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UI enthusiasts and app developers are bullish on the “Flutter.” They foresee great possibilities in flutter-based app designs and developments ahead. Trends, too, suggest that this open-source interface development framework will stay strong in the coming years.
Flutter is gaining traction because of its versatility and cost-effectiveness in the development of applications. Business houses, especially start-ups, are rewriting their applications in Flutter to improve the user experience while saving development costs and integrating with CRMs like Salesforce to exchange and manipulate data. Design aspirants are adopting Flutter technology for the rising work demands and ease of learning the programming language used in Flutter.
So if you are one among them yet unfamiliar with what is flutter, what is it used for? Read this article to the end and get insights into Flutter, career opportunities, and trending app development courses.
Flutter is a software development kit (SDK) by Google. It's an open-source app development framework that can design cross-platform applications using a single codebase. Currently, Flutter apps can be installed and operated on six different operating systems: iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, Linux, and the web
Released in May 2017, Flutter uses “Dart” programming language to code widget trees. Like Flutter, Dart is also an open-source programming language developed by Google.
Apps developed on Flutter integrate with native APIs of the host platforms to give a uniform performance without any need to indulge in the native coding language of the platform. Dart-based widgets are rendered to pixels on the screen by the Skia rendering engine.
Like any other framework, the development of the Flutter app needs codings. While the native apps need two coding bases to build the interface components and the logic, flutter uses a single codebase: Dart.
All the components in Flutter apps are widgets. The dart coding structure looks like a tree; the output is a widget tree. Also known as building blocks, widgets form the base of everything in the Flutter framework.
The architectural breakdown in Flutter Apps would look like this:
The functionality of apps developed on Flutter may not resemble the native structure of the platform but inter-application and accessibility remain the same across the various platforms the installed is installed on. That’s why Flutter apps are called Cross-platform apps.
Since the Flutter framework is versatile, it allows carrying conditional programming to match the functionality of platform logic and make the app work as a native app without having to do anything with the native codes of the platform.
Flutter is known for making the app development process easy and user-friendly. Apps developed on the Flutter framework exhibit similar properties across various platforms unless they are meant to behave differently on a particular platform. The ease of development is attributed to the rich features that Flutter offers.
Let us look at some features of Flutter SDK and understand how these features simplify the app development process.
Dart programming language is singularly used to design components and logic in Flutter, unlike the other platforms where UI design and logic are built in separate languages. For example, App development in Android needs XML for UI design and Java or Kotlin for logic building. Dart is an easy-to-learn language, and aspirants can learn Dart in a comparatively much shorter time to start working on developing applications on Flutter.
The popularity of Flutter is primarily attributed to its ability to allow application development with one codebase across various operating systems. A Flutter developer does not need to learn the native coding languages in the host platform. They develop apps with Dart and have provisions to make changes that match the interface or functionality of the host.
As we know flutter apps behave uniformly across various channels, variations can be incorporated in the widgets to make it behave like a native app. This is achieved by conditional programming, which allows using a separate set of widgets designed to meet native platform needs.
As the name indicates, this feature is a happening one. The Hot Reload feature allows the developer to see changes on the interface instantly. This helps speed up the development process as faults and errors are visible readily.
Flutter is all about widgets, and it allows customizing the widget to get the desired outputs on the screen. Additionally, developers on Flutter can choose from plenty of widgets or build to give their design the desired look.
A significant attribute that makes the Flutter framework widely adoptable is the uniformness in performance across cross-platforms and the expressive user interface found in futter apps. Though there are many, one preferred example would be the SpaceX Go app, which displays rice data about spaceship launch events clearly and crisply. The Flutter app interface is highly customizable. The app's look and feel can be changed to meet specific design needs.
The internal navigation within a Flutter app is unobstructed and smooth. Flutter apps are capable of undertaking high traffic volume efficiently. Etsy, for example, exhibits flawless performance despite facing more than 95 million visits a month.
Flutter framework is free, allowing newbies, beginners, and students to undertake practice or on-the-job projects without paying a subscription fee. Also, it provides excellent advantages to the developers working full-time in app development.
