Getting started with Flutter

Before contributing code to this repo, you probably should get to know Flutter.

Getting to know Flutter's basic concepts

There are loads of Flutter Codelabs that cover most of what's needed for the app.

If you already have experience in programming for another platform, there are tutorials tailored specifically at Android, iOS, web, React Native and Xamarin.Forms developers. If you just want an introduction to how declarative layout works, the official Flutter site also got you covered. Generally speaking, there are a great number of resources on the flutter.dev website, so you're very welcome to spend some time there.

For a higher-level view on how the Flutter frameworks works and how it compares to other platforms, this YouTube video is a great starting point – it'll help you understand why Flutter is architected the way it is.

Gaining experience

Writing Flutter code is the best way to learn to think about UI in a declarative way. You can start by trying to implement designs you come up with yourself – for example, try to program some simple, well-designed utility apps that come in handy in your everyday life.

Reading code is also critical in writing good, idiomatic Flutter code. Digging into the Effective Dart Guide or reading code of the Flutter framework itself helps to learn best practices – and if you ever wondered how a FloatingActionButton is implemented or how exactly the Material ink ripple effect is created, it's quite the interesting read. Of course, you'll also find loads of widgets on pub.dev or in this repo.

A great starting point for getting to know more widgets is the "Widget of the Week" series of the Flutter YouTube channel.

Most other sub-technologies like the animation framework are moderately easy to grasp when you need them, so I recommend not spending too much time on that upfront.

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Next read: Get comfortable with the development workflow