Gadgets, we are surrounded by a plethora of digital devices, or should I say we cannot survive without these devices, say our smartphones, tablets, laptops, iPads, and whatnot! As a result, more and more businesses across the globe have started wandering around for different ways to broaden their reach effectively and of course, with the help of these ever-growing devices. So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to milk some benefits by conducting your very first mobile application development project?
Given that, there is a wide range of platforms or frameworks available for conducting a mobile app development project, it could be quite a tough nut to crack. However, it is a doable job, again thanks to these popular mobile app development frameworks featuring numerous success stories. One of them is Flutter and in the following post, we will be covering what Flutter is and why it needs to be taken into account for your upcoming mobile app development project. Let’s get the
basics right!
Introducing Flutter
A newbie in town, Flutter is an open-source framework developed by Google and has made it huge in the mobile app development realm right from the start. Technically speaking, it is an open-source UI framework that is highly recommended for developing native mobile applications. In addition, if you want to develop a mobile application featuring a single code base, then your hunt should end at Flutter. In other words, you are bound to achieve a seamless, responsive application that works wonders across different screens, aspect ratios, and orientations. It doesn’t matter whether you are willing to build an iOS app or an Android app, both app development procedures can be conducted in a simpler and faster manner.
Some eye-opening facts to consider
- Stackoverflow suggests that 70% of mobile developers have shown a keen interest in the technology over the few years
- According to Google Trends, flutter’s popularity has been increasing for several years now
- In Github, Flutter comprises 109K stars and is known for being among the top 50 active repositories
- Till now over 100,000 apps have been launched and the number keeps on increasing day by day
- Alibaba Group and Google Ads are some of the best examples of the mobile app development framework.
Flutter overall comprises a software development kit, a widget-based library that ensures seamless placement of sliders, buttons, and text inputs. To make the most of the framework one must start using Dart as their programming language, it is one of the most important weapons in your arsenal. By using Flutter, it is possible to develop smooth, robust and intimidating applications and that too in the least amount of time.
Do you think Flutter is only limited to mobile application development only? Definitely not! One can develop from enterprise applications to education, apps for desktop, mobile and of course, the web. Be it any platform, by using the Flutter framework you are bound to come up with an intuitive application in the end. As a result, several industries such as finance, gaming, media, healthcare, and eCommerce are joining the flutter realm and making the most out of it. Why flutter?
- More than 70% of users expect an easy and hassle-free onboarding process, i.e. in less than 60 seconds.
- Flutter comprises user-friendly interfaces
- Here you will find a rich set of libraries
- Flutter can run on any OS
Pros of using Flutter Framework
One of the core reasons for choosing Flutter as your framework for your mobile application development project is that it turns out to be pretty cost-effective in comparison to other frameworks and technologies. As mentioned earlier, flutter uses a single codebase approach which means not just app developers but even businesses can benefit a lot in regards to saving time and money. Here they no longer have to train development teams for different platforms. In fact, it may quite interest you to know that the framework has the potential to solve a wide range of pain points, and that’s the reason why one can develop an application right within the predetermined budget and time.
Conducting cross-platform application development is quite possible here. You see here it is possible to make use of the same code whether they are willing to build iOS or Android applications. Here the same single codebase is used so there is no need to switch between a wide range of platforms. Again lots and lots of time and effort can be saved significantly. Also, the demand for cross-platform development is gaining momentum now and then.
#3 Enhanced productivity and efficiency
Another interesting aspect to take into account is enhanced productivity and efficiency. You see flutter comprises some of the most intimidating features such as instant code generation, debugging at automatic code conversion, and multi-faceted widgets, not just that flutter offers a variety of tools so that developers can end up creating intimidating, robust, and highly scalable applications in the nick of time. Check out the hot reload feature offered by Flutter. You see with the help of this feature, in particular, any changes and modifications can be made in real-time.
I can simply go on and on when it comes to showcasing the advantages of using Flutter such as it is free to use, it supports easy debugging, robust user experience, seamless automated testing, large and active community, and the list goes on! Now we will be focusing on why we consider Flutter when it comes to mobile application development.
Reasons to Choose Flutter for mobile development
Choosing Flutter overall offers a wide range of benefits and advantages some of which you have already been acquainted with above. Well, now we will be focusing on why one must consider using Flutter for mobile application development.
One of the obvious advantages of considering Flutter is that it is an open-source framework developed by Google and consists of a software development toolkit. And since it is free to use, anyone can get hands on the core documents, or information regarding the framework via the open developer forums. Any mobile application developer can learn and grow with the framework and keep on contributing actively. The overall efficiency and productivity of developers irrespective of their experience definitely increases. And above all, the time and cost taken to accomplish the project reduce in a significant manner.
Another mesmerizing feature that lures developers to get started with Flutter for their mobile application development project is Hot Reload. This feature in particular tends to speed up the development process. You see changes are pretty inevitable in any and every development procedure right? So with hot reload it is quite possible to make constant changes and that too within real time. In other words, developers are no longer glued to monotonous tasks instead they can experiment whenever and wherever they feel like. In case of any updates or upgrades, quick decisions can be made and therefore, your app will always make you stand out from the crowd.
Another interesting reason to take into account is native app-like functionality. Technically speaking, Flutter comprises a wrapper around an app. So what is this? Well, it’s a special communication method mainly used to connect a variety of data to native languages. No matter how tricky this one sounds, it is quite the contrary, I mean easy to use and get started with.
Also, here you will find a variety of libraries that ensures seamless connection with the device hardware such as GPS chips, cameras, and microphones. Well, I am not saying that all the tasks can be taken care of using Flutter but at least the basic ones. Moreover, Flutter uses the Dart programming language so the development is supposed to be fast, simple, and a hassle-free journey.
Being one of the highest-performing frameworks, Flutter has to be taken into account for conducting mobile application development projects. Dart Analysis and Flutter Inspector are some of the core developer tools that ensure to keep up with the performance standards. Here you will find usage of a fast and mature open-source graphics library named Skia Graphics. What does this library do, you may ask? Well, it offers quick loading and a smooth app experience.
Much like other available popular frameworks even Flutter comprises a powerful community of developers who might differ in terms of skills, knowledge, and experiences but are always willing or should I say putting an effort to make the mobile app development framework better. Also, here you will find several veterans who know the framework inside out and ensure to make things easier for their subordinates to enter and learn about the framework. So getting started with Flutter for your mobile application development project is never an issue.
Who says, flutter has no cons? Much like any other application development framework, even Flutter comprises a few cons such as the apps developed using Flutter are quite heavy and large in size. In other words, they tend to occupy a lot of space and take hours to download or update. In addition to this, when you update the programming requirements, it means you have to start updating the Flutter modules which is pretty complex and takes a hell lot of time. And lastly, Flutter has a limited set of tools and libraries. So there are fair chances of not getting desired features and functionalities but the ones which you will be getting here aren’t that bad either.
Final Words
And we are done here! Despite the mobile app development framework having some cons, several big names believe in it such as Alibaba, Yandex, Airbnb, Uber, eBay and so more. In comparison to the Cons, the Pros or advantages are way more, I hope you can see that and then make a decision. If you are planning to conduct a mobile app development or a cross-app development project then Flutter is the key to take into consideration. I mean you won’t find any other framework offering such great performance and off-the-shelf solutions. And do you know what’s the best part here? Flutter is well-suited for almost any and every application development need. And the technology is still evolving. So there is a long way to go! I hope now you know what makes Flutter the appropriate framework for mobile application development.
I am a Tech geek and blogger, a seasoned freelancer, and my hobby is to enlighten my views and skills that will helpful for new inductions of the industry.