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Flutter
The tech world is evolving and if you have been paying attention to mobile development, you must have come across the Flutter app framework. Flutter is a software development kit that enables smooth and easy cross-platform mobile application development. It’s one platform that fits both iOS and Android. The tech world is evolving and if you have been paying attention to mobile development, you must have come across the Flutter app framework. Flutter is a software development kit that enables smooth and easy cross-platform mobile application development. It’s one platform that fits both iOS and Android. At BrainForge IT, we’ve already gained experience in Flutter mobile framework and we’re ready to create more Flutter apps! The framework is a fast, convenient, and cost-efficient way to build an innovative application your customers will love. See how Flutter app development can leverage your business.
What is Flutter used for?
In the past
developers who wanted to create apps for Android and iOS had to build two separate applications, which obviously meant doing the work twice. To solve this problem, many frameworks were constructed. One of them has become extremely popular – the Flutter framework. It’s a portable UI kit that enables building native-like applications across mobile and web, from a single database. It was released by Google in May 2017 and the main idea behind the Flutter framework was to use one programming language and one codebase to create two different applications – for iOS and Android.
Flutter consists of an SDK
(Software Development Kit – tools that help developers create apps) and a framework (UI elements that can be personalized for specific needs). To develop with the Flutter mobile framework, developers use a typed object programming language called Dart. The language focuses on front-end development. It was initially intended as a replacement for JavaScript, now it can be used to create mobile and web apps. Flutter app framework, besides Dart, incorporates Material Design and Cupertino widgets. It is the only framework with a mobile SDK that provides a responsive style without using a JS bridge. It’s easy to integrate with platforms like Android, Linux, iOS, Windows, and Google Fuchsia apps. On top of other features, the Flutter framework offers an automated testing toolset (for unit tests, widget tests, and integration tests). It supports the CD model via the fast lane. When it comes to debugging, we conduct it with the help of Flutter DevTools.
The Flutter framework
is mainly used for developing Android and iOS applications without having to write the code in a different codebase for each platform. As you use one codebase, you can easily build app browsers and native programs for macOS, Windows, and Linux, too. You don’t even need a runtime module or a browser. The Flutter mobile framework has the Flutter engine, foundation library, and widgets. At BrainForge IT, we are able to build the entire UI by simply combining different widgets. Various nested widgets can be any object and widgets can influence each other. Custom widgets we create during Flutter app development can be easily combined with existing ones.
Flutter is not a Java framework
Flutter is a framework
for creating native mobile applications with a single codebase. It’s a complete Software Development Kit so we cannot say it’s a Java framework. Flutter is a cross-platform framework that is exceptionally fast, and Java is a safer option. Java has an extensive set of libraries. The Flutter mobile framework enables developers to get a better idea while developing, mostly because it provides materialist designs and an effective and responsive UI design. It’s not available for Java, though. What is more, Flutter gives much more precise results in less time than Java.
Flutter – frontend or backend?
Flutter is a very popular front-end development framework.
It’s been created to build outstanding frontends for any screen. The Flutter mobile framework streamlines cross-platform app development while maintaining a consistent user experience. It’s a perfect solution for developers who want to deploy to multiple platforms from one codebase. They can easily complete multi-platform projects and the development process is less redundant. Flutter enables the best app UI design and for many clients, this is the top-notch priority. All these make Flutter perfect for the front-end. However, Flutter also solves the backend problem as it facilitates a single language to structure the backend, too. To use the Flutter mobile framework though, you need an app for creating, hosting, and managing applications within an integrated platform. One of the most popular backend platforms that work great with Flutter is Firebase powered by Google. Its features simplify the development process (both web and mobile).
Flutter app templates – examples
The Flutter app framework
has become popular in the last few years. It supports applications on iOS and Android, as well as interactive apps on web pages and desktops. In fact, the Flutter app builder is a top choice for many tech giants. It’s convenient and constantly improving so it’s not surprising that it’s used by big players. See the best examples of the Flutter app templates:
Google Ads app
a perfectly-designed application for managing your Google Ad campaigns directly from your mobile device. The app is a simplified, yet clear version of the desktop service. You can manage your accounts up to speed, no matter where you are. At any time, you have access to campaign data and statistics, notifications, budget options, and keyword editing. When it comes to Google, Flutter is also the framework used to create Google Stadia – a streaming platform for gamers.
My BMW
the mobile application is built with 100% in-house Flutter architecture patterns. The app is fully compatible with your vehicle. It enables you to check the security of the vehicle. Also, you can use the app to prepare the car for driving – heat the seats or turn on the air conditioning. You can also monitor energy consumption and costs which is priceless if you’re the owner of an electric or hybrid car.
Xianyu app
the second biggest retail platform of Alibaba Group. The app has over 10 million active users every day. It’s been created using the Flutter framework. The app has been developed step by step, and functionalities and features have been added gradually.
Groupon application
the app is a great example of using a pre-made app. It is divided into two separate applications – customer-facing (50 million downloads) and merchant-facing (500 thousand downloads). Groupon used Flutter app builder as they didn’t want to write a new app from scratch. Instead, they integrated Flutter with an existing solution which turned out to be a success.
Report Pollution
an app by Pure Earth, a non-profit organization. The application has been created to support the reduction of toxic pollution around the globe. Among the others, it helps local communities affected by pollution document and report it. The application was entirely built using Flutter.
How does Flutter work on iOS?
