Choosing the right framework can help you ace the web development game. It’s not just about creating any website, it’s about picking a tool that resonates with your vision and the dynamic needs of the internet. Over the last couple of years Flutter has garnered considerable attention, particularly when it comes to mobile app development. But the ultimate question remains — will it be able to make a smooth transition from the mobile sphere to the diverse landscape of web development?
Understanding Flutter’s Origins
A look at Flutter’s origins will help reveal its potential in web development. Flutter was first devised as a means of designing natively compiled applications for mobile from a single code base. Thus, the development world was amazed at the prospect of a single code base having the ability to produce iOS and Android applications. This is truly an extraordinary feat in the world of mobile app development.
As Flutter began to progress through its software updates, developers began clamoring for more. Programmers of web background were beginning to ask, “What about Flutter for web development?” Developers began to wonder: Can Flutter be crafted to produce beautiful and functional web design as it has for mobile?
The developer community has spent the last year and a half answering this very question, almost exclusively through a widget called a webview. Though the community needed more, this was the sole option for any interaction between Flutter and web.
Key Features for Web Development
The expressive user interface (UI) has always been one of Flutter’s top selling points for web development and with good reason. The most engaging websites usually have a richly aesthetic look, and they frequently require a UI that’s deeply interactive. Flutter can deliver both.
The hot reload — another trademark of Flutter — is likewise a natural fit for web development. Web development is naturally a very visual process and Novosel said the ability of developers to make changes to the running web application and see the effects in real time from their development environment can only make development more productive.
It’s another compelling reason why Flutter has seen so much development interest over the last year. The project was officially launched at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 and work began “in earnest” in the second half of 2018. Since the start of 2019, much of the code has been open sourced, including the Dart implementation of Flutter’s core libraries.
As the interest has expanded, Flutter’s grown beyond an experiment to an enterprise platform. Some companies are already using it for top-tier apps and it’s no longer in the “what is this” phase.
Cross-Platform Consistency
Consistency across different platforms has plagued developers who work on mobile and web projects. Flutter takes this problem head-on by making applications look and feel the same regardless of whether the user is using an app or a website. This cross-platform consistency means that an application’s user experience remains seamless as their audience switches between platforms. For companies that want to deliver a unified experience to their users, this will be one of Flutter’s most enticing selling points.Dissecting Performance
Performance plays a huge role in how the web site you are building is ranked in search engines and how satisfied users will be. Every developer began to scope out Flutter’s web performance focusing on its ability to handle animations, interactions, and overall UI responsiveness.
Animations, interactions, and responsive UIs are the bread and butter of modern web design. As great as Flutter is at rendering user interfaces that need to stay the same across platforms, how well does it make its entrance into the world of web and render the parts of your page that aren’t in the first bits of the initial view?
It looks like Flutter web is shaping up to deliver that “buttery smooth” experience that was promised. The web is saturated with delays when waiting for a page’s full interface to be polished and it looks like Flutter’s optimized rendering engine will go a long way in keeping you from pulling your hair out as you wait for your Flutter-based website to load. Animations, transitions, and all the other charming things web animation developers are good at handling are absolutely no match for Flutter. Bringing good-looking animations to a webpage can give life to an otherwise bland webpage, and now you can have them in abundance on just about any web-based project
You need to consider the fact that how well any framework you use will perform will heavily depend on what your application’s requirements actually are. The complexity of the application, the practicality of the code, and what exactly you need to get done. In short, it’s worth mentioning to consider running performance tests on whatever you decide to use.
Community and Support
The heart and soul of a development framework are its community. Flutter has already gained a great deal of traction, with an excited group of developers setting it on its path of growth and providing its foundation with a crowd that’s eager to get into some code. As this grow and as features change, or potential breaks become a thing, Flutter’s community will play an absolutely pivotal role in fixing problems before they become disasters.
