What is Flutter?
Flutter, a mobile UI framework developed by Google and introduced in May 2017, is a free and open-source solution. It empowers developers to build native mobile applications using a single codebase. With Flutter, developers can utilize one programming language and codebase to create iOS, Android, web, and desktop applications.
Components
Flutter is made up of two essential components.
Software development kit (SDK): Flutter provides an SDK comprising a comprehensive set of tools that facilitate application development. These tools assist in compiling code into native machine code, enabling compatibility with both iOS and Android platforms.
Widget-based UI framework: Flutter's core is a framework built on widgets. It offers a vast library of reusable UI elements, including buttons, text inputs, sliders, and more. These widgets can be easily customized and tailored to meet specific application requirements.
In Flutter, everything is a widget, forming a hierarchical structure. Each widget can have children, and those children can further have their children as widgets. This widget-centric approach allows for easy composition and organization of the user interface. There are mainly two types of widgets in Flutter.
Stateless Widget
Stateful Widget
To understand what is Stateless Widget and Stateful Widget and what is the difference between them, click here.
To understand more about widgets in detail, click here.
Dart language
When developing with Flutter, the primary programming language used is Dart. Google created Dart in October 2011, and it has undergone significant improvements.
Dart primarily focuses on front-end development and can be utilized to create both mobile and web applications. Its ability to compile to native machine code ensures that graphics render beautifully on any platform, providing a consistent and visually appealing user experience.
Note: Want to learn about packages in Dart? Click here.
Code example
The following Dart program will take a number from the user and print a pattern of that height on the console.
import 'dart:io';void main(){// Taking input from user and typecast it to intint rows = int.parse(stdin.readLineSync());for(int i = 0 ; i< rows; i++){for(int j = 0; j<=i;j++){//Printing * on the consolestdout.write('* ');}// Print new line on the consolestdout.writeln();}}
Enter the input below
Note: Want to know more about Dart? Click here.
Basic layouts in Flutter
Creating visually appealing and structurally sound user interfaces is integral to Flutter development. The framework provides a range of fundamental layout widgets that serve as building blocks for creating amazing UIs. These widgets enable us to arrange and position other widgets within our app's interface. Let's explore some of the basic layout widgets in Flutter:
Container: The Container widget is a versatile element that lets us control its dimensions, padding, margins, and more. It's a fundamental widget for framing other widgets and applying styling.
Stack: The Stack widget lets us layer multiple widgets on top of each other. This is useful for creating complex UIs with overlapping elements.
Row: The Row widget allows us to arrange child widgets horizontally. It's perfect for creating layouts where elements are placed side by side.
Column: The Column widget, on the other hand, enables us to arrange child widgets vertically. This is particularly useful for constructing layouts that stack elements on top of each other.
Advantages of Flutter
There are many advantages of Flutter, but the important ones are listed below:
Cross-platform development: Flutter can be used to create apps for both iOS and Android from a single codebase. This means that developers only need to write their code once, which will work on both iOS and Android platforms. It can also be used for web development.
Rich set of widgets: Flutter provides a wide range of customizable widgets, enabling developers to create beautiful and custom user interfaces.
Fast performance: Flutter apps are compiled into native code, meaning they can run as fast as native apps. Flutter does not need a JavaScript bridge, which can slow down app performance.
Open source: Flutter is an open-source project that is free to use and modify. This has led to a large and active community of developers constantly contributing to the project. This means that Flutter is continuously being improved and updated, ensuring it remains a viable option for mobile app development.
Automated testing: Flutter apps can be easily tested using the Dart programming language's built-in testing support. This makes it easy to ensure that your app works correctly before you release it to the public.
Cost-effective and efficient development: Using Flutter's single codebase approach minimizes the need for a larger development team, resulting in cost savings and accelerated time-to-market for the app.
Conclusion
Flutter is a powerful framework that can be used to create high-quality mobile, web, and desktop applications. It is a great choice for developers who want to develop fast, responsive, and cross-platform apps: it is open-source and has a large and active community of developers.
Additional resources
You can learn about Flutter from the following resources:
