Flutter development: why you should consider it
Introduction
Flutter, the open-source app development framework created by Google makes it possible for developers to develop natively compiled apps that work from a single codebase. Flutter’s popularity increased over the years, with its high-performance, cross-platform capabilities. If you hire a developer with excellent knowledge of Flutter, then that’s all that’s needed for mobile, desktop, web, and cross-platform applications. Flutter has an excellent future and so do the apps created with the help of this framework.
A Short Flutter Overview
Flutter was released by Google in May 2017, and so it is a fairly new framework, considering its exponential growth. Over the years, several excellent upgrades have been happening with Flutter, and this enabled it to be robust and user-friendly. The best thing about Flutter is that it is free, and the framework is open source.
The framework uses Dart, an object-oriented programming language that focuses primarily on front-end development. Developers can create natively-compiled, multi-platform applications with the help of the framework. Businesses love that they can build web applications and this is a change from building progressive web apps. Some of the well-known apps created using Flutter are Alibaba, eBay, Groupon, The New York Times, SpaceX Go, and Airbnb.
There are two significant components in Flutter: Software Development Kit and Frameworks. Software Development Kit is a collection of software tools that would help with application development and Frameworks is a set of reusable UI components that can be customized to suit various requirements.
More about Flutter Architecture
Flutter architecture has several layers and components that enable developers to make various fast and efficient applications. It is the well-planned architecture of Flutter that leads to better performance of the apps. There are three main layers to the Flutter Architecture, depending on the roles they play, including platform-specific support:
Embedder (lowest layer). -This layer utilises the engine layer as a library and is the starting point of a Flutter-application. It hosts the Flutter engine and the layer, where the app is launched.The Embedder layer forms an interface to interact with the native platform API.
Engine Layer – This layer is written C/C++ and has the graphics, accessibility support, text layout, APIs, etc. This layer works with the topmost layer, the Framework layer to execute the codes and create the user interface.
Framework (the first one) – This layer is created using the Dart programming language. Developers can access a vast array of libraries and using them, they will create the user interface. The framework layer has foundational classes, widgets, and rendering layers to create highly responsive UIs. This is a very impressive feature because it gives them a native-looking experience for users no matter what device they are using
The layered architecture of Flutter enables the developers to enter the UI elements directly on the device’s canvas. This is a very impressive feature because it gives them a native-looking, pixel-perfect experience for users no matter what device they are using.
Why do you need to use Flutter?
There are so many frameworks, so why should businesses opt for Flutter when they have other options? Businesses that prefer to develop both iOS and Android platforms prefer to build them with cross-platform frameworks. With Fluter, there is support for 6 platforms, so you also have support for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and web. Flutter’s versatility and capabilities make it an obvious choice for businesses. Check out the other major reasons:
Increased Time-to-market through the Hot Reload feature
Releasing fast apps has an impact because it would give you a significant advantage over competitors. With the Hot Reload feature, it is very easy to see the changes in real time. They don’t have to wait for the codes to compile to see the changes reflected. This enables them to develop the apps faster, and thus less time spent on platform-specific coding. The changes reflected in the codes can be seen within milliseconds, significantly accelerating the development process. This would also help in facilitating developer productivity because they experiment, test, and iterate faster, thereby enabling creativity and innovation. Developers and designers work in collaboration with each other so each can see the impact of the code modifications.
The appeal of Flutter Widgets
This is one of the most appealing elements of Flutter. There are so many categories of widgets in Flutter, and they play a crucial role in ensuring the efficiency of the framework. The developers can customize the pre-built widgets and align them with the requirements of the app they are building, especially with text fields, sliders, and buttons.
Single Codebase on Multiple platforms
One of the highlights of Flutter is that you can compile just a single codebase, and run it on multiple platforms. It is this ability of the framework that makes it extremely popular among developers who don’t have the time to write separate code bases for iOS and Android development. This is also a feature that makes it easier for developers to speed up development time. If you are looking for an app that has a broad customer base, and you need to release the app on time, Flutter is the best cross-platform framework to get the job done.
Boasts of a strong community
Flutter has a vibrant community of developers and contributors and they provide support through online resources like tutorials and forums. The Flutter ecosystem is pretty impressive too with its vast array of packages, plugins, and tools. Additionally, Google is continuing to invest in Flutter and you can expect upgrades and new integrations with other Google services and platforms.
Stunning, highly responsive user interface
Flutter boasts of an extensive library of pre-designed widgets, and with its rich set of UI components, developers can customize their apps with amazing UI. These widgets adhere to platform-specific guidelines and thus ensure a native look and feel when the finished product is out. Developers have limitless possibilities with the widgets and they can customize it to suit their project requirements, complete with animations and transitions. Flutter has something known as the declarative UI paradigm. In this, the developers can define the desired UI state and they don’t have to outline the steps to achieve it. This feature speeds up development, even with complex UIs.
Conclusion
Flutter is undoubtedly the compelling choice for cross-platform app development and the features that we described above make it obvious that the framework is a strong contender among similar other frameworks. There are a few cons to consider too, like having an ecosystem of plugins and third-party libraries that could be less extensive, thereby limiting some functionalities. Also, it is very important to hire experienced developers, because the learning curve of the framework is a bit high, especially since the programming language is Dart and Flutter does have a specific development approach. Nevertheless, Flutter is a good choice when you want to create visually stunning apps with rich and engaging UIs. It is also a great choice for startup companies and projects with limited budgets. If you are looking to quickly launch a minimum viable product (MVP), Flutter is the framework for you.
Interesting Links:
Why use Flutter for App Development?
What are the pros and cons of Flutter Development?
Pictures: Canva
The author: Sascha Thattil works at Software-Developer-India.com which is a part of the YUHIRO Group. YUHIRO is a German-Indian enterprise which provides programmers to IT companies, agencies and IT departments.