The Flutter framework
has a plugin system to communicate with iOS. It also makes a wide variety of adaptations when running on iOS. In fact, Flutter may be one of the best things that happened to the iOS mobile development scene in the recent past as many features put Flutter above other tools used for creating iOS apps. Native applications are developed with Dart programming language – you should use Xcode and the Flutter binary installed. You can check all the requirements using the ‘Flutter doctor’ command. Apps can be built in debug mode using a simple command which makes creating Flutter apps clean. The Flutter framework gets the speed when building incrementally and the build time for incremental builds in Xcode is superfast. Also, reloading is much faster when compared to e.g. Swift – you can see the changes instantly. Finally, when it comes to the application size, Flutter applications appear to be a bit heavier in size when compared to other e.g. native apps.
Flutter framework vs React Native
For years
React Native has offered a much smoother learning curve than the Flutter framework. It uses React and JavaScript approaches which makes it more natural to learn by developers. However, more and more programmers started to learn Dart, an object-oriented language supporting static typing and sporting a syntax that differs from JS. Now, installing and running both frameworks is quite straightforward. The choice between Flutter framework vs React Native depends on your project. Here are some crucial factors to consider:
Both frameworks
enable developers to build beautiful apps, with a great UX.
Flutter is better for building.
POC (proof of concepts) and in cases you have limited resources but at the same time, need to maximize the learning about your product quickly. It significantly speeds up the development process.
Flutter enhances
developer productivity as it offers many reusable solutions.
Flutter is proven
to be less error-prone and platform-agnostic than React Native in most projects.
The Flutter framework
is lightning-fast which is a great remedy for RN UI quirks.
Both frameworks
enable developers to share code with the web as well.
If your app
won’t be using features not covered by either Flutter or React plugins, you will need developers who will be able to write bridges.
React Native will be better
if you want to develop a product that spans a whole ecosystem (like Apple Watch).
React Native has gained
large community support. The Flutter’s community has been rapidly growing.
Flutter app UI design
Flutter is a useful toolkit
for building visually attractive, natively compiled apps. It has dozens of components to use in a project and each code snippet allows for easy integration. There are many Flutter architecture patterns that can be just copied and pasted which saves hundreds of hours in development time. The Flutter app design utilizes many native components that can easily run on both Android and iOS and look and feel like they were developed natively. The core of Flutter UI are widgets – the building blocks of the interface that define the structure of a UI element. So, the Flutter application interface is a combination of nested widgets. There are two types of Flutter widgets: StatelessWidget (that only depends on its configuration) and StatefulWidget (that allows the state to change dynamically).
Flutter – the best app UI design
Flutter-built applications
are both responsive and adaptive. Applications’ layouts easily adjust to fit the available screen sizes. This is crucial when you use the same software on multiple devices (phone, laptop, desktop computer, and even a watch). On the other hand, the framework’s adaptability is determined by how the Dart code is used.
Pros of the Flutter framework
Finally, let’s explain why you should choose Flutter for building your app!
One codebase is enough for all platforms
the code is reusable so the developer can write it once and use it on not only iOS and Android but also on desktops and the web. This means best-in-class performance and resource consumption. Native code and a high-performance rendering engine are compiled.
Similar to native app performance
there are no performance bugs during interpretation. The app built with Flutter is indistinguishable from the native application. This is because the app doesn’t rely on any intermediate code representations.
Rich libraries
the Flutter framework uses the Skia Graphics Library. It allows fast loading and a smooth app experience.
Hot reload feature
it speeds up the development process as you don’t have to reload the app to see every single change you make in the code. Changes in the app are made in real-time. This helps developers be significantly more efficient and productive. Code execution can be easily paused, and changes can be made from the same place.
Cost-effectiveness
Flutter is cost-friendly from the development perspective. There are fewer problems when adapting the app to each of the platforms.
The best app UI design
Flutter enables us to build excellent platforms using appropriate, visually appealing design patterns and best practices. No contradictions to the standards or some technical flaws caused by the imperfections in the programming language. Flutter widgets are beautiful and fully customizable. You can create applications of any complexity and flexibly work with animation and gesture processing. Flutter widgets also speed up the development – they save developers’ time like no other framework.
Quicker time to market
as Flutter developers are highly productive, it takes them less time to create an application. In consequence, Flutter app development is faster, and applications can enter the market earlier with equal effort.
Less testing
less code to work with means less testing required to push out each iteration of an app. You just write one test and run it across all platforms, instead of having a separate codebase for iOS and Android.
Flutter is just great for startups!
It is often chosen by businesses that want to create an MVP as quickly as possible and show it to the investors. Also, you don’t have to rely too much on code, it is possible to create a native-looking app with the help of widgets.
Flutter app development at BrainForge IT
As you can see
Flutter can be the quickest way to deliver a well-performing cross-platform mobile app. This SDK is already gaining speed in the tech community. Even if there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, the Flutter app builder may be quite close.
Ready to build
your next mobile application with the Flutter framework? We’ve got you covered! We are a team of Flutter experts who have already created dozens of award-winning apps. We believe in a customer-oriented approach and transparency. From ideation and strategy to design and development, we will be happy to answer your needs. We develop apps for both startups and large-scale companies. We’ll help you decide on the best road toward an outstanding application for your business!
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BrainForge IT Software & Consulting Sp. z o. o. with its headquarter in: 53-125 Wrocław, al. Kasztanowa 3a-5, Poland, VATPL: 8992879435, registered in the Regional Court Wrocław-Fabryczna VI Commercial Division of the National Court Register, registered in the commercial register (KRS) under no. 0000840335, with share capital: 5.000,00 PLN.