feat: Implement empty meta widget generation for handling empty data scenarios (#40886)

## Description
<ins>Problem</ins>

Errors appeared in the console when the List widget in edit mode
received an empty array as data.

<ins>Root cause</ins>

In edit mode, the List widget uses template widgets to create meta
widgets. When the list becomes empty, meta widgets are not generated,
but template widgets with `currentItem` bindings remain. Since
`currentItem` requires meta widgets for evaluation, this results in
errors.

<ins>Solution</ins>

This PR handles the generation of empty meta widgets when the List
widget receives empty data, ensuring `currentItem` bindings don’t break.
It introduces a `generateEmptyMetaWidgets` method in
`MetaWidgetGenerator`, enhances the List widget to track and respond to
empty data states, and resets the meta widget cache when transitioning
between empty and non-empty states.

Fixes #`Issue Number`  
_or_  
Fixes https://github.com/appsmithorg/appsmith/issues/31925
> [!WARNING]  
> _If no issue exists, please create an issue first, and check with the
maintainers if the issue is valid._

## Automation

/ok-to-test tags="@tag.List"

### 🔍 Cypress test results
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: Cypress test results  -->
> [!TIP]
> 🟢 🟢 🟢 All cypress tests have passed! 🎉 🎉 🎉
> Workflow run:
<https://github.com/appsmithorg/appsmith/actions/runs/15756809644>
> Commit: 58818e09dd83faaa92ee0dad53aab93dcf5f55a5
> <a
href="https://internal.appsmith.com/app/cypress-dashboard/rundetails-65890b3c81d7400d08fa9ee5?branch=master&workflowId=15756809644&attempt=1"
target="_blank">Cypress dashboard</a>.
> Tags: `@tag.List`
> Spec:
> <hr>Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:11:58 UTC
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: Cypress test results  -->


## Communication
Should the DevRel and Marketing teams inform users about this change?
- [ ] Yes
- [ ] No


<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit

- **Bug Fixes**
- Improved handling of empty list data on the first page, ensuring
widgets display correctly when no data is present.
- Enhanced consistency in detecting and rendering empty lists across the
List Widget.

- **New Features**
- Added a utility function to accurately identify fully empty lists,
enabling more predictable widget behavior.
- Introduced an option to handle empty list cases by injecting
placeholder data for consistent widget generation.

- **Tests**
- Added a test to verify the display of "No data to display" message
when the list is empty and confirm no errors occur.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->

app/client/cypress/e2e/Regression/ClientSide/Widgets/ListV2/Listv2_BasicClientSideData_spec.js

@@ -162,5 +162,17 @@ describe(
         false,
       );
     });
+
+    it("7. For the empty list, there should be no errors in appsmith console(as empty meta widgets are generated)", () => {
+      cy.openPropertyPane("listwidgetv2");
+
+      _.propPane.UpdatePropertyFieldValue("Items", "[]");
+
+      _.agHelper.AssertElementVisibility(
+        _.locators._visibleTextDiv("No data to display"),
+      );
+
+      _.debuggerHelper.AssertErrorCount(0);
+    });
   },
 );

app/client/src/widgets/ListWidgetV2/MetaWidgetGenerator.test.ts

@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ const init = ({
   const options = klona({
     ...DEFAULT_OPTIONS,
     ...optionsProps,
+    isEmptyListWidgetCase: false,
   });
   const cache = passedCache || new Cache();
 
@@ -850,6 +851,7 @@ describe("#generate", () => {
         levelData,
         pageSize: 3,
         widgetName: "List6",
+        isEmptyListWidgetCase: false,
       })
       .generate();
 
@@ -897,6 +899,7 @@ describe("#generate", () => {
         levelData,
         pageSize: 3,
         widgetName: "List6",
+        isEmptyListWidgetCase: false,
       })
       .generate();
 
@@ -957,6 +960,7 @@ describe("#generate", () => {
         levelData,
         pageSize: 3,
         widgetName: listWidgetName,
+        isEmptyListWidgetCase: false,
       })
       .generate();
 

app/client/src/widgets/ListWidgetV2/MetaWidgetGenerator.ts

@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ export interface GeneratorOptions {
   serverSidePagination: boolean;
   templateHeight: number;
   widgetName: string;
+  isEmptyListWidgetCase: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface ConstructorProps {
@@ -252,6 +253,7 @@ class MetaWidgetGenerator {
   private templateWidgetStatus: TemplateWidgetStatus;
   private virtualizer?: VirtualizerInstance;
   private widgetName: GeneratorOptions["widgetName"];
+  private isEmptyListWidgetCase: boolean;
 
   constructor(props: ConstructorProps) {
     this.siblings = {};
@@ -296,6 +298,7 @@ class MetaWidgetGenerator {
       unchanged: new Set(),
     };
     this.widgetName = "";
+    this.isEmptyListWidgetCase = false;
   }
 
   withOptions = (options: GeneratorOptions) => {
@@ -325,6 +328,7 @@ class MetaWidgetGenerator {
     this.level = options.level ?? 1;
     this.prevPrimaryKeys = this.primaryKeys;
     this.primaryKeys = this.generatePrimaryKeys(options);
+    this.isEmptyListWidgetCase = options.isEmptyListWidgetCase;
 
     this.updateModificationsQueue(this.prevOptions);
 
