I was learning Flutter and came across two types of design MaterialApp and CupertinoApp. So, I wonder if we want to create an app for both android and ios, should we create one separate app with MaterialApp for android and one separate app with CupertinoApp for ios? Or if we, say, create app with only MaterialApp, will ios version of that app automatically get CupertinoApp?
Best Answer
Material widgets implements the Material design language for iOS, Android, and web.
Cupertino widgets implements the current iOS design language based on Apple's Human Interface Guidelines.
Why write a Cupertino app?
The Material design language was created for any platform, not just Android. When you write a Material app in Flutter, it has the Material look and feel on all devices, even iOS. If you want your app to look like a standard iOS-styled app, then you would use the Cupertino library.
You can technically run a Cupertino app on either Android or iOS, but (due to licensing issues) Cupertino won't have the correct fonts on Android. For this reason, use an iOS-specific device when writing a Cupertino app.
You'll implement a Cupertino style shopping app containing three tabs: one for the product list, one for a product search, and one for the shopping cart.
If you wish to read more on Cupertino and Material. Check the link below:
Cupertino and Material
You can also use a flutter package called flutter_platform_widgets to check which platform your app is running on and use specific widgets(either Material or Cupertino)
This package link is : flutter_platform_widgets
I hope this helps
Cross-Platform framework means it can execute in more than one operating system. It doesn't mean it will automatically design your app accordingly, that's up to the developer.You must check the platform your app is running, you can do that with simple conditions:
if(Platform.isIOS){return CupertinoButton();} else if(Platform.IsAndroid) {return ElevatedButton();}Or you can use packages like flutter_platform_widgets to help simplify your code.
And there it comes: the importance of history lessons :)
The Flutter is made by Google. Previously, before they fought for Java, it was a motto: write once and run everywhere (for Java). It was a nice and easy method for Java desktop application to set the UI as the platform:
UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());But now Java, it isn't a first class citizen for Android.They invented the Flutter to "write once and run everywhere", just like. Java, but the first class citizen, it isn't the iOS.
I have a code like this:
and it breaks like this:
Ok, is my fault, but I try to achieve what was possible in very easy way with Java: UIManager.setLookAndFeel(UIManager.getSystemLookAndFeelClassName());
I would expect all logic to be the same, all function calls and automatically be all Material...whateverWidget the Cupertino...whateverWidget and do not break my code.
These expectations seem irrealistic :)
But when I need to do a lot of platform checking and at the code if-else... and tests those cases too, it is better 2 platform.
So or I use I platform ( branding ) with Material or 2 separate app. Kotlin and Swift.
I can't find the real usage of CupertinoApp.