As one of the most popular mobile-focused UI development toolkits, Flutter set out to change how applications are developed. It contains cross-platform capability with a variety of tools, libraries, built-in features, and more for developing beautiful applications on many platforms using a single codebase. A powerful tool to assist developers in creating high-quality mobile, desktop, and web applications easily and fast with minimum effort.

What is Flutter?

Flutter is a Google open-source project for creating cross-platform mobile, desktop, and web applications using only a single codebase. It is not just a framework but a complete Software Development Kit (SDK) with a collection of tools, libraries, APIs, and more for software development.

A unique aspect of Flutter is that, unlike other frameworks and languages that use separate components, Flutter uses widgets for application development. Widgets serve as the essential building blocks of design within Flutter. Furthermore, Flutter contains a rendering engine, ready-made widgets, testing and integration APIs, and more.

Initially, Flutter was planned to be for mobile platform development only, with an emphasis on the cross-platform capability from a single codebase. It was later expanded with a new goal of achieving multiple platform compatibility through the built-in Skia engine.

An important point to note is that Flutter is not a programming language; it uses Dart, which is a modern, UI-focused language that compiles to the native code of the mobile platform. Its object-oriented type system and support for reactive and asynchronous programming offer great performance compared to other languages such as JavaScript.

Since its inception, Flutter has undergone several major changes. The most recent major change is Flutter 3, which has improved various issues and bugs, expanded the support options, and added new features.

Flutter architecture

Under the hood, Flutter includes layers of independent libraries that depend on one another. Generally speaking, Flutter consists of three main layers, which include:

Embedder

The embedder is the underlying foundation of Flutter. It uses platform-specific language that enables the application to run on any Operating System. It is written in a language appropriate for the platform such as Java and C++ for Android, Windows and Linux, and Objective-C and C++ for iOS and macOS.

Engine

Flutter engine, written in C/C++, provides a low-level implementation of Flutter’s core APIs such as graphic, text layout, file, network I/O, accessibility support, plugin architecture, Dart runtime, and compile toolchain.

Framework

The uppermost layer of Flutter provides a variety of libraries for implementation and can be divided into several layers such as basic foundational classes, rendering layer, widget layer, and Material/Cupertino libraries. Plugins such as geolocation, camera access, and in-app payment can be found in this layer.

Major versions of Flutter

Flutter has had various iterative changes to its framework and SDKs since its creation. Its version iterations are usually marked by numbers, however, major versions introducing big changes are normally called Flutter followed by numbers.

Flutter 1

  • Supported iOS and Android platforms.

  • Hot reload and restart, saved developers time and development costs.

  • Provided 60 fps to 120 fps animation speed for mobile applications.

  • Beta features for the web and desktop, features of the web were released to the public.

  • Difficulty reusing codes for different platforms, developers must write different codes for each platform

Flutter 2

  • Included web support with many features similar to mobile platforms.

  • Introduced a search bar in iOS for looking up specific libraries quickly.

  • Sound Null Safety feature was introduced to reduce app crashing issues.

  • A built-in context menu was implemented, improving application development on high-precision pointing devices.

  • Improved code reusability, developers are able to write on a single codebase that can be used on multiple platforms.

  • Google Mobile Ads SDK plugins were added to make displaying and loading ads in the application easier.

Flutter 3

  • Include support for macOS Universal Binaries, allowing applications to work natively on Apple Silicon and Intel chips.

  • Stable support for macOS and Linux platforms, making application development across multiple platforms much farther and wider.

  • Include built-in support such as new widgets and highlights for foldable phones.

Why Flutter can be a good choice?

For organizations and businesses, Flutter enables easy integration and unification of application developers into a single cross-platform team. It allows them to build branded applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. It helps speed up feature development, prototyping and synchronizes release schedules across the entire customer base.

For developers interested in learning Flutter, it has a gentle learning curve for both new and experienced developers. Flutter also allows developers to use existing languages such as Java, Objective-C, and Swift to gain access to native features specific to each platform.

Advantages

Flutter brings along a multitude of advantages for developers of enterprises when designing and developing cross-platform applications. From seamless UI development to robust performance, Flutter’s capability allows enterprises to enhance the overall app development process.

  • Hot reload: Developers can make changes to their codebase and instantly see the update to their application.

  • Minimal Code: The use of Dart language in Flutter allows it to compile into native code directly. This cuts down the complexity and reduces performance issues in the intermediary layer when converting to the native mobile platform environment. Furthermore, Dart uses Ahead-of-Time (AOT) and Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation types. This improves startup time and speeds up the performance of applications.

