Building Apps for any screen
Introduction
If you're a beginner looking to learn Flutter, you've come to the right place! In this Flutter blog, we'll cover the basics of Flutter, provide helpful tips for getting started, and point you to some great resources for learning more. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just getting started with mobile app development, Flutter is a powerful tool that can help you build beautiful, high-performance apps quickly and easily.
Getting started with Flutter is easy. The first step is to download and install the Flutter SDK, which is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Once you've installed the SDK, you can use it to create your first Flutter app. There are a variety of ways to create a Flutter app, including using the Flutter CLI, Android Studio, or Visual Studio Code. You can choose the tool that works best for you.
How to Install and Configure?
In Android
Go to URL given below, and download the latest Flutter SDK.
click here!
Setup an Editor
Step 1 − Unzip the zip archive in a folder, say C:\flutter\
Step 2 − Update the system path to include flutter bin directory.
Step 3 − Flutter provides a tool, flutter doctor to check that all the requirement of flutter development is met.
flutter doctorStep 4 - Running the above command will analyze the system and show its report as shown below −
Doctor summary (to see all details, run flutter doctor -v):
[√] Flutter (Channel stable, v1.2.1, on Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17134.706], locale en-US)
[√] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 28.0.3)
[√] Android Studio (version 3.2)
[√] VS Code, 64-bit edition (version 1.29.1)
[!] Connected device ! No devices available ! Doctor found issues in 1 category.Step 5 − Install the latest Android SDK, if reported by flutter doctor
Step 6 − Install the latest Android Studio, if reported by flutter doctor
Step 7 − Start an android emulator or connect a real android device to the system.
Step 8 − Install Flutter and Dart plugin for Android Studio.
Now perform following steps -
Open Android Studio.
Click File → Settings → Plugins.
Select the Flutter plugin and click Install.
Click Yes when prompted to install the Dart plugin.
Restart Android studio.
In MacOS
To install Flutter on MacOS, you will have to follow the following steps −
Step 1 − Unzip the zip archive in a folder, say /path/to/flutter
Step 2 − Update the system path to include flutter bin directory (in ~/.bashrc file).
export PATH = "$PATH:/path/to/flutter/bin"Step 3 - Enable the updated path in the current session using below command and then verify it as well.
source ~/.bashrc
source $HOME/.bash_profile
echo $PATHStep 4 − Install latest XCode, if reported by flutter doctor
Step 5 − Install latest Android SDK, if reported by flutter doctor
Step 6 − Install latest Android Studio, if reported by flutter doctor
Step 7 − Start an android emulator or connect a real android device to the system to develop android application.
Step 8 − Open iOS simulator or connect a real iPhone device to the system to develop iOS application.
Step 9 − Install Flutter and Dart plugin for Android Studio and perform the following steps -
Open Android Studio
Click Preferences → Plugins
Select the Flutter plugin and click Install
Click Yes when prompted to install the Dart plugin.
Restart Android studio.
FEATURES
Flutter is a powerful mobile app development framework that offers a range of features that make it a popular choice for building high-quality apps.
Here are some of the key features of Flutter:
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Flutter allows you to create apps for both iOS and Android platforms with a single codebase, saving time and effort in development. Fast Development: Flutter's hot reload feature enables developers to see changes in real-time and make quick modifications to their code, leading to faster development cycles. Beautiful UI Design: Flutter's widget library offers a range of customizable UI components that allow developers to create stunning designs with ease. High Performance: Flutter apps are known for their fast and smooth performance, thanks to the framework's use of Dart programming language and its optimized rendering engine. Open-Source: Flutter is an open-source framework, which means that it has a large community of developers contributing to its development and providing support. Customizable: Flutter allows for a high degree of customization, including the ability to create custom widgets, themes, and layouts. Third-Party Integration: Flutter can easily integrate with third-party libraries and services, making it easy to add functionality to your app. Built-In Testing: Flutter includes a built-in testing framework that enables developers to write automated tests for their app's functionality and UI. Scalability: Flutter is designed to handle large-scale projects, making it an ideal choice for building enterprise-level applications. Cost-Effective: Flutter's cross-platform compatibility and fast development cycle make it a cost-effective solution for mobile app development.
ARCHITECTURE
Flutter has a robust architecture that allows developers to create high-quality and performant mobile apps.
The architecture is based on three main layers:
Framework Layer: This layer provides a wide range of customizable widgets, APIs, and tools that developers can use to create the app's UI and business logic.
Engine Layer: The engine layer handles rendering, input, and other low-level tasks that are necessary for the app to function. It uses Skia, a high-performance 2D graphics library, to render the app's UI.
Platform Layer: The platform layer provides access to the device's native features, such as camera, sensors, and storage. This layer communicates with the framework layer through a set of plugins, which provide a consistent API for accessing the device's capabilities across both iOS and Android platforms.
Flutter's architecture enables developers to create apps quickly and easily while maintaining high performance and a beautiful UI. By leveraging the power of the framework, engine, and platform layers, developers can create apps that deliver a seamless user experience across multiple devices and platforms.
Thanks for reading, and happy coding!
Mastering Flutter Development Series Article 2 -> Before You Start Flutter Development: Pre-Requisites You Need to Know