Flutter is directly linked to the development area. Initially, it was only aimed at creating applications, but with recent changes, this has changed. Flutter is directly linked to the development area. Initially, it was only aimed at creating applications, but with recent changes, this has changed. But after all, what is Flutter?
It is a set of portable User Interface (UI) tools created by Google. It is a new framework, first presented in 2015, which spent a few years improving in Release Preview versions. The first stable version, Flutter 1.0, was released on December 4, 2018. Flutter is Open Source and all its code is available on GitHub . Find out more about this technology, what it is for and which companies have already adopted it to develop their applications. Good reading!
What is Flutter for?
It is developed in C , C++ , Dart and Skia Graphics Engine , the latter being a compact graphics library, which was also acquired by Google.
The default programming language used by Flutter, however, is Dart. Which justifies the fact that it is common to see these two technologies being used together.
For those who don’t know, Dart is a scripting language that is a little older than Flutter. It was created in 2011 by Google with the aim of replacing JavaScript – which attempt was unsuccessful
But returning to the main topic, with Flutter it is possible to create hybrid applications and maintain native performance . In other words, with just one code, it allows you to create an application that will run on both Android and iOS, maintaining native performance in both cases.
Its functionality, however, is not just that. It was built to unite 3 items that are the developers’ dream .
See below!
1. Create applications quickly
It has the Stateful Hot Reload feature , which automatically updates the app when it is saved in the project file. It helps you add features and fix bugs almost instantly and without losing the application status.
With Flutter, it is possible to use a series of customizable widgets, already developed reactively. Furthermore, it can be integrated with various IDEs and editors, such as:
- Android Studio;
- Xcode;
- VSCode.
2. Create beautiful and flexible user interfaces
It allows full control of each pixel on the screen, as it brings rendered widgets, animations and gestures to frameworks. This makes the design much more flexible and personalized.
3. Maintain your application’s native performance
Applications created in Flutter are compiled directly in Arm Native. They also use the GPU and can access the platform’s APIs and files. Not to mention that they can be integrated into already developed applications.
In addition to everything we’ve already said, Flutter is also a standard framework for developing applications for Fuchsia OS , Google’s mobile operating system.
What is the connection between Flutter and Widgets?
Anyone using Flutter will undoubtedly come across Widgets. They are an important point to speed up development – since the central idea of the tool is that you use Widgets to build your user interface.
To make life easier for the software development services, a lot has already been developed, and can and should be reused. And the best part: they are fully customizable , allowing you to make adjustments according to the application.
You can find a large catalog with a collection of widgets from:
- Animations;
- Inputs;
- Scrolling;
- Styling and much more.
There are also Widgets built more specifically for each system, such as Material Design for Android and Cupertino for iOS.
Of course, if you don’t find the specific Widget you are looking for, you can create it and even make it available later to other programmers.
What did the new version of Flutter bring?
The latest version of the framework, released in May 2019, was called by the team itself a major milestone for Flutter. This is because it stopped being just mobile and became the Portable UI Framework for Mobile , Web , Embedded and Desktop .
In other words: from being just mobile, Flutter has become Multiplatform , but is still constantly improving
Flutter for Web, for example, is in Technical Preview . But the idea is that, with it, it will be possible to render existing code , made with Flutter in Dart, to web standards in HTML, CSS and JavaScript .
We also need to talk about the new functionality for desktop and embedded systems – which also promise to stand out in the near future.
To get an idea of the ambition that this change generated in the Flutter team, check out what they said about it:
“We want to build the best framework for developing beautiful experiences across all screens.”
It can be seen, therefore, that expectations are high for the framework after its upgrade!
Which companies are already adopting Flutter?
Before we mention the companies, it is important to remember that there are other tools that also have a multiplatform nature and that, therefore, are competitors to Flutter.
In this list we have:
- React Native;
- Ionic;
- Xamarin.
Currently, the biggest “fight” has been between Flutter and React Native . And, beneath these frameworks, we see a duel of giants between Google and Facebook. In fact, it’s not really a duel, after all, everyone just does their best to improve their tool.
The use of Flutter has been growing and some large companies are already using the tool, in addition to Google itself, which has its Google Ads services and Google Greentea built with it.
See some examples of famous organizations that created apps using Flutter:
- Alibaba
- Abbey Road Studios
- Tencent
Apparently, Flutter is here to stay. Even more so after the release of its latest version, which made its use even more interesting for custom software development company
Although Flutter is a relatively new tool, if you intend to work with app development, it should be on your list to use or learn.
Guest article written by: 
Glad you are reading this. I’m Yokesh Shankar, the COO at Sparkout Tech, one of the primary founders of a highly creative space. I’m more associated with digital transformation solutions for global issues. Nurturing in Fintech, Supply chain, AR VR solutions, Real estate, and other sectors vitalizing new-age technology, I see this space as a forum to share and seek information. Writing and reading give me more clarity about what I need.