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Since its first stable version release in Dec 2018- flutter 1.0, Google has been providing updates regularly. The last update was the one in November 2023 versioned 3.16.2. Learning and fixing issues in flutter design is easy with the wide flutter community. The official Flutter website offers a vast array of libraries, packages, and tutorials.
Since a single codebase is employed to develop apps that serve cross platforms, developing and maintaining Flutter apps are cost-effective and much time-saving. Flutter developers need not work separately on the user interface and logic. A single code programming does the job for both.
The use of the Flutter framework for app development is increasingly being adopted by businesses, especially start-ups for its cost-efficiency and versatility. The demand has seen a continuous surge since its release in May 2017. As of 2023, there are more than 2 million apps developed on the Flutter framework, and the adoption trends indicate a surge ahead.
There are several cross-platform SDKs, all acquiring some space in the current landscape of app development, but Flutter, by far, is the leading player among all. As per a survey report, around 46% of the developers opted for the Flutter framework in 2022.
With over 2 million developed by this time, Google’s Flutter is becoming the preferred choice of business houses, especially start-ups.
Let’s learn about some popular apps developed on Flutter.
Google has set a huge example for the versatility and customizability that Flutter apps can offer. The Google Ads app- a campaigning and advertisements app, demonstrates the seamless user experience across different platforms.
If you have used Google ads, you must be familiar with the complex data and features it offers. The basic idea behind rewriting the Google Ads app on Flutter was to make the app perform uniformly across the various platforms.
Google Pay was built using Swift for iOS and Kotlin for Android which was later switched to Flutter to meet the scalability needs. The huge user base needs demanded adding several new features. Despite adding all of them, the code lines were reduced by 35%. The speed and other performance parameters were enhanced post-switching to the Flutter framework.
Alibaba’s Xiyanu app has over 200 million registered users, the developers at Alibaba felt a deep need to improve the user experience and create simple pages that allow fast and easy access despite being colorful. They switched to Flutter and successfully reduced their development cost and time. As per a linked report, Flutter reduced the development cost by 30%, time by 40%, and increased the development efficiency by 50%.
The multidimensional SpaceX Go app that allows checking the past and upcoming SpaceX launch updates, and navigating through the vehicle portfolios and other details of the organization was built using the Flutter framework. The objective was to transfer information to the viewers in a sophisticated and clear layout, and the developers at SpaceX found Flutter to be the most competent cross-platform software development kit (SDK) to build the app.
Etsy, the popular e-commerce platform owns a huge base of more than 7.5 Million sellers and over 95 million active buyers. Maintaining a user-friendly interface that allows sellers to navigate swiftly across the various features was a mandatory need, considering that Etsy was written on Flutter.
Some other notable examples of the Flutter app include:
Please be informed that over 2 million applications have been developed using the Flutter framework since its inception, till 2023.
A great way to understand what Flutter is and what it is used for is to understand how Flutter apps are fulfilling the prima facia of businesses in terms of monetary growth. To make a business profitable, apps need the capacity to handle huge traffic and facilitate seamless accessibility to integrated CRMs like salesforce.
With the rise in users, the maintenance need and labor both increase. To tackle this challenge and many others, businesses need technology that reduces operational costs and time and enhances the app performance. Flutter satisfies these challenging needs of the apps on the internet while being easy to use and maintain.
The versatility and ease of widget development have made Flutter popular among business houses and developers. While the native app development is hard to maintain for its large size and two coding bases, code lines in the Flutter framework are more structured and accessible because of Flutter features like Hot Reload and customizable Widgets.
The Hot Reload feature allows quick access to all changes in the interface, highlighting errors and mistakes for quick rectification. In contrast, the customization of widgets allows developers to develop the interface look they desire.
Owing to the single codebase used in Flutter, maintaining the UI interface and logic is easy and less time-consuming. Flutter's use reduces the apps' size and enhances their loading speed.
The uniformity in look and feature accessibility across various hosting platforms is another advantage that businesses love in the Flutter framework. The conditional programming option in Flutter allows making changes to meet the style needs of native apps for specific platforms.
