5 Extra Packages to Use with Flutter 3.22 in 2024

Flutter has been a game-changer for mobile app development, and with the release of Flutter 3.22, the framework continues to provide developers with enhanced tools and features for creating cross-platform applications. However, to truly maximize the potential of Flutter 3.22, developers often rely on third-party packages that extend its functionality. In this blog, we’ll explore five must-have packages for Flutter 3.22 in 2024, which can significantly improve your app development experience.

1. Gap

Creating pixel-perfect layouts in Flutter often requires fine-tuned control over spacing and alignment. The Gap package comes in handy when you want to maintain consistent spacing between widgets without manually adding padding or margin. Instead of constantly managing invisible containers or padding widgets, Gap provides a simple solution: add a gap of any size between your widgets without breaking a sweat.

Why Use Gap?

• Cleaner, more maintainable code.
• Flexible gap sizing, making UI adjustments easy.
• Reduces the need for multiple SizedBoxor Padding widgets.

Column(
  children: [
    Text('Hello World'),
    Gap(16),
    Text('This is Flutter!'),
  ],
);

In the example above, the Gap(16) ensures a gap of 16 pixels between the two Text widgets, resulting in a clean, well-spaced layout.

2. Skeletonizer

Loading animations are crucial for keeping users engaged when your app fetches data or performs heavy computations. The Skeletonizer package allows you to display placeholder skeletons (greyed-out content) until the actual data is ready. This significantly enhances the user experience by providing visual feedback instead of a blank screen during loading times.

Why Use Skeletonizer?

• Improves user experience during data loading.
• Highly customizable skeleton shapes to mach the UI design.
• Lightweight and easy to integrate.

Skeletonizer(
  isLoading: isLoadingData,
  child: ListView.builder(
    itemCount: data.length,
    itemBuilder: (context, index) => ListTile(
      title: Text(data[index].name),
      subtitle: Text(data[index].description),
    ),
  ),
);

In this example, the Skeletonizer widget wraps around a ListView and shows skeleton placeholders while data is being fetched.

3. Toastification

Notifications are a critical part of mobile applications, and Toastificationmakes it simple to display elegant, customizable toast messages in your Flutter apps. Whether you’re showing success, error, or informational messages, Toastification provides a flexible and highly stylized way to present these notifications to users.

Why Use Toastification?

• Easily customizable toast styles (colors, shapes, etc.).
• Quick setup for showing important messages.
• Supports multiple toast positions and durations.

Toastification.show(
  message: 'This is a success message!',
  type: ToastificationType.success,
);

In this snippet, the Toastification.show() function displays a toast with a success message. You can modify the toast's appearance to align with your app's design language.

4. Linkfy_Text

Making text interactive is essential for many apps, especially when dealing with URLs, hashtags, or mentions. The Linkfy_Text package automatically detects and converts URLs, emails, hashtags, and mentions into clickable links.

Why Use Linkfy_Text?

• Saves time by auto-detecting and linking text.
• Supports customization for clickable text (colors, styles, etc.).
• Handles multiple types of links (URLs, emails, phone numbers).

Linkify(
  onOpen: (link) => print('Clicked: ${link.url}'),
  text: 'Follow us at https://example.com or email [e-mail]!',
  style: TextStyle(color: Colors.blue),
  linkStyle: TextStyle(color: Colors.green),
);

Here, Linkifydetects and converts URLs and email addresses in the text into clickable links, offering a more interactive experience for users.

5. Flutter Native Splash

A good splash screen is the first impression of your app, and Flutter Native Splash simplifies the process of adding a native splash screen to your Flutter project. Instead of manually configuring platform-specific splash screens, this package automates the entire process and ensures your splash screen looks consistent across both Android and iOS.

Why Use Flutter Native Splash?

• Saves time by automating splash screen setup.
• Supports both Android and iOS platforms.
• Fully customizable with your own logo, background color, and more.

flutter pub run flutter_native_splash:create

With a single command, Flutter Native Splash generates the required splash screen assets and configuration files for both platforms, ensuring your app has a professional-looking splash screen from the get-go.

Conclusion

Using these five packages—Gap, Skeletonizer, Toastification, Linkfy_Text, and Flutter Native Splash—with Flutter 3.22 in 2024 can streamline your development process and enhance your app’s performance, UI, and user experience. Each package has been selected for its practicality, ease of use, and ability to solve common Flutter challenges.

For businesses looking to build robust Flutter applications, partnering with experienced professionals is key. That's why it's essential to hire Flutter developers who are well-versed in using the latest tools and packages to deliver exceptional mobile app experiences.