Prachi Shashishekhar Joshi

Learn the basics of Dart programming, its benefits, and why it's an excellent choice for modern application development.

Introduction

Dart is a modern, open-source programming language developed by Google. It is designed to be fast, efficient, and easy to learn. Dart is best known for being the language behind Flutter, Google’s UI toolkit for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, Dart offers a clean syntax, strong typing, and a range of powerful features that make coding more productive and enjoyable.

Dart vs. Similar Programming Languages

Dart is often compared to other languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, and Kotlin. Here’s how Dart stands out:

Dart vs. JavaScript: Unlike JavaScript, Dart is strongly typed and offers native compilation, leading to faster performance.
Dart vs. TypeScript: TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript with added static typing, while Dart is a standalone language with full object-oriented support and superior performance.
Dart vs. Kotlin: While Kotlin is mainly used for Android development, Dart’s Flutter framework enables cross-platform mobile development with a single codebase.

Why Choose Dart Over Other Languages?

Here are some compelling reasons to pick Dart:

Fast Performance: Dart compiles to native machine code, making it faster than JavaScript and other interpreted languages.
Cross-Platform Capabilities: Unlike Kotlin (primarily for Android) or JavaScript (mostly for the web), Dart allows you to build apps for mobile, web, desktop, and backend from a single codebase.
Rich Developer Tools: Dart’s strong tooling support, including DartPad, VS Code extensions, and hot reload, makes development efficient.
Great for UI Development: With its widget-based UI development approach, Dart is perfect for designing interactive applications.

Getting Started with Dart

1. Installing Dart

To start coding with Dart, you first need to install it. You can download it from the official Dart website:

https://dart.dev/get-dart

If you’re using Flutter, Dart comes bundled with the Flutter SDK.

2. Writing Your First Dart Program

Once you have Dart installed, create a new Dart file (main.dart) and write your first program:

void main() {
  print('Hello, Dart!');
}

Run the program using:

dart run main.dart

3. Understanding Dart Basics

Variables and Data Types

Dart supports various data types:

void main() {
  int age = 25;
  double price = 99.99;
  String name = "Dart";
  bool isAwesome = true;
  List<String> languages = ["Dart", "JavaScript", "Python"];
  Map<String, int> scores = {"Alice": 90, "Bob": 85};
  
  print("Name: $name, Age: $age");
}

Functions in Dart

Functions help organize code efficiently:

void greet(String name) {
  print("Hello, $name!");
}

void main() {
  greet("Alice");
}

4. Object-Oriented Programming in Dart

Dart is an object-oriented language with support for classes and objects:

class Person {
  String name;
  int age;

  Person(this.name, this.age);

  void introduce() {
    print("Hi, I'm $name and I'm $age years old.");
  }
}

void main() {
  var person = Person("John", 30);
  person.introduce();
}

Getting Involved in Dart’s Development

If you want to contribute to Dart’s development, here’s how:

Who Can Contribute?
- Anyone with programming experience in Dart or related languages.
- Open-source contributors interested in language design, compiler optimization, or tooling improvements.
How to Get Involved?
- Explore Dart’s GitHub Repository: The official Dart GitHub repo (https://github.com/dart-lang) hosts the language, packages, and tools.
- Submit Pull Requests: Fix bugs, add features, or improve documentation.
- Join the Community: Engage in discussions on Dart’s community forum and contribute ideas.
- Report Issues: Help by identifying and reporting bugs or suggesting enhancements.
- Attend Dart & Flutter Events: Participate in hackathons, webinars, and conferences to learn and network.
- Use opportunities like GSoC: Participate in Google Summer of code you get in touch with the mentors as well.

So finally,

Dart is a powerful language that offers modern features for efficient app development. Whether you are building mobile apps with Flutter or working on web and backend projects, Dart provides a robust and flexible programming experience.

If you’re new to Dart, start practicing by writing simple programs, experimenting with its features, and exploring Flutter development. Additionally, consider contributing to Dart’s development to help improve and shape its future.

Happy coding!

Dart Programming: A great open source project to contribute to!