Widget Tricks

Widget Tricks is a Flutter-focused newsletter that provides valuable insights and practical tips on building mobile applications with Flutter. It covers various aspects such as testing, code validation, mixin usage, UI updates, clean architecture, career advice, and Flutter development guidance. The newsletter emphasizes simplicity, best practices, and community engagement.

Flutter Development Software Engineering Principles UI/UX Design Career Development Code Testing and Validation Programming Patterns and Practices Community Engagement

The hottest Substack posts of Widget Tricks

And their main takeaways

Using Dart Records for Validation

58 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Programming
  1. Using Dart records can help with validation in coding projects.
  2. Instead of throw exceptions, consider using Future for error handling.
  3. Consider using tuples or records for better handling of multiple values.

How to Test a Private Method Inside a Widget

58 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Software Testing Software Engineering Unit Testing
  1. It is recommended not to test private methods, as they are for internal use only.
  2. You may need to test a private method when working with legacy code, fixing bugs, or dealing with widget dependencies.
  3. To test a private method inside a widget, create a forwarder method, use the @visibleForTesting annotation, and follow specific steps based on widget type.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Widget Tricks Newsletter #5

19 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Programming Jobs Tools Design Reading
  1. The newsletter will now be bi-monthly instead of monthly based on feedback.
  2. Highlighted senior Flutter engineer job opportunities with specific requirements.
  3. Recommended reading articles and watching videos related to Flutter and design for IT career success.

My Notes on Using the StatefulBuilder Widget

19 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Programming
  1. StatefulBuilder widget still requires a StatefulWidget to hold mutable state.
  2. Using StatefulBuilder essentially means having one StatefulWidget inside another.
  3. Consider renaming setState in StatefulBuilder to avoid confusion and update the parent widget.

My Notes on Using the ListenableBuilder Widget

19 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🕹 Technology Programming Mobile Development
  1. ListenableBuilder is available in Flutter 3.10 and is used to update specific widgets without rebuilding the entire UI.
  2. ListenableBuilder is useful for objects like TextEditingController, AnimationController, ScrollController, TabController, etc., to enable specific updates based on listener state changes.
  3. ListenableBuilder can be used with any Listenable object, providing a more flexible and convenient way to update UI elements.

Widget Tricks Newsletter #3

19 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Development Books Jobs Articles Videos
  1. Life-changing books from the author's reading list include both non-fiction and technical genres.
  2. Job opportunities for Flutter developers with different experience levels and locations.
  3. The importance of soft skills for developers and the impact of embracing AI technology in the field.

Widget Tricks Newsletter #2

0 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Programming Jobs Tools Videos Books
  1. Learn how to sound like a smart software engineer by using common phrases like "It depends" or "But it won't scale."
  2. Assume responsibility in programming and always consider that the fault might lie in your code.
  3. Start small when bootstrapping side projects, like Pieter Levels who created a successful business with just a 'BUY' button.