REST API

 An API, or application programming interface, is a set of rules that define how applications or devices can connect to and communicate with each other. A REST API is an API that conforms to the design principles of the REST, or representational state transfer architectural style. For this reason, REST APIs are sometimes referred to as RESTful APIs.

What is REST?

Representational State Transfer (REST) is a software architecture that imposes conditions on how an API should work. REST was initially created as a guideline to manage communication on a complex network like the internet. You can use REST-based architecture to support high-performing and reliable communication at scale. You can easily implement and modify it, bringing visibility and cross-platform portability to any API system.

API developers can design APIs using several different architectures. APIs that follow the REST architectural style are called REST APIs. Web services that implement REST architecture are called RESTful web services. The term RESTful API generally refers to RESTful web APIs. However, you can use the terms REST API and RESTful API interchangeably.

How do RESTful APIs work?

The basic function of a RESTful API is the same as browsing the internet. The client contacts the server by using the API when it requires a resource. API developers explain how the client should use the REST API in the server application API documentation. These are the general steps for any REST API call:

1. The client sends a request to the server. The client follows the API documentation to format the request in a way that the server understands.
2. The server authenticates the client and confirms that the client has the right to make that request.
3. The server receives the request and processes it internally.
4. The server returns a response to the client. The response contains information that tells the client whether the request was successful. The response also includes any information that the client requested.

Stateful V/S Stateless Widgets

 There are mainly two types of widgets in Flutter, Stateless and Stateful widgets both are useful for creating Flutter apps for Example when a user interacts with it and the widget can change it is known as Sateful Widget. Checkbox, Radio, Slider, InkWell, Form, and TextField.

If any action on the UI requires the widget to be rebuilt, then this is where you should use the Stateful widget. But if the widget only displays data, and any action on the UI does not need to rebuild the widget, then you can use the Stateless widget. The shortcut for creating this widget is "stful"

Whereas Stateless widgets never change, Icon, IconButton, and Text. Stateless widgets are useful when the part of the user interface you are describing does not depend on anything other than the configuration information in the object itself and the BuildContext in which the widget is inflated. The shortcut for creating this widget is "stless".

Designing Flutter App using widgets

 Since we are done with the anatomy of the Flutter app and a basic app called, "I Am Groot" via Video Lectures we will create a basic structure for login which will not be responsive currently but we will see the use of widgets and how they are to be adjusted. This will help us to know how to lay out the user interface on the screen using various Flutter widgets. In this blog, we will create a simple layout of the demon slayer intro page which will look like this;

The Simple Layout

The very first step here is to create a new Flutter project and delete the code till the run app ().

and when you will write the code it won't change because we have to have the things mentioned inside the Flutter's stateless or stateful widgets.

 Now there are two types of widgets in flutter:

1: Stateless

2: Stateful

 our first interaction will be with Stateless widgets and for them to be created there is a shortcut "stless" and then enter which will give us the code such as:

Code Snippet of stateless widget

Here you can see class has been created and the name of the class will be as same as the name written after run app().

As far as the code for setting the background color will be coded after the return keyword, so your whole code will be placed after the return keyword is executed as shown below

The main topic is about stateless widgets here you can see that after "extend" our widget is described which comes with the "build method," which means whenever we change the color or any property of or for widgets then reload the app which will go and check which property is changed and to load that property it will check for the nearest build function is and it will re-run it.

Here is what your current app background will look like. So up until now we have seen the stateless widget and do not worry we will have so much more to see and create an app. Also if you are facing any trouble undertsnading via blogs you can access free video lectures via the link provided in bio.

Anatomy of flutter Appp

 Everything in Flutter app is a widget just like Leggo blocks.  We are firstly provided with a blind screen called Scafflod in which we have to stack the pre-build widgets (leggo blocks ).

Basic Anatomy

As for the container part, we can further divide them into columns and rows to display the texts or icons one wants to add to the app. 

The final Anatomy looks like this.