Regular updates and improvements
Frequent framework updates are a key indicator of current relevance and future potential in the fast-paced world of tech. Flutter has stayed true to this narrative, with actively evolving updates that add new features, optimizations, and bug fixes. Its community is actively involved in shaping its future, sharing best practices and participating in discussions about how to make web development with Flutter even better. All of this is happening in the open, too — something we should be looking for in promising open source projects.
Real-world use cases
In order to investigate whether Flutter is truly a suitable framework for web development, we need to look at actual websites built with it. These real-world examples — ranging from small-scale projects to large enterprise applications — can give us insights into how businesses are adopting Flutter to meet their web development needs. One high-profile use case is none other than the official Flutter website. That’s right, the official Flutter website is powered by the very framework it promotes. That decision speaks volumes about the development team’s confidence in its own product. An attractive, responsive web experience is central to the promise of Flutter — and the Flutter website delivers. Another one of these high-profile use cases is the Alibaba Group, the e-commerce juggernaut from China, more commonly known by its namesake website, AliExpress. Alibaba built new web experiences for their developers and partners using Flutter web to manage its dozens of Flutter web-based applications.
Community commitment
Lastly, how are we to evaluate the ongoing momentum and trajectory of Flutter for web going forward? A final nail in this framework’s adoption coffin is the commitment to its own future. Flutter is constantly being updated and improved upon, and that isn’t just in the form of framework updates. Over the first few weeks and months we’ve seen several sites built with Flutter, and the community is full of confidence and will for its continued success. In descending order of web development experience and use size are known platforms like the Alibaba Group and Google’s homepage. Before we commence it’s critical to note that the suitability of a framework for any particular use case is a complex matrix of project goals, development team skills and background, engineering and resource allocation, and a whole lot more. Just because it’s doable doesn’t mean it’s ideal.
The web is an exciting new frontier for Flutter to spread its wings, and the above use cases affirm that regardless of your development goals, Flutter will certainly remain a relevant framework to consider for many web development projects to come. Here, we take a closer look at some of the particulars that are crucial to keep in mind as we navigate Flutter web’s launch. See the entire discussion in the video below at this timestamp.
Regular updates and improvements
Frequent framework updates are a key indicator of current relevance and future potential in the fast-paced world of tech. Flutter has stayed true to this narrative, with actively evolving updates that add new features, optimizations, and bug fixes. Its community is actively involved in shaping its future, sharing best practices and participating in discussions about how to make web development with Flutter even better. All of this is happening in the open, too — something we should be looking for in promising open source projects.
One consideration is the learning curve associated with Flutter, especially for developers who may be more familiar with other web development frameworks. While Flutter’s Dart programming language is approachable, there may be an initial adjustment period for those transitioning from languages like JavaScript or Python.
Another consideration is the size of the compiled code generated by Flutter. While the framework’s performance is optimized, the resulting code size may be larger compared to other web development frameworks. This can impact the time it takes for a website to load, particularly on slower internet connections or less powerful devices.
Additionally, the ecosystem of Flutter web plugins may not be as extensive as that of some other frameworks. Developers may encounter situations where specific functionalities require custom solutions or additional development effort. It’s crucial to assess whether the available plugins meet the project’s requirements or if custom development is necessary.
Conclusion
By thoroughly considering these points and bringing them together, is flutter good for web development?If you’re a seasoned developer or a business exploring options for your online presence, its the factors we’ve covered in and of themselves that are important to consider.
By examining key features, exploring real-world use cases, and understanding considerations and limitations, developers and businesses can make informed decisions about incorporating Flutter into their web development projects.
As a result, Flutter’s expressive UI, hot reload functionality, cross-platform consistency, and active community support make it a strong candidate for web development projects that require a versatile framework conducive to bridging the gap between mobile and web development.As the web development landscape continues to evolve, Flutter’s role in shaping the future of cross-platform development remains an exciting aspect to watch.
Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a business exploring options for your online presence, the decision to embrace that is flutter good for web development hinges on aligning its strengths with your specific project goals and requirements.