Setting up Flutter

Learn how to set up Flutter

Setting up Flutter

In this submodule, we will guide you through the process of setting up Flutter on your machine. Flutter is an open-source UI software development kit created by Google, which allows developers to build applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following installed:

  • Git: Flutter uses Git for installation and upgrade. You can get Git from https://git-scm.com/.
  • An IDE: You can use Android Studio, IntelliJ IDEA, or Visual Studio Code.

Steps to Set Up Flutter

  1. Download the Stable Flutter SDK

    Navigate to the Flutter's official website https://flutter.dev, click on get started, then select the appropriate operating system to download the stable Flutter SDK.

  2. Extract the Flutter SDK

    After downloading, extract the zipped folder to an appropriate location on your system.

  3. Update your PATH

    To run the Flutter commands from your terminal, you need to update your PATH. The process varies depending on your Operating System.

- For Windows, you can do this via the System Environment Variables option.
- For Mac/Linux, you can directly add the following line to your `.bashrc`, `.zshrc` or `.bash_profile` file: 

```
export PATH="$PATH:`pwd`/flutter/bin"
```

  1. Run Flutter Doctor

    The flutter doctor checks your environment and displays a report of the status of your Flutter installation. Run the following command in your terminal:

    flutter doctor

    The command checks for any dependencies you may still need to install.

  2. Install IDE and Flutter/Dart Plugins

    Flutter supports three IDEs: VS Code, Android Studio, and IntelliJ. After you've chosen and installed your preferred IDE, you will need to install Flutter and Dart plugins.

- For Android Studio and IntelliJ, navigate to 'Configure' -> 'Plugins', then search and install the Flutter and Dart plugins.
- For VS Code, navigate to the Extensions View (Ctrl+Shift+X), then search and install the Flutter and Dart extensions.

  1. Create a New Flutter Project

    To create a new project, you can use the following command:

    flutter create my_app

    This creates a project called my_app.

  2. Run your Flutter App

    Navigate to your project directory and run the following command:

    flutter run

Congratulations! You've set up Flutter on your machine and are ready to start developing amazing applications!

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