Dart Tutorials

Dart Tutorials Roadmap

Section 1: Introduction to Dart

  • What is Dart?
    • History and purpose (developed by Google).
    • Key features (client-optimized, fast on all platforms, productive development, familiar syntax).
    • Dart VM vs. AOT Compilation vs. JIT Compilation.
    • Where is Dart used? (Flutter for mobile/web/desktop, web development, server-side development).
  • Setting up the Dart Environment:
    • Installing the Dart SDK.
    • Using a code editor (VS Code with Dart/Flutter extensions, IntelliJ IDEA/Android Studio).
    • Running Dart code (using the Dart VM, compiling to JavaScript, compiling to native code).
  • Your First Dart Program:
    • Writing and running "Hello, World!" in Dart.
    • Understanding the basic program structure (main() function).
    • Using print() for output.
  • Variables and Data Types:
    • Declaring variables (var, final, const).
    • Built-in data types:
      • Numbers (int, double).
      • Strings (String).
      • Booleans (bool).
      • Lists (List - arrays).
      • Sets (Set).
      • Maps (Map - key-value pairs).
      • Runes (for Unicode).
      • Symbols.
    • Understanding type inference.
    • Nullable types (null safety - Dart 2.12+).
  • Operators:
    • Arithmetic operators.
    • Equality and relational operators.
    • Type test operators (is, is!, as).
    • Assignment operators.
    • Logical operators.
    • Bitwise and shift operators.
    • Conditional expressions (? :, ??).
    • Cascade notation (..).
    • Spread operator (... - Dart 2.3+).
    • Null-aware operators (??=, ?.).
  • Input and Output (Console I/O):
    • Using dart:io for console input (stdin.readLineSync()).
    • Using print() for output.
  • Control Flow:
    • Conditional statements (if, else if, else).
    • Switch statement.
    • Loops (for, while, do-while, for-in).
    • Break and continue statements.
  • Functions:
    • Defining functions.
    • Return types and the void keyword.
    • Required positional parameters.
    • Optional positional parameters ([]).
    • Named parameters ({} - often required).
    • Arrow syntax (=>) for single-expression functions.
    • Anonymous functions (lambdas).
    • Functions as first-class citizens.
  • Collections:
    • Working with Lists, Sets, and Maps.
    • Common collection methods (add, remove, length, contains, keys, values, forEach, map, where, toList, toSet, etc.).
    • Collection literals ([], {}, {}).
    • Spread operator for combining collections.
    • Collection if and for (Dart 2.3+).

Section 2: Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in Dart

  • Introduction to OOP Concepts:
    • Encapsulation.
    • Abstraction.
    • Inheritance.
    • Polymorphism.
  • Classes and Objects:
    • Defining classes.
    • Creating objects (instances).
    • Instance variables (fields).
    • Methods.
    • Getters and Setters.
    • Private members (using _ prefix).
  • Constructors:
    • Default constructor.
    • Parameterized constructors.
    • Named constructors.
    • Constructor forwarding (: this(...)).
    • Initializer lists.
    • Factory constructors.
    • Const constructors.
  • Inheritance:
    • Using the extends keyword.
    • Accessing base class members (super keyword).
    • Method overriding.
  • Abstract Classes and Abstract Members:
    • Using the abstract keyword.
    • Abstract methods (without implementation).
  • Interfaces (Implicit Interfaces):
    • Understanding that every class implicitly defines an interface.
    • Using the implements keyword to implement interfaces.
    • Implementing multiple interfaces.
  • Mixins:
    • Understanding mixins (reusing class code in multiple class hierarchies).
    • Using the with keyword.
    • Mixin constraints (on keyword).
  • Enums:
    • Defining and using enums.
    • Enum values and properties.
    • Enhanced enums (Dart 2.17+).
  • Static Members:
    • Static variables.
    • Static methods.

Section 3: Advanced Dart Concepts

  • Null Safety (Dart 2.12+):
    • Understanding nullable types (?).
    • Non-nullable types.
    • Null assertion operator (!).
    • Late initialization (late keyword).
    • Understanding flow analysis.
  • Futures and Asynchronous Programming:
    • Understanding asynchronous operations.
    • Introduction to Future.
    • Using async and await.
    • Handling errors in Futures.
    • Working with multiple Futures.
  • Streams:
    • Understanding Streams (sequences of asynchronous events).
    • Creating Streams.
    • Listening to Streams.
    • Transforming Streams.
    • Using async* and yield for Stream generation.
  • Error Handling:
    • Understanding exceptions.
    • Using try, catch, on, and finally.
    • Throwing exceptions.
    • Custom exceptions.
  • Libraries and Imports:
    • Understanding libraries (units of code organization).
    • Using the import keyword.
    • Prefixes (as).
    • Showing and hiding members (show, hide).
    • Deferred loading (deferred as).
  • Pub Package Manager:
    • Understanding Pub (Dart's package manager).
    • Using pubspec.yaml.
    • Adding dependencies.
    • Getting packages (pub get).
    • Updating packages (pub upgrade).
    • Publishing packages.
  • Generics:
    • Understanding generics (writing type-safe and reusable code).
    • Generic classes, methods, and functions.
    • Generic constraints.
  • Type Definitions (typedef):
    • Creating aliases for function types.
    • Creating aliases for complex types (Dart 2.13+).
  • Isolates (Concurrency):
    • Understanding Isolates (independent workers with their own memory).
    • Communicating between Isolates (using Ports).
  • Metaprogramming (Mirrors - older):
    • Understanding Mirrors (reflection - less common in modern Dart).
  • Dart DevTools:
    • Using DevTools for debugging, profiling, and inspecting Dart/Flutter applications.

Section 4: Dart for Specific Platforms (Choose Your Path)

  • Dart for Flutter (Most Common):
    • Introduction to Flutter (UI toolkit).
    • Understanding Widgets (Stateless and Stateful).
    • Building UI layouts.
    • Handling user input.
    • State Management in Flutter.
    • Navigation.
    • Working with APIs and databases.
    • Deployment.
  • Dart for Web Development:
    • Compiling Dart to JavaScript.
    • Working with the DOM (dart:html).
    • Building web applications (e.g., using frameworks like AngularDart or building with Flutter Web).
  • Dart for Server-Side Development:
    • Using the Dart VM for server applications.
    • Working with HTTP servers (dart:io).
    • Using server-side frameworks (e.g., Shelf, Aqueduct, Dart Frog).
    • Database interaction.
  • Dart for Desktop Development:
    • Using Flutter Desktop embeddings.

Section 5: Testing and Best Practices

  • Unit Testing:
    • Using the test package.
    • Writing and running unit tests.
    • Mocking dependencies.
  • Widget Testing (for Flutter).
  • Integration Testing (for Flutter).
  • Code Style and Formatting (dart format).
  • Static Analysis (Dart Analyzer).
  • Documentation (dart doc).
  • Effective Dart Guidelines.
  • Design Patterns in Dart/Flutter.

Section 6: Further Exploration and Specialization

  • Exploring Specific Dart Packages and Libraries.
  • Advanced Asynchronous Programming Patterns.
  • Dart FFI (Foreign Function Interface) for interacting with native code.
  • Dart Sass (Sass implementation in Dart).
  • Contributing to Open Source Dart/Flutter Projects (Optional).
  • Keeping up with the latest Dart and Flutter versions.
  • Practice and Building Projects.