Tutorials
Flutter for React Native Developers
For someone considering making the move from React Native to Flutter, Stefan Majiros offers this helpful comparison, including a sort of "mental map" to help developers wrap their heads around the way things are done in Flutter versus React Native.
Though I strongly disagree with Stefan's final conclusion here, I think his thoughts might prove useful for someone considering making the change.
Tips & Tricks
Organizing a Flutter Project Into Files and Folders
Gonçalo Palma offers this great Twitter thread on keeping your Flutter code organized.
I guess I'm finding it sort of amusing that basic stuff like this can often be controversial. Given a team environment where everyone has to live with the file and folder structure though, I guess it's not surprising to find cases where this "basic stuff" triggers at least one member of the team who finds it going against the grain of how they'd prefer to work.
Folder structure is one thing, but let's just decide in advance not to discuss brace placement or tabs versus spaces, shall we? :-)
UI Design
A Flutter Guide to Visual Overlap: padding, viewPadding, and viewInsets
If you're developing a Flutter UI with any complexity at all, understanding layout basics such as padding, viewPadding, and viewInsets is critical.
In this article, Lê Dân gives us the details on these concepts in a nicely-illustrated overview.
In reviewing this article, I also appreciate the fact that Dan's medium profile lists several Flutter-UI-related articles. Topics include intrinsic size, SliverAppBar, and managing a widget's visibility. I think these are very worth checking out, especially if you'd like to build your foundation in these basic but important topics.
Development Process
Shape Up Your Agile
If you've been reading this newsletter for a while now, you know that I'm a big fan of the Shape Up development process used at Basecamp, as outlined by Ryan Singer.
If you've heard about Shape Up and wondered what all of the fuss is about, this write-up by Jack Ivers gives a nice intro.
Must-Haves for a New Flutter Project
This is a great Twitter thread by Google Developer Expert Mangirdas Kazlauskas, with some detailed advice for setting up a new Flutter project.
I find this helpful because I know there are a LOT of us who dive right in by starting with the standard Flutter sample app and building from there. As Mangirdas points out though, you really can give your project a boost in the long run by giving some careful thought to some of these foundational issues either before you get started, or at least early on in your new project.
// From Mark
Send Me Your Best Flutter Job Resources!
Given how much the Flutter career landscape has changed over the last year or so, I've decided it's time to devote next week's newsletter to the Flutter job market.
I'd especially like to highlight any resources YOU have found helpful in sizing up the demand for Flutter careers, as well as specific sites you've found helpful in your own job search.
Please feel free to email me with anything you think the newsletter readers would find useful (just replace the "-at-" in the email address with the appropriate symbol). When you email, please also let me know if you'd like me to include a link back to your own site or Twitter feed, or if you'd like your "tip" to remain anonymous.
Thanks in advance for your help with this project. I think knowing about career opportunities in Flutter is something all of us can benefit from!
Mark Winters