Mastering Essential Flutter Commands: A Quick Guide for Developers

Flutter has revolutionized app development with its cross-platform capabilities and a wide range of features. However, the real magic lies in mastering its commands. These commands streamline development, manage dependencies, and build production-ready apps. 

Flutter Useful Commands

Here’s a complete guide to the most important Flutter commands, including advanced tools like flutter pub, build_runner, and more.

1. Setting Up and Diagnosing

Check System Setup

Run this command to check if your Flutter environment is correctly set up and resolve any issues.

flutter doctor  

Or with verbose flag

flutter doctor --verbose

Create a New Project

Start a fresh Flutter project with a single command. 

flutter create project_name  

If you are building for an organization then this command is for you:

flutter create  project_name --org "domain_name_reversed"

Or, you can create empty project , by adding -e flag. It will give the project without the counter app

flutter create -e project_name 

You can customize the template using flags like --org , --template , -e , --empty. Use platform specified command like this for your next project.

flutter create -e your_app_name --platforms android,ios --org "com.your_organization"

Create Plugin & Packages

To create a new Flutter package, use the following command:

flutter create --template=package package_name

To develope plugin you can use this command:

flutter create --org com.example --template=plugin --platforms=android,ios,linux,macos,windows -a kotlin package_name

Did you know the difference? Remember, For reusable functionality (cross-platform) write package. Otherwise use plugin command.

Run the App

flutter run  

Launch your Flutter app on a connected device or emulator. Add -d to specify a device.

flutter run -d chrome 

2. Dependency Management

Add a Package

flutter pub add package_name  

This command directly adds a dependency to your pubspec.yaml file and fetches it.

Get Packages

flutter pub get  

Fetches all dependencies listed in your pubspec.yaml.

Upgrade Dependencies

flutter pub upgrade  

Updates all dependencies to their latest compatible versions.

Resolve Conflicts

flutter pub outdated  

Lists outdated dependencies, helping you decide which ones to update.

3. Advanced Code Generation with build_runner

The build_runner package is a powerful tool for generating code, commonly used with libraries like freezed, json_serializable, or injectable.

Run Code Generators

flutter pub run build_runner build  

 Generates necessary files, such as models, serializers, or dependency injections.

Watch for Changes

flutter pub run build_runner watch  

Automatically regenerates code whenever source files change.

Clean Build Cache 

flutter pub run build_runner clean  

Removes build artifacts and resets the generated files.

4. Building for Production

Build APK

flutter build apk --release  

Generates a release APK for Android. Use --split-per-abi for smaller APKs. 

Build AppBundle

flutter build appbundle --release  

Creates an .aab file for publishing on Google Play.

Build for iOS

flutter build ios --release  

 Compiles the app for iOS devices. Requires macOS and Xcode.

5. Maintenance and Cleanup

Clear Project Cache

flutter clean  

Deletes temporary files to resolve build issues.

6. Testing and Linting

Run Tests

flutter test  

Executes all unit and widget tests.

Analyze Code

flutter analyze  

Checks your code for potential issues.

Format Code

flutter format .

Applies Dart's official formatting rules to your codebase.

8. Other Useful Commands

Install Android Licenses

flutter doctor --android-licenses  

 Accepts necessary licenses for Android development.

Generate Localizations

flutter pub run intl_utils:generate  

Generates localization files for internationalized apps.

Check Version Information

flutter --version

Displays the installed Flutter version and Dart SDK.

Conclusion

Mastering Flutter commands is essential for efficient app development. From managing dependencies to building production-ready apps, these commands empower developers to create robust applications with ease. Save this guide as a reference and elevate your Flutter development skills.

If you found this guide helpful, share it with your developer community or leave your thoughts in the comments below. Keep coding and happy Fluttering!