Translator: Chen Jun
With the rapid popularity of cross-platform development in the software delivery market, the world's top mobile application development companies have also focused on this area. In recent years, tools that simplify cross-platform development have mushroomed. One of the best known tools is Flutter. It not only allows you to quickly develop native applications for Android and iOS platforms with simple lines of code, but also reduces the workload and time of professional developers to speed up the delivery of scalable mobile applications.
1. What is Flutter?
Flutter, created by Google, is an open source technology used to develop native Android and iOS applications. Its Flutter SDK allows developers to create and deploy intuitive mobile applications in a short period of time through the collaborative use of various tools, widgets, and comprehensive frameworks. Currently, there are more than 50,000 Flutter apps in the Google App Store, including many major apps such as eBay and Alibaba. Google has even put the Flutter toolkit into the Google Home Hub UI and its various Google Assistant modules so that large organizations can use Flutter to develop user-friendly web and mobile applications.
2. Flutter Overview
According to statistics, about one-third of mobile developers are currently using Flutter as a cross-platform mobile development technology and framework. Its main characteristics include the following aspects:
- Flutter comes with a variety of widgets and UI elements.
- Not only can you use Flutter for free, but you can also customize its features.
- Flutter is the second most popular cross-platform technology being used by developers around the world.
- Flutter is not only easy to learn, supports the fast and object-oriented programming language-Dart, but also has a user-friendly UI.
- Flutter uses a C++ rendering engine.
- The Flutter architecture based on responsive programming is comparable to React Native.
3. Flutter's advantages for application development
The platform stability and overall performance of commercial-grade applications are crucial to any enterprise. Flutters can provide real-time support and timely adjustments to ensure customer satisfaction through the following aspects:
high performance
Applications developed by Flutter can be compiled directly into machine code and code interpretation is used to suppress various errors. This provides a high-performance foundation for the implementation of cross-platform technologies.
saving resources
Customized application development often requires adding advanced compilation to the rendering engine. Flutter can easily compile and save the use of rendering resources by adjusting the user interface and transferring it to a certain platform.
Develop competitiveness
Compared to other cross-platform languages, Flutter can provide a more valuable and lower-cost workflow. Building Flutter mobile apps requires less man-hours than native development.
efficient and stable
Because Flutter's syntax requires less code and is easier to debug and upgrade, it helps developers write more productive code faster. As a result, ready-to-use tools made by Flutter often provide excellent platform stability.
Faster time to market
Developing Flutter applications will take less time than creating applications in other programming languages, which will speed up the application's coding delivery and time-to-market.
4. What is the Flutter Development Framework?
Since its launch in May 2017, Flutter is one of the fastest-growing repositories on GitHub. Its improved version of the framework-v2.0 will be released in March 2021. Currently, the Flutter framework includes a complete UI software development kit (SDK) and a library of widgets with various reusable UI elements including sliders, text entry, and buttons. Its components and toolkits are free and open source.
Flutter's application development services can support Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, and Mac systems with complete Flutter elements. Because it mimics the platform's unique native experience, you can run Flutter apps on any device (such as mobile devices, TVs, tablets, etc.). In addition, with Flutter's various test and integration APIs, rendering engines, off-the-shelf widgets, and command-line tools, you can also develop high-performing applications.
5. What programming language is Flutter based on?
As mentioned earlier, Flutter uses a Dart programming language designed to replace classic JavaScript. With the help of the Dart program, developers can run an application directly on the server. In the browser, program code is converted into JavaScript by the decompiler Dart 2js. For example, various applications on Fuchsia, Google's new operating system platform, were created using Dart. The structure of Flutters is completely comparable to the famous, object-oriented programming languages Java and C#.
7. Advantages of Flutter application development
Every programming language has its own advantages and disadvantages, and Flutter is no exception. In addition to being very developer friendly, Flutter also has the following inherent advantages derived from programming languages and development tools:
One code base for all platforms
Unlike traditional Android writing methods and the way other codebases are called on iOS devices, Flutter only needs one codebase. The reusability feature of Flutter's code makes it convenient for developers to write only one code base and apply it to Android, iOS, Web, desktop and other environments. Such a single code base not only helps reduce development time and costs, but also enables you to start your application faster.
The concept of widgets offers countless possibilities
Flutter's custom widgets are ideal for developing great application visuals for you. At the same time, Flutter's application development service provider will also help you build a sophisticated application, and you don't have to worry about whether your application will have UI problems on other devices.
Rich library
Flutter uses the popular framework-the Skia graphics library. This is a small and mature open source graphics library. It redesigns the UI in the application every time the view design changes. As a result, users will get a fast loading and smooth usage experience.
Rapid testing using hot heavy loads
After testing hot overloading capabilities, application development often speeds up. If you use Flutter, you can see the effect of the code changes without having to reload the application. With this, you can easily and in real time change your application to detect and fix errors in your code early in the development process.
8. Disadvantages of Flutter apps
Although Flutter's flaws do not destroy a transaction or application, it does have the following shortcomings as an application toolkit:
bulky
Flutter applications often take up a lot of limited space due to the various widgets they come with. And precisely because it is bloated, it takes longer to download or update data.
Updates are more complex
Flutter needs to update relevant modules to upgrade programming elements in the operating system, which involves both the combination of Flutter modules and fixed elements in the program, and recompilation and reinstallation on the device.
Limited set of tools and libraries
Although Flutter already provides a variety of toollibraries with the latest features on the market, if you need to create a specific tool, extend a feature, or develop a community, you will have to wait for a while. For example, Flutter currently cannot fully support 3D touch applications, and some functions such as camera or phone calls require frequent calls.
9. Applications developed based on Flutter
As the popularity of Flutter application development continues to heat up and the demand for Flutter developers continues to grow, top new technology companies such as Alibaba, Yandex, Airbnb, Philips Hue, Reflectly, Uber, Hookle, and eBay continue to create Flutter application services for a variety of purposes.
10. How to start using Flutter?
Because the learning curve of Flutter applications is relatively smooth, Flutter developers can smoothly build custom widgets for their applications through a friendly UI and seamlessly integrate them with existing widgets. Overall, you can follow these steps to start using Flutter:
- Learn and understand Dart, as well as other related programming languages such as C and some object-oriented concepts.
- Join the Gitter chat room and communicate with developers with practical experience in Flutter.
- Provide an accurate list of requirements and features for the application type and design to be developed.
- Learn about GitHub repositories and gain enough knowledge of Flutter by joining Slack and other Flutter communities.
- Participate in various technical conferences, tutorials, seminars, and even hackathons to keep up with industry trends.
- Participate in Flutter related webinars, online courses, browse Flutter's blog, participate in code challenges, etc.
- Install the editor and understand its basics.
- Check the requirements for the system based on updates and versions of the framework.
- Select the operating system and download the appropriate Flutter SDK version.
11. Why is Flutter the best choice for web development?
If you are preparing to develop a web application that will run smoothly on any platform, Flutter allows you to build applications that will run on Linux, Mac, and Windows in addition to smartphones. At the same time, you can customize elements such as icons, colors, and layout on the application interface to improve the ease of use of the interface. In addition, startups can also use the Google firebase framework to build serverless applications to support back-end applications and speed up the entire development cycle.