@@ -1106,14 +1110,28 @@ class MetaWidgetGenerator {
   ) => {
     if (metaWidget.currentItem) return;
 
-    const shouldAddDataCacheToBinding = this.shouldAddDataCacheToBinding(
-      metaWidgetId,
-      key,
-    );
+    /**
+     * Check if we're in the empty data case (when original listData was empty, we add [{}])
+     * The page condition is included because there may be instances when a user uses navigation controls and lands on a specific page number,
+     * such as page 3, which returns an empty response.
+     * In this case, the list data will be empty, and we want to avoid generating empty meta widgets for that scenario.
+     */
 
-    const dataBinding = shouldAddDataCacheToBinding
-      ? `{{${JSON.stringify(this.cachedKeyDataMap[key])}}}`
-      : `{{${this.widgetName}.listData[${metaWidgetName}.currentIndex]}}`;
+    let dataBinding: string;
+
+    if (this.isEmptyListWidgetCase) {
+      // For empty data case, set currentItem to empty object
+      dataBinding = "{{{}}}";
+    } else {
+      const shouldAddDataCacheToBinding = this.shouldAddDataCacheToBinding(
+        metaWidgetId,
+        key,
+      );
+
+      dataBinding = shouldAddDataCacheToBinding
+        ? `{{${JSON.stringify(this.cachedKeyDataMap[key])}}}`
+        : `{{${this.widgetName}.listData[${metaWidgetName}.currentIndex]}}`;
+    }
 
     metaWidget.currentItem = dataBinding;
     metaWidget.dynamicBindingPathList = [
@@ -1854,10 +1872,6 @@ class MetaWidgetGenerator {
     })?.metaWidgetName;
   };
 
-  private resetCache = () => {
-    this.setWidgetCache({});
-  };
-
   private initVirtualizer = () => {
     const options = this.virtualizerOptions();
 

app/client/src/widgets/ListWidgetV2/widget/helper.ts

@@ -129,3 +129,17 @@ export const isTargetElementClickable = (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
 
   return isInput || hasControl || parentHasControl || hasLink || hasOnClick;
 };
+
+export const isListFullyEmpty = (
+  listData: unknown[] | undefined,
+  pageNo: number,
+) => {
+  if (!listData) return false;
+
+  /**
+   * This empty check is included because there may be instances when a user uses navigation controls and lands on a specific page number,
+   * such as page 3, which returns an empty response.
+   * In this case, the list data will be empty, and we want to avoid generating empty meta widgets for that scenario.
+   */
+  return listData.length === 0 && pageNo === 1;
+};

app/client/src/widgets/ListWidgetV2/widget/index.tsx

@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ import type {
   TabContainerWidgetProps,
   TabsWidgetProps,
 } from "widgets/TabsWidget/constants";
-import { getMetaFlexLayers, isTargetElementClickable } from "./helper";
+import {
+  getMetaFlexLayers,
+  isListFullyEmpty,
+  isTargetElementClickable,
+} from "./helper";
 import { DefaultAutocompleteDefinitions } from "widgets/WidgetUtils";
 import type { ExtraDef } from "utils/autocomplete/defCreatorUtils";
 import { LayoutSystemTypes } from "layoutSystems/types";
@@ -558,12 +562,16 @@ class ListWidget extends BaseWidget<
       serverSidePagination = false,
     } = this.props;
     const pageSize = this.pageSize;
+    const data = this.props.listData;
+
+    const isEmptyListWidgetCase =
+      (data && isListFullyEmpty(data, pageNo)) ?? false;
 
     return {
       containerParentId: mainCanvasId,
       containerWidgetId: mainContainerId,
       currTemplateWidgets: this.currFlattenedChildCanvasWidgets,
-      data: listData,
+      data: isEmptyListWidgetCase ? [{}] : listData,
       itemSpacing: this.props.itemSpacing || 0,
       infiniteScroll: this.props.infiniteScroll ?? false,
       level: this.props.level ?? 1,
@@ -580,6 +588,7 @@ class ListWidget extends BaseWidget<
       hooks: {
         afterMetaWidgetGenerate: this.afterMetaWidgetGenerate,
       },
+      isEmptyListWidgetCase,
     };
   };
 
@@ -602,6 +611,9 @@ class ListWidget extends BaseWidget<
   };
 
   generateMetaWidgets = () => {
+    // The metaWidgetGeneratorOptions method already handles empty data
+    // by providing [{}] when listData is empty, so we can use normal generation flow
+
     const generatorOptions = this.metaWidgetGeneratorOptions();
 
     const { metaWidgets, propertyUpdates, removedMetaWidgetIds } =
@@ -1458,8 +1470,7 @@ class ListWidget extends BaseWidget<
 
     if (
       Array.isArray(this.props.listData) &&
-      this.props.listData.filter((item) => !isEmpty(item)).length === 0 &&
-      this.props.renderMode === RenderModes.PAGE
+      this.props.listData.filter((item) => !isEmpty(item)).length === 0
     ) {
       return (
         <>