Flutter

Course designed by CEC on January 1, 2023.

#Coding

#Programming

#Learning

What is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source mobile app development framework created by Google. It allows developers to build high-quality, natively compiled mobile apps for both Android and iOS platforms from a single codebase. Flutter uses the Dart programming language, which is also developed by Google, and provides a rich set of pre-built widgets and tools to help developers create beautiful and responsive apps quickly and easily. Flutter also offers a "hot reload" feature, which allows developers to see changes to the app code immediately, without having to restart the app or emulator. This makes it faster and more efficient to develop and debug mobile apps. Flutter has gained popularity among mobile app developers due to its ease of use, fast development cycle, and ability to create visually appealing and performant apps.

History of the Flutter

Flutter was first introduced by Google in 2017 as a new open-source mobile app development framework. It was initially released as a beta version, and it gained popularity among developers due to its fast development cycle, hot-reload feature, and ability to create visually appealing and performant apps.

Flutter was developed by a team at Google, led by engineer Eric Seidel, who had previously worked on Google Chrome and the V8 JavaScript engine. The team started developing Flutter in 2015, with the goal of creating a framework that would make it easier and faster for developers to build high-quality mobile apps.

In December 2018, Flutter 1.0 was released, marking its first stable version. Since then, Flutter has continued to grow in popularity and has been adopted by many developers and companies around the world.

Flutter's popularity can be attributed to its many benefits, such as its fast development cycle, the ability to create high-quality and visually appealing apps, and the ease of building apps for both Android and iOS platforms from a single codebase. It has also been praised for its ability to create complex UI animations and transitions, making it a popular choice for building mobile games and apps with rich animations.

What makes Flutter so popular?

There are several factors that contribute to the popularity of Flutter:

Cross-platform development: Flutter allows developers to build mobile apps for both Android and iOS platforms from a single codebase, which can save time and resources compared to developing separate apps for each platform.

Fast development cycle: Flutter's "hot reload" feature allows developers to see changes to the app code immediately, without having to restart the app or emulator. This makes it faster and more efficient to develop and debug mobile apps.

Rich set of pre-built widgets: Flutter provides a rich set of pre-built widgets and tools that help developers create beautiful and responsive apps quickly and easily. This can save time and effort compared to building custom widgets from scratch.

Ability to create visually appealing and performant apps: Flutter's graphics engine is designed to create visually appealing and smooth apps with complex UI animations and transitions. This makes it a popular choice for building mobile games and apps with rich animations.

Dart programming language: Flutter uses the Dart programming language, which is easy to learn for developers who have experience with languages like Java and JavaScript. It also provides features like AOT (Ahead of Time) and JIT (Just in Time) compilation, making it faster and more efficient to build apps.

Strong community and support: Flutter has a large and active community of developers who contribute to the framework and provide support to other developers. This community has created many plugins and packages that can be used to enhance the functionality of Flutter apps.

Overall, these factors make Flutter a popular choice for mobile app development, especially for companies and developers who want to create high-quality, cross-platform apps quickly and easily.

Why you need to learn Flutter?

There are several reasons why learning Flutter can be beneficial:

In-demand skills: Flutter is a popular and growing technology, and many companies are looking for developers with Flutter skills. Learning Flutter can help you enhance your resume and increase your job prospects.

Easy to learn: Flutter uses the Dart programming language, which is easy to learn for developers who have experience with languages like Java and JavaScript.

Create visually appealing and performant apps: Flutter's graphics engine is designed to create visually appealing and smooth apps with complex UI animations and transitions. This makes it a popular choice for building mobile games and apps with rich animations.

Large community and support: Flutter has a large and active community of developers who contribute to the framework and provide support to other developers. This community has created many plugins and packages that can be used to enhance the functionality of Flutter apps.

Overall, learning Flutter can be a valuable skill for mobile app developers and can help you stay competitive in the job market. It also provides an opportunity to build high-quality and visually appealing apps quickly and efficiently.

How to learn Flutter?

There are several resources available for learning Flutter. Here are some steps to get started:

Read the documentation: Flutter has comprehensive documentation on its website, which covers everything from getting started to advanced features. It is a good place to start learning the basics of Flutter.

Take an online course: There are several online courses available for learning Flutter. Udemy, CEC and LinkedIn Learning are some of the popular platforms that offer Flutter courses.

Practice by building apps: Practice is key to learning Flutter. Start by building small apps to get a better understanding of how Flutter works. Then gradually move on to more complex apps.

Join the community: The Flutter community is a great place to ask questions, get help, and connect with other developers. You can join the Flutter community on Discord, Stack Overflow, or the official Flutter subreddit.

Attend Flutter events: Attend Flutter events, such as meetups, workshops, and conferences, to learn more about Flutter, network with other developers, and get hands-on experience.

Read books and blogs: There are several books and blogs available on Flutter that cover a wide range of topics, from beginner to advanced. Some popular Flutter blogs include Flutter.dev and Medium.

Remember, learning Flutter takes time and practice. It is essential to start with the basics and gradually build on your knowledge. By following these steps, you can learn Flutter and start building your own high-quality mobile apps.

How we are better to teach Flutter?

Start with the basics: It is essential to start with the basics of Flutter and Dart, such as widgets, layouts, and data types, before moving on to more advanced topics. Make sure to provide plenty of examples and exercises to help students understand the concepts.

Provide hands-on experience: Flutter is a practical framework, so it is essential to provide hands-on experience to students. Encourage students to build small apps, such as a calculator or weather app, to help them understand how to use Flutter.

Use real-world examples: Use real-world examples to help students understand how Flutter is used in the industry. This can help motivate students and show them how Flutter can be applied in real-world scenarios.

Encourage community engagement: Encourage students to engage with the Flutter community, such as attending meetups, joining forums, and contributing to open-source projects. This can help them stay up-to-date with the latest trends and connect with other developers.

Provide feedback and support: Provide regular feedback and support to students to help them improve their skills. This can include code reviews, one-on-one sessions, and office hours.

Use multimedia resources: Use a variety of multimedia resources, such as videos, podcasts, and blogs, to help students learn. This can help reinforce concepts and provide different perspectives on Flutter.

Overall, teaching Flutter requires a balance of theory and practice. By providing hands-on experience, using real-world examples, and encouraging community engagement, you can help students learn Flutter effectively and prepare them for real-world scenarios.