard] placeholder. Touching the POD
+  /// APIs without an authenticated session would otherwise produce a
+  /// cascade of rendering exceptions on this screen.
+
+  Future<void> _checkLoginAndFetch() async {
+    final loggedIn = await isUserLoggedIn();
+    if (!mounted) return;
+    setState(() {
+      _isLoggedIn = loggedIn;
+      _asyncDataFetch = loggedIn ? NoteService().getOwnNoteList() : null;
+    });
   }
 
   @override
@@ -151,6 +174,24 @@ class _ListMyNotesScreenState extends State<ListMyNotesScreen> {
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    // Show the loading screen until the asynchronous login check has
+    // returned. Once we know the user is logged out, render the
+    // friendly `Not logged in` placeholder rather than attempting to
+    // fetch notes from a POD we cannot read.
+
+    if (_isLoggedIn == null) {
+      return Scaffold(
+        key: _scaffoldKey,
+        body: SafeArea(child: loadingScreen(normalLoadingScreenHeight)),
+      );
+    }
+    if (_isLoggedIn == false) {
+      return Scaffold(
+        key: _scaffoldKey,
+        body: const SafeArea(child: NotLoggedInCard()),
+      );
+    }
+
     return Scaffold(
       key: _scaffoldKey,
       body: SafeArea(

lib/notes/list_notes_screen.dart

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ library;
 
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
+import 'package:solidpod/solidpod.dart' show isUserLoggedIn;
 import 'package:solidui/solidui.dart';
 
 import 'package:notepod/common/rest_api/rest_api.dart';
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ import 'package:notepod/notes/new_note.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/services/note_service.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/widgets/err_card.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/widgets/msg_card.dart';
+import 'package:notepod/widgets/not_logged_in_card.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/widgets/note_list_del_dialog.dart';
 import 'package:notepod/widgets/note_list_revoke_dialog.dart';
 
@@ -60,13 +62,19 @@ class ListNotesScreen extends StatefulWidget {
 class _ListNotesScreenState extends State<ListNotesScreen> {
   final GlobalKey<ScaffoldState> _scaffoldKey = GlobalKey<ScaffoldState>();
 
-  /// Future function to retrieve user's notes list
-  // static Future? _fetchOwnNotes;
-  late Future<NotesCallResult> _fetchOwnNotes;
+  /// Future function to retrieve user's notes list. Initialised only
+  /// after we confirm the user is logged in (see [_checkLoginAndFetch]).
 
-  /// Future function to retrieve externally owned notes list
-  // static Future? _fetchExternalNotes;
-  late Future<NotesCallResult> _fetchExternalNotes;
+  Future<NotesCallResult>? _fetchOwnNotes;
+
+  /// Future function to retrieve externally owned notes list.
+
+  Future<NotesCallResult>? _fetchExternalNotes;
+
+  /// Tracks the user's login status. `null` while the asynchronous
+  /// check is in flight, then `true`/`false` once known.
+
+  bool? _isLoggedIn;
 
   /// Scroll controller for single child scroll view
   late final ScrollController _scrollController;
@@ -78,12 +86,30 @@ class _ListNotesScreenState extends State<ListNotesScreen> {
   void initState() {
     super.initState();
     _scaffoldController = widget.scaffoldController;
-
     _scrollController = ScrollController();
+    _checkLoginAndFetch();
+  }
+
+  /// Confirms the user is logged in before triggering the POD fetches.
+  ///
+  /// When the user is not logged in we skip the fetches entirely and
+  /// let [build] render the [NotLoggedInCard] placeholder. This avoids
+  /// the cascade of layout exceptions that the fallback "no notes"
+  /// layout otherwise produces on an unauthenticated session.
 
