Building an iOS-style Shopping App with a minimalist design using Flutter

Learn how to use Cupertino style (iOS) to make apps in Flutter

Introduction

The Material Design language was created for any platform, not just Android. When you write a Material app in Flutter, it has the Material look and feels on all devices, even iOS. If you want your app to look like a standard iOS-styled app, then you would use the Cupertino library.

You can technically run a Cupertino app on either Android or iOS, but (due to licensing issues) Cupertino won’t have the correct fonts on Android. For this reason, use an iOS-specific device when writing a Cupertino app.

What you’ll build?

In this tutorial, you’ll build a shopping app with an iOS materialistic design using the Flutter SDK. Your app will have:

• Three tabs for Products, Search and Cart.
• Holistic flow for buying any product.
• Use the provider package to manage state between screens.

This tutorial focuses on building important components and Cupertino layout. Non-relevant concepts and code blocks are glossed over and are provided for you to simply copy and paste.

Github Repository | @ShivamGoyal1899

ShivamGoyal1899/CupertinoShoppingApp

Package Used | provider

provider | Flutter Package

Setting up Flutter on your machine

The detailed steps to install Flutter on your personal computer & getting started with Flutter is available at the following blog post

How to install Flutter on Mac & Windows

Coding the application

Create the initial Cupertino app

• Create a simple templated Flutter app, using the instructions in the above blog. Name the project cupertino_store. You’ll be modifying this starter app to create the finished app.
• Replace the contents of main.dart with the following code.

• Add a file to the lib directory called styles.dart. The Styles class defines the text and color styling to customize the app.

• Add the following CupertinoStoreApp class to lib/app.dart.

• Add the following CupertinoStoreHomePage class to lib/app.dart to create the layout for the homepage.

• At the top of the project, edit the pubspec.yaml file. Add the libraries that you will need, and a list of the image assets.

Create the structure for a 3-tab app

BottomAppBar

• The final app features 3 tabs:
  Product list | Product search | Shopping cart
• Replace the CupertinoStoreHomePage class with the following, which sets up a 3-tab scaffold:

• Create a lib/product_list_tab.dart file for the first tab that compiles cleanly, but only displays a white screen. Use the following content:

• Create a lib/search_tab.dart file that compiles cleanly, but only displays a white screen. Use the following content:

• Create a lib/shopping_cart_tab.dart file that compiles cleanly, but only displays a white screen. Use the following content:

• Update the import statements in lib/app.dart to pull in the new tab widgets:

Add state management

• Create a model directory under lib. Add a lib/model/product.dart file that defines the product data coming from the data source:

• Create a lib/model/products_repository.dart file. This file contains all products for sale. Each product belongs to a category.

• Here is the list of method signatures provided by this class.

• In the main()method, initialize the model. Add the lines marked with NEW.

List products for sale

• Create the lib/product_row_item.dart file, with the following content:

• In lib/product_list_tab.dart, import the product_row_item.dart file.

import 'package:flutter/cupertino.dart';
import 'package:provider/provider.dart';

import 'model/app_state_model.dart';
import 'product_row_item.dart';      // add this line

• In the build() method for ProductRowTab, get the product list and the number of products. Add the new lines indicated below:

• Also in the build() method, add a new sliver to the sliver widgets list to hold the product list. Add the new lines indicated below:

Add product search

• Update the imports in lib/search_tab.dart. Add imports for the classes that the search tab will use:

• Update the build() method in _SearchTabState. Initialize the model and replace the CustomScrollView with individual components for searching and listing.

• Add supporting variables, functions, and methods to the _SearchTabState class. These include initState(), dispose(), _onTextChanged(), and _buildSearchBox(), as shown below:

• Create a new file, lib/search_bar.dart. The SearchBar class handles the actual search on the product list. Seed the file with the following content:

Add customer info

• Update the lib/shopping_cart_tab.dart file. Add private methods for building the name, email, and location fields. Then add a _buildSliverChildBuildDelegate() method that builds out parts of the user interface.

• Update the build() method in the _SearchTabState class. Add a SliverSafeArea that calls the _buildSliverChildBuildingDelegate method:

Add date picker

• Add imports and a const to lib/shopping_cart_tab.dart. Add the new lines, as shown:

• Add a _buildDateAndTimePicker() function to the _ShoppingCartTab widget. Add the function, as follows:

• Add a call to build the date and time UI, to the _buildSliverChildBuilderDelegate function. Add the new code, as shown:

Add selected items for purchase

• Import the product package in shopping_cart_tab.dart.

import 'model/product.dart';

• Add a currency format to the _ShoppingCartTabState class.

final _currencyFormat = NumberFormat.currency(symbol: '\$');

• Add a product index to the _buildSliverChildBuilderDelegate function.

SliverChildBuilderDelegate _buildSliverChildBuilderDelegate(
   AppStateModel model) {
 return SliverChildBuilderDelegate(
   (context, index) {
     final productIndex = index - 4;    // NEW
     switch (index) {]
  // ...

• In the same function, display the items to purchase. Add the code to the default: section of the switch statement, as follows:

Building & running the application

• Connect your Emulator or physical Android device to test the application.
• Click on Build & Run.
• And Boooom 🔥, your app is ready.
  The final build would look like the below illustration.

🔍 Read more of my Articles

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How to add Facebook Authentication to your Flutter App

🎯 That’s all for today.

If you got any queries hit me up in the comments or ping me over on hi@itsshivam.com 📧

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