Flutter: AutomaticKeepAliveClientMixin is not working with BottomNavigationBar

If you want AutomaticKeepAliveClientMixin to continue working, please use PageView to wrap the body, the code should like this

class AddPatientView extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  State<StatefulWidget> createState() {
    return _AddPatientViewState();
  }
}

class _AddPatientViewState extends State<AddPatientView> {
  int _currentIndex = 0;
  List<Widget> _children;
  List<File> _imageFileList = new List<File>();

  // add
  final pageController = PageController();
  void onPageChanged(int index) {
    setState(() {
      _currentIndex = index;
    });
  }

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _children = [AddPatientInfo(savePatient), AddPatientImages(_imageFileList)];
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(
        title: Text("New Patient Record"),
      ),
      // here!!!
      body: PageView(
        children: _children,
        controller: pageController,
        onPageChanged: onPageChanged,
      ),
      bottomNavigationBar: BottomNavigationBar(
        currentIndex: _currentIndex,
        items: [
          BottomNavigationBarItem(
              icon: new Icon(Icons.create), title: new Text('Info')),
          BottomNavigationBarItem(
              icon: new Icon(Icons.camera_alt), title: new Text('Images')),
        ],
        onTap: (int index) {
          // setState(() {
          //   _currentIndex = index;
          // });
          // update
          pageController.jumpToPage(index);
        },
      ),
    );
  }
}

but if you just want to keep page state, I suggest you use IndexedStack, it’s very simple，no need AutomaticKeepAliveClientMixin, the code should like this

class AddPatientView extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  State<StatefulWidget> createState() {
    return _AddPatientViewState();
  }
}

class _AddPatientViewState extends State<AddPatientView> {
  int _currentIndex = 0;
  List<Widget> _children;
  List<File> _imageFileList = new List<File>();

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _children = [
      AddPatientInfo(savePatient),
      AddPatientImages(_imageFileList)
    ];
  }


  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(
        title: Text("New Patient Record"),
      ),
      body: IndexedStack(
        index:_currentIndex,
        children:_children
      ),
      bottomNavigationBar: BottomNavigationBar(
        currentIndex: _currentIndex,
        items: [
          BottomNavigationBarItem(icon: new Icon(Icons.create), title: new Text('Info')),
          BottomNavigationBarItem(icon: new Icon(Icons.camera_alt), title: new Text('Images')),
        ],
        onTap: (int index) {
          setState(() {
            _currentIndex = index;
          });
        },
      ),
    );
  }
}