-    // Set future functions to fetch owner's notes and external notes
-    _fetchOwnNotes = NoteService().getOwnNoteList();
-    _fetchExternalNotes = getExternalNoteList();
+  Future<void> _checkLoginAndFetch() async {
+    final loggedIn = await isUserLoggedIn();
+    if (!mounted) return;
+    setState(() {
+      _isLoggedIn = loggedIn;
+      if (loggedIn) {
+        _fetchOwnNotes = NoteService().getOwnNoteList();
+        _fetchExternalNotes = getExternalNoteList();
+      } else {
+        _fetchOwnNotes = null;
+        _fetchExternalNotes = null;
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   @override
@@ -190,16 +216,36 @@ class _ListNotesScreenState extends State<ListNotesScreen> {
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    // Show the loading screen until the asynchronous login check has
+    // returned. Once we know the user is logged out, render the
+    // friendly `Not logged in` placeholder rather than attempting to
+    // fetch notes from a POD we cannot read.
+
+    if (_isLoggedIn == null) {
+      return Scaffold(
+        key: _scaffoldKey,
+        body: SafeArea(child: loadingScreen(normalLoadingScreenHeight)),
+      );
+    }
+    if (_isLoggedIn == false ||
+        _fetchOwnNotes == null ||
+        _fetchExternalNotes == null) {
+      return Scaffold(
+        key: _scaffoldKey,
+        body: const SafeArea(child: NotLoggedInCard()),
+      );
+    }
+
     return Scaffold(
       key: _scaffoldKey,
       body: SafeArea(
         child: FutureBuilder(
           // future: _asyncFetchOwnNotes,
           future: Future.wait([
             // Future result of fetching owner's notes list
-            _fetchOwnNotes,
+            _fetchOwnNotes!,
             // Future result of fetching externally owned notes list
-            _fetchExternalNotes,
+            _fetchExternalNotes!,
           ]),
           builder: (context, snapshot) {
             // if (!snapshot.hasData) {

lib/widgets/not_logged_in_card.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/// `Not logged in` placeholder card for notes screens.
+///
+/// Copyright (C) 2026, Software Innovation Institute, ANU
+///
+/// Licensed under the GNU General Public License, Version 3 (the "License");
+///
+/// License: https://opensource.org/license/gpl-3-0
+//
+// Time-stamp: <Tuesday 2026-05-20 01:18:00 +1000 Tony Chen>
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+// the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+// Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later
+// version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+// ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+// FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more
+// details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+// this program.  If not, see <https://opensource.org/license/gpl-3-0>.
+///
+/// Authors: Tony Chen
+
+library;
+
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+
+import 'package:solidui/solidui.dart' show SolidLoginRequiredDialog;
+
+/// A friendly placeholder shown on note list screens when the user is
+/// not logged in.
+///
+/// Rather than letting the screen try to fetch notes from the POD and
+/// fall over with rendering or assertion errors, we present a clear
+/// message and a `Log In` button. The button reuses solidui's shared
+/// [SolidLoginRequiredDialog], which on confirmation navigates the
+/// user back to the app's standard Solid login page.
+
+class NotLoggedInCard extends StatelessWidget {
+  /// Message displayed in the body of the card.
+
+  final String message;
+
+  /// Optional default message tailored to the notes listing screens.
+
+  static const String defaultMessage =
+      'You need to be logged in to your POD to view and manage your notes.';
+
+  const NotLoggedInCard({super.key, this.message = defaultMessage});
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final theme = Theme.of(context);
+
+    return Center(
+      child: ConstrainedBox(
+        constraints: const BoxConstraints(maxWidth: 480),
+        child: Card(
+          elevation: 4,
+          margin: const EdgeInsets.all(24),
+          shape: RoundedRectangleBorder(
+            borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(12),
+          ),
+          child: Padding(
+            padding: const EdgeInsets.fromLTRB(24, 28, 24, 20),
+            child: Column(
+              mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
+              children: [
+                Icon(
+                  Icons.lock_outline,
+                  size: 56,
+                  color: theme.colorScheme.primary,
+                ),
+                const SizedBox(height: 12),
+                Text(
+                  'Not logged in',
+                  style: TextStyle(
+                    fontSize: 20,
+                    fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
+                    color: theme.colorScheme.onSurface,
+                  ),
+                ),
+                const SizedBox(height: 8),
+                Text(
+                  message,
+                  textAlign: TextAlign.center,
+                  style: TextStyle(
+                    fontSize: 14,
+                    color: theme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                  ),
+                ),
+                const SizedBox(height: 20),
+                ElevatedButton.icon(
+                  icon: const Icon(Icons.login),
+                  label: const Text('Log In'),
+                  style: ElevatedButton.styleFrom(
+                    backgroundColor: theme.colorScheme.primary,
+                    foregroundColor: theme.colorScheme.onPrimary,
+                    shape: RoundedRectangleBorder(
+                      borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(8),
+                    ),
+                    padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(
+                      horizontal: 20,
+                      vertical: 12,
+                    ),
+                  ),
+                  onPressed: () => SolidLoginRequiredDialog.showAndHandle(
+                    context,
+                    message:
+                        'Please log in to your POD to view and manage your '
+                        'notes.',
+                  ),
+                ),
+              ],
+            ),
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+}