What’s the best way to create mobile apps?  Maybe you’re thinking of going the native Android or iOS app development route. If so, you might be daunted by the prospect of learning a new programming language and a new set of development tools. You might feel as if you need to relearn everything from scratch. 

As a mobile app development framework, Flutter makes it easy for developers to build and ship cross-platform apps that look great, run fast, and respond quickly. It’s Google’s response to the various challenges developers face when creating mobile apps. 

In this blog post, we will show you how Flutter works as an SDK for mobile app development, which means that you can use it to build applications that run on iOS with virtually no code changes. Let’s get started.

What is Flutter?

Flutter is a new way to build mobile apps that is fast, reliable, and productive. It combines the advantages of native apps (performance, stability and look and feel) with the advantages of web apps (interactive user experience, easy to update, and simplified code). 

Flutter uses a reactive programming language called Dart which was developed by Google and is an open-source project. Flutter is also a “mobile UI framework” that allows you to build cross-platform mobile apps using a single codebase and one set of tools, including a code editor and a debugger. 

Flutter apps are end-to-end native apps, and they are built with a C++ core that has a bridge to communicate with the underlying operating system and iOS app development agency

How does Flutter work?

Flutter is a 3-part system consisting of a C++ core, a Dart framework, and a set of UI widgets with Material Design as the default styling theme. 

The C++ core communicates with the underlying operating system and exists to ensure that the app is responsive and always smooth, even with a poor Internet connection. It also provides secure access to device features such as the camera, GPS, and USB. 

In the middle is the Dart framework, which is responsible for the app logic, event handling, and view management. The Flutter engine handles the mapping between Dart's UI widgets and native OS widgets.

Finally, the set of UI widgets is responsible for the visual design and implementation of the app’s interactive elements such as buttons, sliders, and lists.

Why use Flutter for iOS app development?

If you want to speed up your mobile application development process, you should consider using Flutter for iOS app development. Flutter simplifies the process of making iOS apps by removing the need for developers to write separate code for both Android and iOS. 

 

You can write a single codebase that is compiled into an iOS app and an Android app with no additional plugins required. This is a huge time saver that can help you build your app faster and with fewer bugs. 

 

In consonance, if you run into any issues while building your app, you can also find help from other developers through the Flutter Community Slack channel.

Making apps with Flutter: A step-by-step process

The Flutter team has put together a great resource for getting started with Flutter. The guide walks you through the process of creating an app from start to finish, including building and running it on your device.

Create a new project

From the command line, navigate to the directory you want to store your app and run the flutter create command to create a new project. 

Add widgets to your app

Widgets are the basic units of user interface and interactivity in Flutter. They correspond to UI elements such as a button, list, or image. You can create a new widget by typing a name for it and following it with a colon. 

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After you’ve created a new widget, you can add it to your app’s home screen by typing a comma and selecting your widget from a list of available widgets. 

Connect the backend to your app

If you want to create a real-world app, you’ll need to connect your app to a backend. Flutter offers integration with a variety of backend services including Firebase, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services. 

Add a build configuration

When you’re ready to build your app, you’ll need to create a build configuration. This step is necessary to compile your Flutter code into an iOS app. 

Run the app

Once you’ve created a build configuration, you can run your app on either an iOS platform by selecting the appropriate device and clicking “Run.” You’ll also be able to view your app in the browser by clicking “View in Browser.” 

Add a new feature or fix a bug

If you’ve added all the features you need in the app, you can go back to the source code and make changes to improve the code or add a new feature.

Wrapping up

Flutter is a great choice for building iOS apps if you want to reduce development time. Since you’re writing a single codebase, you won’t have to manage two separate codebases, which can often be challenging. 

With Flutter, you can also use Firebase to add real-time database functionality, analytics, and authentication to your app with just a few lines of code. If you want to get started building for the iOS platform, Flutter is the easiest way to do it.