Tips & Tricks
A Tool to Generate Dart Classes From JSON Returned From API
If you're communicating with an API which returns JSON objects and you need to convert those objects into instances of a Dart class, I think you'll really appreciate this CLI tool, which does the conversion work automatically by parsing the JSON structure returned from the API you're consuming.
Think of how much time you'll save by not having to write all of those boilerplate fromJson and toJson calls by hand!
As a bonus, you can also use an optional parameter to the tool to indicate whether you want the generated Dart classes to be null-safety compatible.
How Do YOU Use Codegen in Your Flutter Projects?
Very Good Ventures asked this great question on Twitter, and I think some of the responses are worth considering. (I especially appreciated a couple of the replies by Google Developer Expert Anna Domashych.)
I'm personally not familiar with the capabilities of all of the packages mentioned in this thread, but seeing the tools for which other devs use Codegen here would seem a useful place to start!
UI Design
Need Help Designing Your App's Color Scheme? It's flex_color_scheme to the Rescue!
I'm sure I'm not the only developer who is sometimes faced with the task of both deciding on and implementing the theme colors used by my apps.
Since I'm more of a developer than a designer, I think Mike Rydstrom has done some great work here by publishing this rather extensive utility designed to help someone choose and refine the color themes used by an app -- including both light and dark modes.
I also really appreciate that Mike's documentation for this tool is extensive. In fact, it's hard to imagine a case where this tool wouldn't come in handy, especially at the beginning of a project when you're trying to get your theme colors decided upon and the associated code off the ground.
Thanks, Mike!
Flutter Theming, Pair Programming with Author of Flex_Color_Scheme
Speaking of flex_color_scheme (see previous article), in this video, Majid Hajian sits down with Mike Rydstrom and walks through a pair-programming exercise demonstrating how to implement this functionality with an example application.
This is a very nice tutorial if you'd like a more hands-on demonstration of this significant package.
Architecture
Clean Architecture + TDD Video Series
I'm not sure how I missed this when it came out almost two years ago, but Reso Coder's YouTube video series on implementing a clean architecture supporting a test-driven development environment strikes me as still very helpful today, especially if you're starting a Flutter project and want to make sure it's on a solid foundation.
(Also, another shout-out to Reme Le Hane, mentioned elsewhere in this issue, for bringing this resource to my attention in his developer's journey article!)
Development Process
Moving from React to Flutter - One Developer's Journey
If you're either new to Flutter or are considering moving from React to Flutter, I think you'll find Reme Le Hane's story here helpful in providing some perspective on what this journey might look like. (As an aside, this could also prove helpful in persuading a reluctant or undecided management team who is considering such a move as well.)
Reme's Twitter feed also seems full of great Flutter tips, so if you're not already following him, you may want to check it out. :-)
// From Mark
We're Baaaack!
If you haven't seen the newsletter landing in your inbox on its normal schedule for a while don't worry -- it's not you, it's me. :-)
After some "down time" I'm back now, and developments in the world of Flutter continue to impress. I LOVE what I can do with this platform, and the fact that it continues to improve.
Here's wishing you another productive week working in Flutter. Please drop me an email if you come across something you think would be worth sharing with the broader Flutter community.
Onward!
Mark Winters