Flutter is No Longer a Cross-platform Framework — it is something more
Studying all the bright sides of Flutter, it’s hard to believe that most developers are ditching this framework due to certain drawbacks of this technology.
Since the release of Flutter 2.0, it has grabbed the most attention from developers due to its awesome features and its ability to deploy applications on multiple platforms.
However, it doesn’t work. If you are wondering how to, let’s dig into the reasons why flutter isn’t the best technology to look for and why it can’t be an ideal cross-platform framework.
1. New Technology
Flutter isn’t an old framework hence its libraries are more confined and most of its functionalities have to be developed, which becomes quite tedious for developers.
Hence, most developers don’t prefer developing complex applications with flutter, but instead, use it just to develop simple applications and can use it for prototyping.
2. New Programming Language
Flutter is written in Dart, which is a relatively new programming language for developers. Hence, they are reluctant to use this tool for developing applications.
In fact, it isn’t easy to locate many dart developers who are familiar with this language.
Generally, small businesses use it as it makes no sense to build complex applications with it.
3. Write Multiple Applications
It’s easy to think that flutter can be used to write multiple applications on all platforms. However, it’s near impossible.
For instance, let’s say you have developed one application for each platform and the application gradually becomes popular.
Due to the increase in demand, you will have to hire many more developers. Would it be possible to combine all platforms into one application, or would it be possible for all the developers to work with the same code base at the same time on different platforms?
Of course not; it would become a hassle for the development team as one development team would be working on mobile features and the other on windows.
In addition, if you develop a larger-sized application with the packages, it will create a dependency, as with the update of Flutter 2.0, you’d find that not all packages are updated to aid dependency or safety.
4. Futile to Deploy Apps on Several Platforms
The edge that flutter has over other cross-platform frameworks is its ability to deploy applications on all platforms, including Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Linux, and iOS.
Indeed, you can. However, it’s futile to deploy it on all the platforms, as deploying on all the platforms you have to use the respective design pattern, and it’s inept to think of deploying it on different platforms as you have to think about each aspect such as app bars and bottom models.
In addition, it doesn’t work on larger devices. The users won’t be interested as it would work differently on mobile and desktop, which makes no sense.
Hence, it’s far better to rewire your brain to think about how you can develop an application by reusing the code.
Instead of having to develop applications differently for all platforms, why not just reuse the same in your future projects?
Didn’t get it? For instance, let’s say you have to develop an application focusing on user data. It would require you to conduct various surveys and add questions to them.
Would it make any sense to create new widgets every time you feel the need to add new questions?
Why create a fuss when you can use the business logic instead of creating and adding it all over from scratch?
The catch is simple; use the same business logic for every project instead of making the process tedious and time-consuming.
Business logic helps to determine the ways you can create and store data, so whenever you’re building an application, contemplate the business logic behind the app.
In a nutshell, what’s the app and what is it focused on?
Once you’re done with business logic, you can easily use it in a module and eventually in the flutter-based application.
It’s a wise way to develop several flutter-based applications with different user flows with the same business logic. Isn’t it exciting? Also, this way, you end up delivering a seamless user experience for all the platforms.
Why isn’t Flutter a Traditional Cross-platform Framework?
Flutter isn’t an exact cross-platform framework. It’s a misconception that it can explicitly work as it does, although it has got everything that makes it an ideal tool to build applications for each platform.
However, flutter does need help, such as working with secured preferences. There must be plugins or custom implementations for both Android and iOS.
In Android, there’s a secured preference or keychain, while in iOS, there’s a keychain.
In addition, when you’re writing a flutter application, you aren’t exactly crossing any platforms, which would have been entirely different if you had to write in another tool, for instance, Xamarin.
Conclusion
When you create a flutter application, you do it with the expectation that it will function exactly like a native application. However, this is not the case every time.
It’s rather a mere shortcut to building an application with just a hint of native application resemblance.
Hence, if you want the absolute look of a native application, you’d rather have to develop applications in strict adherence to material design principles for Android and Apple design systems for iOS.
Originally published at https://www.infowindtech.com on August 22, 2022.
