Android ViewModel additional arguments

Based on @vilpe89 the above Kotlin solution for AndroidViewModel cases

class ExtraParamsViewModelFactory(
    private val application: Application,
    private val myExtraParam: String
): ViewModelProvider.NewInstanceFactory() {
    override fun <T : ViewModel?> create(modelClass: Class<T>): T = 
            SomeViewModel(application, myExtraParam) as T
}

Then a fragment can initiate the viewModel as

class SomeFragment : Fragment() {
    
    // ...

    private val myViewModel: SomeViewModel by viewModels {
        ExtraParamsViewModelFactory(this.requireActivity().application, "some string value")
    }

    // ...

}

And then the actual ViewModel class

class SomeViewModel(application: Application, val myExtraParam:String) : AndroidViewModel(application) {
    // ...
}

Or in some suitable method ...

override fun onActivityCreated(...){
    // ...
    val myViewModel = ViewModelProvider(this, ExtraParamsViewModelFactory(this.requireActivity().application, "some string value")).get(SomeViewModel::class.java)
    // ...
}

Implement with Dependency Injection

This is more advanced and better for production code.

Dagger2, Square's AssistedInject offers a production-ready implementation for ViewModels that can inject necessary components such as a repository that handles network and database requests. It also allows for the manual injection of arguments/parameters in the activity/fragment. Here's a concise outline of the steps to implement with code Gists based on Gabor Varadi's detailed post, Dagger Tips.

Dagger Hilt, is the next generation solution, in alpha as of 7/12/20, offering the same use case with a simpler setup once the library is in release status.

Implement with Lifecycle 2.2.0 in Kotlin

Passing Arguments/Parameters

// Override ViewModelProvider.NewInstanceFactory to create the ViewModel (VM).
class SomeViewModelFactory(private val someString: String): ViewModelProvider.NewInstanceFactory() {
    override fun <T : ViewModel?> create(modelClass: Class<T>): T = SomeViewModel(someString) as T
} 

class SomeViewModel(private val someString: String) : ViewModel() {
    init {
        //TODO: Use 'someString' to init process when VM is created. i.e. Get data request.
    }
}

class Fragment: Fragment() {
    // Create VM in activity/fragment with VM factory.
    val someViewModel: SomeViewModel by viewModels { SomeViewModelFactory("someString") } 
}

Enabling SavedState with Arguments/Parameters

class SomeViewModelFactory(
    private val owner: SavedStateRegistryOwner,
    private val someString: String) : AbstractSavedStateViewModelFactory(owner, null) {
    override fun <T : ViewModel?> create(key: String, modelClass: Class<T>, state: SavedStateHandle) =
            SomeViewModel(state, someString) as T
}

class SomeViewModel(private val state: SavedStateHandle, private val someString: String) : ViewModel() {
    val feedPosition = state.get<Int>(FEED_POSITION_KEY).let { position ->
        if (position == null) 0 else position
    }
        
    init {
        //TODO: Use 'someString' to init process when VM is created. i.e. Get data request.
    }
        
     fun saveFeedPosition(position: Int) {
        state.set(FEED_POSITION_KEY, position)
    }
}

class Fragment: Fragment() {
    // Create VM in activity/fragment with VM factory.
    val someViewModel: SomeViewModel by viewModels { SomeViewModelFactory(this, "someString") } 
    private var feedPosition: Int = 0
     
    override fun onSaveInstanceState(outState: Bundle) {
        super.onSaveInstanceState(outState)
        someViewModel.saveFeedPosition((contentRecyclerView.layoutManager as LinearLayoutManager)
                .findFirstVisibleItemPosition())
    }    
        
    override fun onViewStateRestored(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onViewStateRestored(savedInstanceState)
        feedPosition = someViewModel.feedPosition
    }
}

For one factory shared between multiple different view models I'd extend mlyko's answer like this:

public class MyViewModelFactory extends ViewModelProvider.NewInstanceFactory {
    private Application mApplication;
    private Object[] mParams;

    public MyViewModelFactory(Application application, Object... params) {
        mApplication = application;
        mParams = params;
    }

    @Override
    public <T extends ViewModel> T create(Class<T> modelClass) {
        if (modelClass == ViewModel1.class) {
            return (T) new ViewModel1(mApplication, (String) mParams[0]);
        } else if (modelClass == ViewModel2.class) {
            return (T) new ViewModel2(mApplication, (Integer) mParams[0]);
        } else if (modelClass == ViewModel3.class) {
            return (T) new ViewModel3(mApplication, (Integer) mParams[0], (String) mParams[1]);
        } else {
            return super.create(modelClass);
        }
    }
}

And instantiating view models:

ViewModel1 vm1 = ViewModelProviders.of(this, new MyViewModelFactory(getApplication(), "something")).get(ViewModel1.class);
ViewModel2 vm2 = ViewModelProviders.of(this, new MyViewModelFactory(getApplication(), 123)).get(ViewModel2.class);
ViewModel3 vm3 = ViewModelProviders.of(this, new MyViewModelFactory(getApplication(), 123, "something")).get(ViewModel3.class);

With different view models having different constructors.

You need to have a factory class for your ViewModel.

public class MyViewModelFactory implements ViewModelProvider.Factory {
    private Application mApplication;
    private String mParam;


    public MyViewModelFactory(Application application, String param) {
        mApplication = application;
        mParam = param;
    }


    @Override
    public <T extends ViewModel> T create(Class<T> modelClass) {
        return (T) new MyViewModel(mApplication, mParam);
    }
}

And when instantiating the view model, you do like this:

MyViewModel myViewModel = ViewModelProvider(this, new MyViewModelFactory(this.getApplication(), "my awesome param")).get(MyViewModel.class);

For kotlin, you may use delegated property:

val viewModel: MyViewModel by viewModels { MyViewModelFactory(getApplication(), "my awesome param") }

There's also another new option - to implement HasDefaultViewModelProviderFactory and override getDefaultViewModelProviderFactory() with the instantiation of your factory and then you would call ViewModelProvider(this) or by viewModels() without the factory.