The `value` parameter of the `DropdownButtonFormField` constructor was deprecated in favor of the `initialValue` parameter.
Original behavior
The `value` parameter of the `DropdownButtonFormField` constructor was used to initialize `DropdownButtonFormField.initialValue`. Not using the same name was confusing. For example, developers falsely assumed that setting `value` would change the current selected value. This was not the case—it only set the initial value or when the field is reset.
New behavior
The `value` parameter of the `DropdownButtonFormField` constructor is deprecated in favor of the parameter named `initialValue`.
- Who is affected
- Code that still calls the deprecated API; it keeps working until removal but produces analyzer warnings. Code that uses DropdownButtonFormField, DropdownButtonFormField.initialValue.
- Practical impact
- Warnings now; removal in a future release. Plan the migration but no immediate break.
- What action should I take?
- Follow the official migration guide below, update affected call sites, run `dart fix --apply` where a fix is available, then run your tests.
Before and after (from the official guide)
| 1 | DropdownButtonFormField( | |
| 2 | − | value: 'Yellow', |
| 3 | ), |
| 1 | DropdownButtonFormField( | |
| 2 | + | initialValue: 'Yellow', |
| 3 | ), |
Raw before / after
DropdownButtonFormField( value: 'Yellow', ),
DropdownButtonFormField( initialValue: 'Yellow', ),
Official migration guide (excerpt, © The Flutter Authors, CC BY 3.0)
Replace the value parameter of the [DropdownButtonFormField][] constructor
with the initialValue parameter to initialize
[DropdownButtonFormField.initialValue][].
Code before migration:
DropdownButtonFormField(
value: 'Yellow',
),Code after migration:
DropdownButtonFormField(
initialValue: 'Yellow',
),AI_PROVIDER (for example to openai-compatible with a local Ollama or LM Studio endpoint) to enable grounded explanations. Everything else on this page works without an AI provider.Listed in the official breaking-changes index; title states deprecation.
An official announcement or migration guide documents an intended behaviour or API change. A verified source change (git diff) shows code changed but does not by itself prove a public API is breaking. AI interpretations are labelled and never used to classify a change.
- Official migration guide
- Issue #169983
- Deprecate DropdownButtonFormField value parameter in favor of initialValue
- Source commit
- b3045439b7c0
- Source last updated
- Oct 21, 2026
- Last synchronized
- Oct 21, 2026
- Publication status
- published
Publication history
- Oct 21, 2026, 8:31 PM: new → published (ingestion) — Backed by an official breaking-change/migration guide.
AI_PROVIDER (for example to openai-compatible with a local Ollama or LM Studio endpoint) to enable grounded explanations. Everything else on this page works without an AI provider.