Flutter 3.3 Adds Exclusive Features to its SDK: Here’s All About the Update these with one sliding gesture. However, Flutter developers didn’t have the luxury to use such features for their app development.
But with Flutter 3.3, a ‘SelectableArea’ widget has been introduced. Flutter programmers using this widget or any child widget of this can easily global select multiple web elements. Since this automatic selection wasn’t enabled in Flutter earlier, this new update ensured developers can perform it if they wrap the Route body within the Selectable area widget, given they are upgraded to Flutter 3.3.
- Easier to add VS code extensions
In the latest Flutter 3.3 release, there are more features in the Virtual Studio code extension by using - “Dart: Add Dependency”. Developers are now capable of adding more than one package or third-party extensions at a go by using a comma separator. All they need to do is type their name and separate them using a comma (,). It can assist developers in adding numerous functionalities to their mobile apps without having to code everything from scratch.
- Feature-rich DevTools
Since the release of Flutter 3.0, about three DevTools versions have been released - Flutter DevTools 2.14.0, 2.15.0, and Flutter DevTools 2.16.0. It includes many beneficial features that enhance the performance of Flutter apps and their user experience. A few DevTools features to note will be effortless long list scrolling, faster data access from tables, enhanced user experiences, etc.
- A great UI reference app - Wonderous
The team behind Flutter and GSkinner has introduced a new app - Wondrous as a UI reference app. Mobile app designers and developers can take inspiration from the engaging user interface and immersive user experience of this app to create exquisite experiences for their audience.
The mobile app is made for audiences who want a virtual tour of the wonders of the world. It has a unique animation and user experience that is sophisticated yet engaging. Since the team behind Flutter has developed this, it shows developers what more they can achieve with the new Flutter 3.3 version.
For Business Units
- A new addition to material design 3 features
One of the major highlights of the Flutter 3.0 release was stabilized support for Material design 3. While the stable support was already established in the earlier upgrade, Flutter’s latest version: 3.3.0 added some new features and components to the Flutter SDK from Material 3.
The three major changes or updates include AppBar, Chips, and IconButton. Besides these, there are plenty of other minor updates in Material Design 3, which you can check from the GitHub portal.
- Enhanced image loading time
Loading any asset image used to take multiple copying operations in any Flutter app development. Whenever the image needed to be accessed, it was first copied to the native heap, it is again copied to the ui.ImmutableBuffer package’s internal storage. Thus, API ImageProvider required the compressed image data to be copied multiple times before it was decrypted and loaded.
This issue was resolved as it is possible to load the compressed image data directly using an ui.ImmutableBuffer.fromAsset. Here, the time taken to load an asset image is reduced significantly, thereby improving the Flutter app's performance.
- Support for scribble
This is an exciting new feature that comes with the Flutter new version, thanks to community contributor Jami Couch. The scribble package now allows end users to scribble or hand input on their iPadOS using Apple pencil on widgets like TextField, CupertinoTextField, and EditableText.
The scribble support comes with many useful features that developers can utilize to improve the app’s performance. The various noteworthy features are line eraser support, image export, variable line width, pen & touch pressure support, serializable sketches with JSON, etc.
What Does Flutter 3.3 Update Mean for Businesses?
Releasing two stable updates back to back in a matter of three months can have anyone thinking, what does the future hold for Flutter enthusiasts? Is it going to be another fast-paced or quickly-evolving technology like React Native with no time or scope for documentation?
My guess is not. Backed by Google, Flutter SDK has evolved much in its short tenor of 6 years and grown into a leading cross-platform app development framework. It is well documented and the updates are in sync with the community contributors.
While the growth seems positive at the moment with many interesting features added to its list, it will be a matter of time to see where the mobile app development industry is headed towards alongside Flutter.
Summary
Many new and interesting features have been added to the already famous Flutter SDK. Improved UX, image loading speed, UI/UX references, VS code extensions, there are a lot of updates to make note of. Here’s a list of some exclusive features that can benefit any developer or business unit.
Author Bio:
Maulik Shah is the CEO of BiztechCS, a development company. He often takes the front seat in the company’s development projects, because he enjoys solving problems through technology. When it comes to writing for any blog, his contribution is priceless. Maulik ensures that his interaction with development is frequent enough, and his industry knowledge is ever-evolving, that he can share it. Despite his packed days, Maulik’s door is always open and he is generous with sharing this knowledge and experience.
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