Cross-platform application development has become one of the significant trends in the IT industry in the past few years. Software developers prefer to use these platforms compared to the native ones because a single code needs to be written for running the website/application on multiple platforms.
As a result, developers have to put less effort into coding and focus on other essential parts of the concerned project.
This is why perhaps several cross-development platforms have been made available for the developers, out of which Flutter is the most used one.
According to a survey in 2021, it has been proven that about 42% of developers prefer Flutter over every other hybrid coding platform. For this reason, Flutter has got several new advancements and features as Flutter 2.5.0, which will make the development process much more manageable.
After all, developing a website or application is not just about writing the codes and deploying them on the dedicated server. There are several other things involved in the work, and that’s why Flutter is trying to offer flexibility in every sphere. This article will shed light on the new features.
Performance-based features in Flutter 2.5.0
Based on the performance of this cross-development platform, three features have been added in the 2.5.0 version. They are:
- iOS shader warmup
- GC and message passing
- Async tasks
In the earlier versions, when the UI threads were paused by Garbage Collection (GC) to save more application or website runtime memory, the iOS jank increased by ten folds. This is mainly done according to the instructions of Dart VM.
However, the process was not performed optimally, which resulted in the overuse of multiple garbage collectors. In addition, it directly affected the app/website speed on devices having lots of memory constraints.
That’s why in the latest version, they have reduced the iOS junk by lowering the GC use and improving the performance of the Dart VM. In addition, several asynchronous tasks can now be performed simultaneously using Flutter without compromising any UI thread.
Flutter 2.5.0 new framework options
In the Flutter version of 2.5.0, three new updates have been introduced:
- Android fullscreen
- Text editing shortcuts
- The top bar of Material You
In the earlier versions, any website or application developed from Android devices couldn’t occupy the entire screen. In addition, the view at the bottom was blocked by the control panel, which reduced the appeal and efficiency of the website/app.
That’s why in the 2.5.0 version, you will have four different full-screen modes for Androids: Edge-to-Edge, Sticky, Lean Back, and Sticky Immersive. Users will have an immersive visual experience with these modes, and one can also improve the graphics.
Another significant development that has been introduced to Flutter 2.5.0 version is the addition of the [Material You] banner head. It will pop out at the top, with a message for the users and an action button like “Continue,” “Dismiss,” and more. It can be integrated using the attribute “ScaffoldMessenger.”
Also, if the built-in library function, “showMaterialBanner,” is called in the code, it will display all the notifications being set under Material You, from the latest to the oldest ones.
Recommendation: Google Map with Flutter
Flutter DevTools in version 2.5.0
One of the best additions to the DevTools that has proven to be a blessing for a Flutter app development company India is their ability to check and identify any frame that has been lost. This way, one will track everything that needs to be present for the website or application’s smooth performance.
It also has an added CPU Profiler. Often while handling data from the storage memory of the CPU, developers need to take native codes of the engine, Dart VM, and the Flutter libraries.
However, with the current development, one can switch off these CPU data sources and focus only on coding. This will help the developers to get the proper codes without any concern. One of the best updates in the Flutter 2.5.0 version is the presence of the Widget Inspector console.
Using this, you will be able to know every detail, like form, properties, functions, and so on, about a particular widget by simply hovering over it. Therefore, debugging with the upgraded DevTools is much easier now, so the developers can only solve most issues within a couple of minutes.
Flutter-special IntelliJ/Android Studio
Developing a website or an application is only possible when integrating the testing process right after coding. Luckily, the Flutter 2.5.0 version comes with this excellent feature. In addition, the IntelliJ/Android Studio plugin will allow the professionals to run unit and integration testing through a simple “testWidgets().”
Another fantastic feature that is being appreciated by major IT companies providing Flutter application services India is the presence of enhanced coverage plans. If an entire code is being tested in a segregated form, the console will display red and green bars at the side of the coding screen.
Red bars will indicate the comments that haven’t been tested yet, while the green bar will show the tested codes.
To enable the previews of different icons available in the Flutter library, you must mention the package used in the Plugin programs.
Additional Flutter 2.5.0 tools
In the 2.5.0 version of Flutter, you don’t have to worry about finding the code line that has thrown an exception of any type like null pointer exception, class or package exception, and so on. Hence, there is no need to invest time in debugging the entire code, especially the ones covering multiple functionalities.
Also, with the FutureBuilder feature, you can add the exceptions automatically to the codes so that in case of a compilation or runtime error, you will be able to know which block has thrown the exception.
Final words
Flutter 2.5.0 is one of the best platforms for creating applications or websites for different platforms, starting from Android OS to Chrome OS. Moreover, since so many upgrades have been introduced, you can improve the overall performance, visual appeal, debugging, and more using the recent updates.
Of course, some added features are still in the development phase. But seeing how other deployed features are doing wonders, you can easily hire Flutter app developers India to integrate the changes effortlessly.
About Author
ManekTech Team
ManekTech is a well-known software development and IT consulting company, providing custom software, website, and mobile app development services. ManekTech has own content writing and development team who writes content on various and trending technology that it serves currently.
