Guide: How to Develop Apps on Flutter

Flutter is a new cross-platform mobile app development framework from Google. One of its leading uses is the ability to create fast, native-feeling apps for iOS, Android, and, soon, the Web. The framework is open source and freely available for downloading from the official website. If you've ever created an app for Android or iOS, you probably already know what to expect from Flutter. For those who don't, this article will help explain what the framework is and how it works.

What Is Flutter?

Flutter is an open source framework that allows developers to build cross-platform mobile apps in a fast and flexible manner. The framework provides toolsets such as the Flutter Engine that can help developers build apps more quickly than if they were using other more traditional methods such as Java, Objective-C, or C++.

The main idea behind Flutter is to make it easy to build high-quality apps for the major platforms while also taking advantage of the latest technologies such as AI-powered voice search and virtual reality (VR) to provide an immersive user experience (UX).

Key Differences Between Flutter And Other Frameworks

There are a few key differences between Flutter and other commonly used cross-platform mobile app development frameworks. First, Flutter apps are written in a type of code called Dart, which is similar to Java but also has some elements of C and Objective-C.

Some developers may prefer to use a tool like PhoneGap to build apps for iOS and Android, but Flutter's main purpose is to allow for better code reuse and faster development cycles — benefits that can be especially valuable for small startups, independent developers, and anyone else who might not necessarily have the time or resources to develop apps from the ground up using a more traditional method.

Why Should You Try Flutter?

If you're looking to build a cross-platform mobile app and you don't want to use one of the more traditional methods, then Flutter might be a good fit for your needs. Not only does the framework provide tools to make developing apps easier, but it also has a vibrant and thriving community supporting it.

If you've ever tried to find the right developer to work with, then you know how difficult it can be to find someone with knowledge and experience in both Apple and Android platforms. With Flutter, you can take advantage of the knowledge and resources of the entire community, rather than having to find a single individual who can do the job.

Additionally, because Flutter is open source and freely available for download, anyone can contribute to the growth and improvement of the platform. If you're looking to create an app that will need to be available in the future, then you can be sure that someone else will be able to contribute and maintain the code for you.

Where Can I Learn More About Flutter?

If you're curious about Flutter, then the best place to start is the framework's official website. On this site, you'll find everything you might need to learn more about the platform, including documentation, FAQs, and a list of the most common used languages — both spoken and written. Additionally, the website contains a helpful gallery full of apps built using the framework. You can also find the source code for all these apps on GitHub.

One of the best things about the Flutter website is how quickly it lets you get to the point. While it might take you a while to actually download and play around with the framework itself, the website will guide you through the process of building an app with it — exactly what you need to know to get started.

How Do I Build An App With Flutter?

Once you've downloaded and installed Flutter, you'll be able to access the framework's UI toolkit, which provides easy access to common elements such as buttons, heads, and lists. This toolkit makes creating apps with the framework fairly easy. Just create a new project and start connecting the elements on screen.

To add more functionality to your app, you can use the standard method of including external libraries. However, if you don't want to include external libraries or you prefer to keep your app's code base as minimal as possible, you can also create a custom widget and use it in your app.

When it comes to deployment, you have a few options as well. If you're building for Android or iOS, you can use Gradle to download and build the app for you. You can also use an online service like apache2 to host and distribute your app. Finally, you can also create a.zip file containing your app's source code and upload it to the App Store or Google Play for review.

What Kind Of Apps Can I Create With Flutter?

If you've ever created an app for iOS or Android, then you know that these two platforms offer a fairly large number of templates and guidelines to follow. If you don't want to write the boilerplate code needed to create a traditional iOS or Android app, then Flutter provides you with a couple of options.

The first thing you can do is create a blank app under the iOS or Android templates, as described above. These will then guide you through the process of creating your app. If you don't want to use the provided templates, then you can also choose to write your own code for the app's UI.

Additionally, because Flutter uses the underlying structure of Apple's Mac operating system, you can take advantage of all the built-in design choices offered by the platform. Just like Apple, who built iOS on top of their own Mac OS, Flutter provides you with a macOS-style UI at the system level. This means your app will look the same on iOS, Android, and the soon-to-be-released web version of your app.

What About The Web? Can I Build An App That Works On Both Mobile And The Web?

Yes, you can! The framework is currently available for web development as well and provides a WKWebView widget that allows for full web content to be embedded in your app. This might be useful if you don't have the budget for native apps and you want to keep the functionality of your app available on the Web as well.

Now, let's assume you've already built your app using Flutter. What do you do now? You can submit the app to the App Store or Google Play for review, or you can use one of the many third-party services that assist with app distribution. As a creator, you have full control over how your app is distributed — no middlemen, no gatekeepers, no one in between but you and your audience.

Last but not least, if you decide to go the App Store route, you can use Flutter to create a beautiful, native-like icon for your app. In the Finder, you can locate the app icon template. Simply browse your computer's files until you locate the image you want to use, then submit the app.

Once the icon has been approved, you can submit your app to the App Store for review. If you want to learn more, check out the official documentation on creating apps with Flutter and don't forget to join the discussion forums on the website if you've got any questions about the framework.