    The release of Flutter 2 brought major performance improvements, a notable feature is Sound Null Safety. As a result of this, developed applications saw minimal crashes reported by developers on their applications. Flutter 2 also introduced memory allocation tools for developers to understand how memory is allocated for their applications on different platforms.

Disadvantages

Although Flutter brings a lot of good things to the table for developers designing and creating cross-platform applications, there are a few issues to be aware of when using Flutter:

  • Lacking audio engine: Although Flutter offers a relatively good audio engine and libraries for developers to use from the get-go, it is a hassle for developers who want to incorporate complex and sophisticated sound or audio into their application. This is a larger issue for game developers, as games need highly sophisticated sound to increase immersion for end users.

  • The popularity of Dart: Although the Dart community has grown significantly over the past few years, there is still a shortage of Dart-fluent developers compared to some of the famous programming languages such as JavaScript and Python. As Flutter continues to grow, it is expected that the demand will push more new developers toward Dart language for cross-platform application development.

  • App file size: Developers should be aware that their application developed using Flutter may be larger than natively developed applications.

Who uses Flutter?

Organizations and teams of all sizes have used Flutter to develop their application for various platforms since its inception. Millions of developers were able to quickly and efficiently build and deploy their applications in a matter of weeks without worrying about bugs or errors within their applications.

In October 2019, BMW’s engineering team adopted Flutter for their mobile development team. Before this, the mobile development team was separated into two, which were for iOS and Android respectively. However, after seeing Flutter’s cross-platform capability, they began to overhaul and rewrite for multiple platforms, countries, and brands, all on one codebase.

When Tencent was looking for a front-end solution for their mobile applications and web platform, their main criteria for consideration were development efficiency, increased application parity, and excellent developer experience. Flutter fits all of the criteria as Tencent’s unified front-end solution for their mobile, web, and other platform development.

As one of the top car manufacturers globally, Toyota has strived to incorporate technologies and features into its current and future line of automobiles. One of the technologies they have incorporated in their infotainment system is Flutter. Flutter’s high-performing rendering engine and numerous features have made the Toyota team confident that they will be able to design and build something that feels premium in their line of automobiles.

eBay Motors, eBay’s very own version of the online automobile market application offers customers and businesses a unique market experience for selling and buying automotive vehicles. In 2018, the eBay Motors team was tasked with developing a new application for Android and iOS platforms that offer a full feature set and a similar look and feel to their main eBay application currently on the app store.

Frequently
Asked Questions.

Flutter’s cross-platform capabilities and access to native features make it a valuable choice for projects requiring consistency, performance, and scalability across multiple environments.

What language is Flutter written in?

Flutter is widely recognized as a leading mobile app development framework that leverages the modern and UI-focused Dart programming language. Dart’s object-oriented type system, support for reactive and asynchronous programming, and optional typing enable developers to build high-performance modern user interfaces. By compiling into native code, Flutter apps can seamlessly run on various platforms including iOS, Android, web, and desktop environments. The Dart ecosystem provides numerous packages and libraries, enabling developers to expand the functionality of Flutter beyond its fundamental features with ease.

Flutter is a versatile and efficient tool for mobile development that can help developers create high-quality applications quickly and effectively. It is an excellent choice in mobile development due to its ability to natively compile applications for Android and iOS. It features a rich set of pre-built widgets that enable developers to create beautiful and responsive user interfaces quickly. Flutter’s cross-platform capabilities allow developers to build applications that work seamlessly across multiple devices.

Flutter is a great choice for any startup wanting to push its products onto mobile platforms quickly. Its single codebase for both iOS and Android platforms, plus ready-made widgets and libraries, provide cost-effective and time-efficient development. A large developer community provides startups with a wealth of resources and support. The platform’s great performance and responsive user experience ensure startups can provide their users with an excellent mobile experience, boosting customer satisfaction and retention.

Flutter is the best choice if you want a fast and efficient development process, beautiful and responsive apps, and access to native features, then Flutter is the right choice for your app development needs. It provides great performance and a fast development track with a great end-user experience similar to natively-developed applications. The framework’s Hot Reload feature makes development faster, while its customizable widgets library creates stunning, responsive apps. Its built-in rendering engine ensures a smooth user experience with fast animations.

Flutter is a powerful framework that offers fast, low-cost application development with cross-platform compatibility. Its built-in UI toolkit allows developers to create customizable user interfaces that are consistent across all platforms. Access to native features and APIs ensures the same performance and capabilities as native apps. Its seamless integration with native features makes it ideal for creating high-quality applications.

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