Flutter’s architecture is designed to support high-performance applications and allow for a flexible and scalable development experience. Here are detailed but accessible details of its architecture:

1. Flutter Framework

At the top of the architecture is the Flutter Framework, which includes:

  • Widgets: The building blocks of the user interface. Widgets can be stateful (with mutable state) or stateless (immutable).
  • Material Design and Cupertino Widgets: Flutter provides a rich set of pre-designed widgets that follow Material Design (for Android) and Cupertino (for iOS) guidelines, enabling developers to create native-looking apps for both platforms.
  • Rendering: The framework handles how widgets are drawn on the screen, allowing for smooth animations and transitions.

2. Engine

Below the framework is the Flutter Engine, which is responsible for:

  • Skia Graphics Library: The engine uses Skia, a 2D rendering engine, to draw the UI. This allows Flutter to render at high speeds, creating smooth animations and transitions.
  • Platform Channels: This mechanism allows communication between Dart (Flutter) and the host platform (iOS/Android). It enables Flutter apps to access native features and APIs.
  • Dart Runtime: The engine includes a Dart VM (Virtual Machine) that runs the Dart code. It supports Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation during development (for hot reload) and Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) compilation for production builds.

3. Embedder

At the bottom layer is the Embedder, which integrates Flutter with the underlying operating system:

  • Platform-Specific Integration: The embedder allows Flutter to interact with the native platform, managing the application lifecycle, input events, and rendering surfaces.
  • Support for Multiple Platforms: This layer allows Flutter to run on various platforms (mobile, web, desktop) by leveraging the respective platform capabilities.

Summary of Flutter Architecture

  • Flutter Framework: Provides a rich set of customizable widgets and manages UI rendering.
  • Flutter Engine: Handles low-level rendering and communication with native APIs using Skia and Dart.
  • Embedder: Integrates Flutter with the host operating system, ensuring cross-platform compatibility.

Conclusion

Flutter’s architecture is structured to maximize productivity and provide a seamless development experience. The clear separation between frameworks, engines, and embedders provides flexibility and makes it easy to extend and customize applications.


NEXT TOPIC