Use Flutter for Your App
You have already heard everything from marketing specialists about Flutter, but still do not understand whether it suits your project, right? Here is the article that will solve your problem because here you can look for our honest opinion about this software development kit.
At the same time, we are not so unbelievably arrogant that we cannot admit that there is a teeny, tiny possibility that we could leave out a detail that may be especially important for you. In that case, Flutter application development from OTAKOYIalso presumes consultation before the actual cooperation takes place, and here is where you can get answers to any questions you will still have.
Table of Contents
5 Reasons to Choose Flutter
So, why should you choose this relatively new SDK for your beloved project? Here are the features why lots of developers love it. By the way, customers love Flutter too, but they do not know they use Flutter-made app because it looks like and feels like a native.
Single Codebase
There are three common cases, in which companies opt for cross-platform application development:
- When you have a tight deadline.
- When the frequency of updates is high.
- When native development cannot meet the needs of a project.
Like the majority of cross-platform frameworks, Flutter has a single codebase for both iOS and Android. Moreover, since the update in March 2021, Flutter also covers macOS, Linux, Windows, and the Web. Pretty impressive, right? In fact, it is not the only thing Flutter has to offer. Another benefit you will like when you are building your MVP is Flutter’s widgets. Since any object in Flutter is a widget, its code is just a markup.
Such a set of features is suitable for a situation where the project is in the early stage or in case there is not enough documentation. In this case, the project’s logic may change drastically in no time. If you choose native development, such changes will mean a lot of unnecessary work. However, with Flutter’s single codebase, you will have to write only one code instead of two. What is more, the flexibility of the work with widgets will help you make major changes in your application effortlessly.
Therefore, when flexibility on a project is a must, Flutter will make your life easier.
It Is Stable
Flutter compiles its code into the ARM (Advanced RISC Machines) for the CPU. Owing to its own rendering, applications made with Flutter cannot be affected by the updates on any platform. Even the look of these apps will not change when, for instance, Apple decides to update its iOS.
Moreover, Flutter is also stable as far as version compatibility is concerned. Google has no intention of changing Flutter’s API as well as methods of development. All of this means that an old code written on Flutter can be reused in your new applications.
Developer Experience and Quick Results
You must have heard the term “User Experience,” but have you heard about Developer Experience? The fact is that when it is easy and pleasant for your developers to code an application, you will get results faster, and your app will be better. Here are some details.
Business Logic Components (BLoC)
The reactive programming, on which Flutter is based, presumes streams. Such a type of architecture is BLoC (Business Logic Components). When you use BLoC, you can detach the UI from business logic with the help of streams. It looks like this:
It goes without saying that the possibility of working with UI and data independently is a benefit. The central benefit of this structure is reactivity. Unlike other architecture patterns, this one prevents delays and provides your app with high performance owing to structuring, streams, and asynchronous requests and responses. In plain English, all the visual elements will be smooth while all the information is loaded from the server.
Hot Reload
Hot reload is another feature that concerns Developer Experience. In fact, it directly impacts the speed of development. The reason for that is the absence of compilation, a process that takes unnecessary time. Compilation usually takes a few seconds, and if an app is big enough, it may take up to a few minutes.
As a standard, the process of compilation takes place after any change has been implemented into a program. Now, try to imagine how many times your developers have to have a smoke break after fixing a small bug in your application. In fact, the number of small changes astonishes, and without Hot Reload, after any of them your devs have to compile an application, which is just a waste of time. However, with Hot Reload, these changes may be implemented into a program on the fly. Can you feel the difference now?
DartPub
Because of the fact that Flutter uses Dart language, the developers tend to use DartPub as a source for libraries and packages. The peculiarity of this package manager is that you can always check the maintenance of the reusable components as well as the code health. In this way, you can make sure that the element you borrow are frequently updated and tested.
By the way, even if your devs are using these off-the-shelf components, they can still modify them. Sometimes, it is the best solution to adjust the existing components. Therefore, when developing an app, check whether you can use already existing components and double-check their quality.
Customization
Flutter’s widgets have limitless customization possibilities. Google’s catalog of widgetsincludes Apple’s Cupertino, Google’s Material Design, and Foundation specific widgets that you can use in order to create custom themes.
What is more, Flutter’s widgets allow you to remake the standard iOS, Android, or other platform’s elements. It is useful in a situation when the default elements do not suit you. Another way to do it is a customization because Flutter allows you to create custom widgets with minimum efforts.
Conclusions
All in all, you can see that Flutter is a powerful instrument for the application development. The benefits of Flutter definitely displace native development. However, in order to utilize all of them, Flutter SDK is not enough by itself. To make the most use of this tool, you need professionals to use it because unskilled users will not be able to benefit from a technology. Therefore, you may count on the predicted benefits of work with Flutter, but take into account that the results may differ depending on the level of experience of your developers.