Chapter 2

Installation And Setup

1. Install Flutter SDK

   • Go to the official Flutter website: Flutter SDK

2. Install Android Studio

   • Download and install Android Studio from Android Studio

Resource- Setting up Flutter with Android Studio

If you’re on Windows + Android Studio

• You can only run Android emulators (Pixel, Samsung, etc.).
• You cannot run iOS simulators on Windows, because Apple restricts iOS simulators to macOS only.

Third-party tools in the Flutter ecosystem

1. FlutterFlow

• A low-code/no-code builder for Flutter apps.
• Works like Figma for Flutter — you drag & drop UI, set logic, and it generates Flutter code for you.
• Supports Firebase integration, APIs, and even deploying apps.
• Good for: UI prototyping, fast MVPs, non-developers building Flutter apps.

2. Codemagic

• A CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) tool made for Flutter.
• Automates building, testing, and publishing your Flutter apps. Example: Push code to GitHub → Codemagic builds Android APK + iOS IPA → uploads to Play Store / App Store automatically.
• Saves time because setting up iOS builds on your own Mac is painful — Codemagic does it in the cloud.
  • Good for: Automating app releases and team collaboration.

3. Mason 🧱

• A code generator tool for Flutter/Dart.
• Think of it like “templates on steroids.” You create bricks (reusable code snippets/templates).
  • Example: Instead of writing the same bloc or feature folder structure again and again, you can just run mason make feature and it generates everything.
• Good for: boosting developer productivity and maintaining consistent project structure.