Build Beautiful Native Applications with Flutter 2.0: New Update Release and Features

Build Beautiful Native Applications with Flutter 2.0: New Update Release and Features

Flutter is a stable primary release of Google’s UI toolkit for creating beautiful, native iOS & Android experiences from one codebase. On December 4th, 2018, Flutter’s first stable version got released. Since then, it has been continuously growing. 

On March 4th, 2021, Flutter announced its latest 2.0 release on occasion titled “Flutter Engage,” marking another milestone in developing the cross-platform UI toolkit and bringing along some changes & announcements. This event was an initiative to introduce Flutter to new audiences, with the team and community coming together to understand it. We shall talk about Flutter 2 and the new features in Flutter’s latest version.

Everything you should learn and know about Flutter 2.0

Flutter is a UI toolkit of Google, offering the simplest of cross-platform development and hardware-accelerated, native-like UI elements, making it the best choice for cross-platform app development. Flutter 2 comes with the extended backing to multiple platforms, notable performance improvements, and production-quality support for the online.

Let us understand in detail what’s new in Flutter 2:

Null Safety

Null safety is an essential concept and significant productivity feature in the programming language that helps developers avoid null errors. Null safety has been a critical detail for several developers trying to shift to Dart over languages like Kotlin. It distinguishes nullable types from non-nullable types, strengthening type systems & making developers’ jobs easier. 

At an equivalent time, it also helps developers avoid problems before time because the code won’t compile if they do not handle a single thing correctly. When an app uses a package that doesn’t use null safety, the app runs within the unsound null safety mode — and sound null safety when all dependencies migrate to null safety.

Dart’s latest version features a stable version of sound null safety. It prevents crashes by checking for null errors during development, saving the app to crash in production. Dart 2.12 provides null security as an opt-in feature, suggesting using Dart 2.12 without using null protection. They also help migrate application code to null safety in an efficient manner.

It makes dart programs smaller & faster. Dart ensures non-nullable variables are never null, creating a safe environment for the developers to prevent the potential crash that null can trigger.

The Web Reaches From Beta to Stable Release

Flutter’s web support is an essential change in Flutter 2. Flutter’s initial release centres on PWAs, SPAs, and sharing code between Flutter mobile and web app. Because the Flutter code is already optimized to affect mobile-sized layouts, PWAs become incredibly easy to make with existing code. It now allows developers to create modern and graphic-rich web apps using Flutter. 

With CanvasKit-based renderer, web-specific features, and support for all modern web browsers, Flutter for the online is ready to deliver beautiful experiences on the fashionable web.

Flutter’s cross-platform support is astonishing. After more than a year and multiple approaches to rendering, Flutter Web is finally stable after improving performance and could now reach the three major platforms: Android, iOS and web.

Flutter coming online had several obstacles:

• The widgets need to get created to form an immersive, responsive web experience.
• Additionally, functionality like hover needs implementation, enabling websites not just to appear as a prominent mobile app.
• Finally, because initially, Dart enabled the exchange of JavaScript, the dart2js compiler was already widely used. However, online may be a tricky platform to affect.

Flutter for Desktop Reaches Stable

Flutter’s support for desktop applications is that the next big update after Flutter’s stable release for the online. However, this is an early release to preview apps intended to run on the desktop. The ultimate stable version goes to return along in due time. Almost like Flutter Web, desktop required an entirely new category of widgets and input mechanics.

The surprising thing about Flutter Desktop is that for an extended time, the community was the drive into developing the desktop until Flutter officially took over development. Now, it’s nearly available for a stable release.

One relatively new update is that Canonical — the creator of Ubuntu — is also contributing to Flutter. It got released that Flutter is the default choice for Ubuntu’s future apps. Also, Flutter converted the Ubuntu installer itself to Flutter. Microsoft has also extended its support for Flutter Engine to support the emerging class of foldable Android devices.

Flutter community has made many improvements to make the most uncomplicated desktop experience. It includes:

• Correct text selection pivot points
• An updated scroll bar
• Command-line argument running for apps
• Input Method Editors(IME) for international users

Flutter For Embedded Devices: Collaboration of Toyota with Flutter

Flutter often gets embedded in cars, TVs, and smart home appliances to supply a connected and enhanced experience no matter the device.

Toyota, the world’s best-selling automaker, has chosen Flutter for building its new infotainment platforms, opening up several Flutter team positions. They prefer Flutter due to its high performance, consistent experience, fast iteration, developer ergonomics, and smartphone-tire touch machines.

With companies like Toyota using Flutter’s embedded API and ecosystem, Flutter is gradually turning into a trusted framework.

Additional enhancements to Flutter 2.0

Here are some additional performance improvements and added features in Flutter 2:

• Build numerous Flutter instances with Add-to-App
• Flutter Fix to wash up deprecated APIs within the codebase automatically
• Revamped DevTools for debugging a Flutter app
• New features in the plugin for the IntelliJ family of IDEs
• Better extension for Visual Code Studio
• Updated DartPad to support Flutter 2
• Performance enhancements for a good range of packages and plugins

Other Improvements

This release of Flutter 2 will help increase developer productivity and knowledge and broadening the horizon for Flutter. Flutter 2 aims to please the developer community across the globe with many essential features and enhancements. Flutter app development will increase its popularity among app developers to create intuitive, modern, and feature-rich Android and iOS applications. Over a thousand engineers at Google are using Dart and Flutter to develop apps.

Looking ahead: Bright Future for Flutter

Flutter 2.0 is spreading across platforms to understand its run-everywhere potential and proves that it’s stable, with more giant corporations on board. It is the fastest-growing and vibrant developer community across the planet. Every app gets a free update to Flutter 2 without rewrite and even targets multiple platforms.

Flutter may be a fast, modern, and rich UI library from Google. Flutter has more stars as the best cross-platform development platform to deliver excellent experiences that showcase your brand in a new way.