After its massive introduction in 2017, the Flutter App Development method etched its mark in the annals of computer programming. After the release of its official stable version in December 2018, Flutter quickly gained interest. Flutter is still used by 42% of software developers, making it the most outstanding front-end framework.
This cross-platform framework also helps developers build high-quality native apps with code using 2D and 3D graphics. Flutter architecture layers also provide a collection of widgets that are designed to help you build UIs quickly and easily.
Flutter Architecture Overview
Reading dry Flutter literature while pushing your glasses up your nose bridge to get an answer to the question, “Is Flutter a programming language?” can be a huge roadblock in your Flutter app development effort.
Let us assist you by declaring that t is not a programming language as it moves you one step closer to the planning phase of Flutter app development. Google developed and supported this framework.
However, with its headquarters at Google, it did not remain a subpar framework. Instead, Google soon upgraded it to a full software development kit (SDK). The Flutter SDK consists of a rendering engine, an expanded collection of built widgets, unit and integration testing APIs, plugin APIs, and command-line tools. It efficiently creates and compiles applications.
Moreover, Flutter Architecture has 3 layers, which talk to each other via interfaces and use cases with flow from bottom to top.
- Presentation layer
- Domain Layer
- Data Layer
With this in mind, the core idea behind Flutter architecture layers is that it’s a framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using the Google Dart programming language. You can use the Dart programming language for web development but also on mobile devices. In this article, we will explain how you can build your first Flutter project step by step with examples based on a sample application called “Fluttershot”.
Presentational Layer
The Presentation Layer is responsible for presenting data to the user. Flutter architecture components include Widgets and Routes.
With attention to the components, widgets are the UI layer of an app, usually created within Material Design guidelines. The IT world dubs them “Fragments” in Flutter because they live inside a View.
The first thing to notice is that everything in Flutter is a widget. A widget is essentially an instruction that you set into your code, and it is the fundamental building component of the UI of a Flutter application. Widgets specify how their current setup and status should be displayed in their display.
When the state of a widget changes, it rebuilds its description, which the framework compares to the previous description to understand what changes you require in the underlying render tree to transition from one state to the next.
In contrast, routes provide access points into Flutter apps: how you can interact with them depends largely on where you’re coming from—whether through code, touchscreen screens, or even voice commands!
Domain Layer
The domain layer is the innermost Flutter architecture layer. It contains business logic, data and business rules. It’s responsible for communicating with the other layers, such as the presentation and data layers.
To emphasize, the domain layer transforms raw data into domain-specific models that the business logic layer may use. The business logic layer maintains an immutable state of the domain models provided by the repository. In addition, the business logic layer responds to UI inputs and interacts with the repository when your project requires changes depending on the state.
Your development team can develop the domain layer entirely in Dart with no Flutter components. The rationale behind it is that the domain should only be concerned with the application’s business logic. Its implementation specifics should not be prioritized. This also enables easy transfer across platforms if problems occur.
- Case Studies: Business rules for specific applications
- Entities: The application’s business objects
- Repositories: Outer layer functionality is defined by abstract classes.
Data Layer
The Data Layer is the layer where you store your data. It can be a single store, or it could be a collection of stores that are managed by different adapters.
The main principle behind the Flutter architecture is that there should be as little code as possible in this layer. Developers must test any code written here and run it on every device and screen size imaginable (including retina displays). So, when building your app’s data layer, make sure you use different adapters so that:
- All users get a consistent experience on all platforms
- You don’t have to make changes based on screen size or orientation
Conclusion
As we have seen, Flutter Architecture layers comprise the Presentation Layer, Domain Layer and Data Layer. Flutter uses Redux to manage the application state. The Presentation and Domain Layers use the architecture pattern (aka Model View Controller). In comparison, the Data Layer acts as a storage layer. Still require more clarity? Reach out to the top software development and consultancy companies in the USA such as InvoZone to gain unparalleled and industry-proven insights.