Now here we have further divided our container into columns and rows for text and icons to be inserted in your application which is quite easy to analyze and easy to be partitioned as they have pre-build widgets and one acts like the child of another, if we want to generate a tree for this just to be clear this is how it will look:

Tree anatomy for the above

 According to this, you can code easily and clearly for the app you want to create and use these as a child of one another and which in the language of code will look a lot easier.

If you want to take a look at how this can be coded then the images mentioned below might help you to understand better.

The code reference.

                                

The yellow one is the main parent(scaffold) for the app and the red one is just the child of the scaffold, don't worry about the image and text alignment or anything just understand the concept of how the  Flutter app has parent-child relations and how the coding looks. 

If you wanna read more related to Scaffold Class here's the official link.   Scaffold Class

                                                            Flutter- Architecture

Flutter is a UI toolkit, it is all about a nesting widget tree. The UI code is actually what builds a widget tree. Where app developed is a widget itself and has sub widgets.

As flutter apps embrace different platforms while using only one code base, there are certain components which we need to have an introduction in its architecture mainly. The flutter architecture has mainly 3 components:

1. Flutter-Engine:  This is a high-quality runtime environment based on the C++ language. It has core libraries, files, and network I/O. In addition, if it wants to render low-level graphics it takes google's open-source library SKIA.

2. Foundation Library:  These libraries are written in the Dart language. As it contains the basic building material for flutter applications.

3. Widgets:  These are the core components concept of this framework. It is a user interface component that affects and controls the view and interface of an app. 

These are the main components for flutter further details are not to be kept in mind. As far the architecture is concerned this is short and currently all the information to have a basic idea about flutter and architecture.

The next step after the architecture is how and where the flutter converts dart code to android or Ios native languages.

Getting to know Flutter

What is Flutter?

A "TOOL" that allows you to build native-cross-platform (Ios, Android) apps with one programming language and one codebase. Without flutter, we have to use Swift or objective C code and for android java, Kotlin, and its environment separately. Whereas flutter is a combination of 2 things.

1. SDK (Software Development Kit)

 which has tools to compile your code to native machine code plus develop with ease.

2. A Framework / Widget Library

For programming language called Dart which will be used to build flutter apps. Gives us the Re-usually UI building blocks (=widgets), utility functions, and packages by customizing them.

 Now here raises a question  What is Dart?

• Dart is a programming language that is focused on building front-end user interfaces and front-end apps.
• It is not just limited to building mobile apps only that it's just what flutter uses it for.
• It is independent of flutter.
• It is developed by Google.
• This is an object-oriented and strongly typed language.
• Its syntax is like a mixture of javaScript, Java, C#

But you don't need to learn any mentioned language as mentioned.

                                                     

                                                                         Flutter v/s Dart

This is pretty much what we should know about Flutter and what it is about. The lesson blogs will be uploaded soon on this same blog page.

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How could developers enjoy that? What is it?

Do you ever think about what is going on in a developer's mind or any person's mind who has created something famous now, Let's take our favorite example Instagram any guesses about how it works or how to access everything or how to lets you save your stories with or without music 💁 well nowadays there has been a boom in the technical world by new aspirants gaining more and more about how technology and languages can do wonders.  Even though people with non-tech backgrounds are reaching out for some technical knowledge.

So this is just an example of how people are coming out of their comfort zone and trying out something that is out there with enormous knowledge and patience too.

Why only Flutter?

In addition, for those who have introduced themselves to the tech world recently flutter will be a help huge help in becoming a developer. As for the start, it is easy to learn and practice via Flutter's expansive widget library which makes it easier to build the apps without writing extensive code for long hours working codes. Developers must be able to easily add features or increase the user base for an application without breaking it. Flutter uses Google’s Firebase application on the backend, which was built with scalability in mind. Firebase provides real-time database updates which help ensure that data syncs quickly among clients. Firebase also optimizes and minimizes the number of updates necessary for syncing, which means that adding users of functionality doesn’t negatively impact performance.

Wanna know the apps developed by Flutter?

These are the top 10 Flutter-based apps created and used worldwide. If you are new to this don't worry we will be creating new learning blogs for beginners from the scratch.

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