Flutter uses Dart as its coding language. As stated above only a single codebase is used for developing the interface and logic in the Flutter framework. Dart is an open-source language, designed by Lars Bak and Kasper Lund and developed by Google.
Dart is an easy-to-learn language and comes with features that facilitate enhanced user interface design. Dart is also known for speeding the apps and interface design process as it comes with features that ease the cumbersome bug traces process. Other features like “Spreading Operator” and “Collection If” allow expanding collection and customizing widgets in the Flutter framework.
The strong features of flutter apps like the HOT Reload, and expressive UI are attributes of the Dart programming language.
Widgets are the building blocks in the Flutter framework. Everything in Flutter is a widget. From simple buttons to complex hierarchies, whatever the developer codes turn into a widget or sets of widgets interrelated to each other, called a widget tree.
Developers use combinations of the various widgets to make the interface appealing or match the essence of a niche. Flutter offers a rich widget library of pre-built widgets. These widgets can be customized to bring a change in their appearance on the interface. A developer can create a widget with codes to meet a unique need.
Conditional coding, a feature of the Flutter framework, allows the creation of a widget or the use of pre-built Cupertino widgets to match the native look of the iOS platform.
There are four types of pre-built widgets found in the Flutter framework. They are:
Following are the advantages of using the Flutter framework to develop cross-platform applications.
Learning Flutter can be a valuable investment for developers looking to make a career in mobile app development. The rising switch of applications to Flutter and its growing popularity makes learning Flutter an essential skill in the current landscape of app development technology.
There can be several ways to learn the Flutter framework which include: Online courses, attending bootcamps post grabbing a certification, and Participating in communities of Flutter app developers.
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At JanBask, we offer structured learning courses to shape your app development career to meet the growing job demands in the market.
Flutter’s ability to speed up the app development process while keeping the app aesthetic outstanding makes it a go-to choice for developers worldwide.
The Journey to app design development with Flutter starts with a basic understanding of the Flutter framework. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a newcomer, exploring Flutter opens up a world of possibilities for crafting innovative and visually stunning mobile applications. Learn the essential skills to amster Flutter through JanBask Training App Development Certification Courses now!
Q1. Is Flutter only for mobile app development?
Answer: No, Flutter can be used for mobile, web, and desktop app development. The initial release back in 2018 was limited to mobile app development.
Q2. Can I use my existing Java or Kotlin code with Flutter?
Answer: Flutter uses Dart, so you'll need to write code in Dart. However, you can often reuse business logic written in Java or Kotlin.
Q3. What is Flutter app development?
Answer: Flutter app development is the process of app development using an open-source oftware development kit called “Flutter”. Flutter was developed by Google and released in Dec, 2018.
Q4. What is Flutter Framework?
Answer: Flutter framework is an app development framework developed and released by Google in Dec, 2018. It allows developing cross-platform application using a single codebase.
Q5. Is Flutter difficult to learn?
Answer: Flutter runs on Dart programming language which is considered easy to learn compared to other coding languages used by operating systems. Flutter doesn’t need an additional programming language to manage the UI and logic separately. Further, there are plenty of pre-built widgets that the developers can use to design and develop apps. Considering all these, we can say that Flutter is not that difficult to learn.
Q6. Can I use Flutter for web development?
Answer: Yes, Flutter supports web development, allowing you to build beautiful and interactive web experiences with the same codebase used for mobile apps. This further expands your reach and leverages Flutter's cross-platform capabilities.
Q7. How does Flutter compare to other frameworks like React Native?
Answer: Both Flutter and React Native are popular cross-platform frameworks, each with its strengths and weaknesses. While React Native offers a range of libraries and can be easier for Javascript developers, Flutter excels in hot reload, expressive UI, and performance. Also, Dart, as the experts say, is easy to learn, making it a good choice for beginners who are looking for quick career development with Flutter.
Q8. What is Flutter Programming?
Answer: Flutter programming is the process of using a coding language called Dart to develop cross-platform applications for mobiles, desktops, and all other devices.
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