Google's multi-platform app framework Flutter reaches version 2, expands to the web Google on Wednesday announced the release of Flutter 2, an update to its popular cross-platform, open source app development framework. The software revision, announced in conjunction with a virtual event called Flutter Engage, is accompanied by the release of version 2.12 of the Dart programming language, which Flutter relies …
For a project I'm currently using C++ with Qt to have a single codebase for a client application that works on desktop, embedded (~Linux) and mobile. While styling the app for mobile requires a bit of stylesheet work, this is basically just CSS and fits with the customisation already desirable for the other platforms. The only niggle is really that the Android NDK doesn't offer all of the APIs, so I had to add some Java code and JNI action to obtain a list of media files and use Java APIs to convert the content:// URIs to a proper path which native code can use.
Beyond that, using Qt Android is a pretty decent experience that allows you to port a desktop GUI app to mobile without too much trouble, and without learning a new programming language.
Flutter holds zero appeal in comparison. It isn't stable on desktop platforms yet. It requires one learns new paradigms for the GUI and a new programming language, while bloating up the development flow with more tools and processes. And on top of that it's a Google project, which means it has the expected lifespan of a mayfly.
Not sure when or where one would use Flutter (or Skia) if one doesn't work at Google.
You make some very good points but I think you're not the target group. Google wants Flutter to span the mobile/web divide which isn't so easy with C++. Also, along with Apple's Swift, it's trying to lower the barrier to entry for new developers.
But your main objection about how committed they are to it is probably the most salient. Even though Google has shown admirable commitment to many projects, notably Chrome, it has also probably dropped more.
All of the prominent (modern) GUI layers have their own language now. On Apple products it's Swift (transitioning from objective-C), on Windows it's essentially C#, although there are other options. On Android it's Java (transitioning to Kotlin). On the web (and that includes Electron apps on desktops) it's JavaScript. All of these have an FFI (Foreign Function Interface) escape hatch to C, so you can still nominally keep application logic separate and portable, but it isn't obvious that many people actually do that (you have to squint to see it for the web, but it's there in wasm and emsscripten). Flutter is (supposedly) the native GUI layer for Fuchsia, so it isn't all that surprising that it has its own language too. Being cross-platform is a pretty good way to build up a library of applications that will be ready to run on Fuschia, if it ever materializes.
Qt is keeping a cross-platform story going for C++, but it's clearly a lot of work, because Qt licenses are expensive (IMO).
I have to say Flutter is awesome, the community behind it is equally awesome and I'm so grateful to have jumped on board the project. I also understand it is not for everyone, there are some projects that would be better developed in other ways and I listen to all opinions for and against it - I'm still sold on it and unlikely to look at anything else soon. :-)
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