Flutter is an open-source mobile application development framework created by Google. It was first introduced in 2017 and has since gained significant traction in the world of app development. One of the main reasons for Flutter’s popularity is its ability to build hybrid apps, which are applications that can run on both Android and iOS platforms. In this blog, we will delve into the role of Flutter in the growth of hybrid app development and how it has made it easier for developers to build cross-platform apps.
Before diving into the specifics of Flutter, it is important to understand the concept of hybrid app development and its history. In the early days of mobile app development, developers had to create separate apps for each platform. This meant that if an app was to be available on both Android and iOS, developers had to build and maintain two separate codebases this is one of the basic practices we follow while developing an app at E-Sutra Technologies. This was not only time-consuming but also costly, as it required a team of developers with expertise in different programming languages.
To solve this problem, hybrid app development emerged as a solution. Hybrid apps are essentially web applications that are wrapped in a native app shell and can be installed on a device just like a native app. They are built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which are then translated into native code by a framework. This allows developers to create an app that can run on multiple platforms using a single codebase.
Over the years, several frameworks have emerged that enable hybrid app development, such as Cordova, PhoneGap, and Ionic. While these frameworks were useful for building basic hybrid apps, they had their limitations. They often resulted in poor performance, had limited access to native features, and required the use of third-party libraries to add native functionality.
This is where Flutter comes in. Flutter is a modern framework that has been designed from the ground up to build hybrid apps that are fast, responsive, and have access to all the native features of a device. It uses the Dart programming language, which is easy to learn and provides a smooth developer experience.
One of the key features of Flutter is its hot reload function. This allows developers to make changes to the code and see the results in real-time, without having to manually rebuild the app. This significantly speeds up the development process and makes it easier to iterate and test new ideas.
Flutter also has a comprehensive set of built-in widgets that provide a native look and feel on both Android and iOS. This means that developers don’t have to rely on third-party libraries or spend time styling the app to make it look native. Flutter also has an extensive collection of community-contributed packages that can be easily integrated into an app to add additional functionality.
Another advantage of Flutter is its performance. Flutter apps are built using native code, which means that they have the same performance as native apps. This is in contrast to other hybrid app frameworks, which rely on web technologies and often suffer from poor performance. Flutter apps are also designed to be responsive, which means that they can adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions without any loss of performance.
In conclusion, Flutter has played a significant role in the growth of hybrid app development. It has made it easier for developers to build cross-platform apps that are fast, responsive, and have access to all the native features of a device. Its hot reload function and comprehensive set of built-in widgets make the development process faster and more efficient, while its use of native code ensures that apps have excellent performance. As a result, Flutter has become a popular choice among developers looking to build hybrid apps, and it is likely to continue to be a key player in the world of mobile app
