Flutter for Desktop: Building Desktop Applications
Introduction:
Flutter is one of the powerful UI frameworks developed by Google and it’s popular for building attractive, responsive mobile applications. In that regard, as we just mentioned – what if I told you Flutter is not restricted to the mobile world but it can create desktop applications as well. In this chapter, we will present Flutter for the desktop in detail and illustrate how to install it and create an application deployed as a standalone product under Windows, macOS, or Linux 17.
Why Flutter for Desktop?
Before we dive into the technical details, it’s essential to understand why Flutter for desktop is an exciting option:
Code Reusability: With the help of Flutter, you can compose a codebase once and operate it on numerous platforms. You can aim to work with Windows, macOS and Linux desktop or apps; iOS and Android as well through the codebase.
Fast Development: The introduction of Flutter’s hot reload feature enables the code to develop in an incredibly effective way. Code change effects are apparent at once, which accelerates the development process.
Rich UIs: There are also a lot of flutter widgets and customization for you to make desktop interfaces look stunning. It is possible to create user-friendly applications, full of features and that feel in every sense native on the platforms.
Growing Community: The Flutter community is actively developing the desktop platform, filling it with features and support.

Setting Up Flutter for Desktop
To get started with Flutter for desktop, follow these steps:
1. Flutter Installation:
If you haven’t already installed Flutter, download it from the official website (https://flutter.dev) and put the folder path under your system PATH.
2. Enable Desktop Support:
However, Flutter for desktop is not available at startup. To enable it, you need to run the following command:
bashCopy codeflutter config --enable-windows-desktop
flutter config --enable-macos-desktop
flutter config --enable-linux-desktop
This command installs desktop support for Windows, macOS and Linux.
3. Create a New Desktop Project:
Now, you can create a new Flutter desktop project:
bashCopy codeflutter create my_desktop_app
4. Development Tools:
You are allowed to use your preferred code editor but it is also worth noting that, for a better experience of desktop development, Flutter recommends using Visual Studio Code with the Dart and Flutter extensions.
5. Developing and Testing:
You can begin developing your desktop application the same way as you would when carrying out a mobile app. Harness the widgets from Flutter and comply with good UX guidelines. You can run your app on your desktop platform using the following commands:
Windows: flutter run -d windows
macOS: flutter run -d macos
Linux: flutter run -d linux
6. Deployment:
You can distribute it once your application is ready for you to deploy after all. Flutter offers utilities that allow you to rival your application with the EXE files for Windows, macOS and Linux.
For example, to build a Windows executable, run:
bashCopy codeflutter build windows
For macOS:
bashCopy codeflutter build macos
For Linux:
bashCopy codeflutter build linux
You'll find the executable files in the respective build folders, ready for distribution.
In the corresponding build folders, you can find these executable files and they are ready for deploying.
Conclusion
The appearance of Flutter for desktop is a great event in the life cycle of Flutter because it makes possible to create multiplatform applications without any obstacles. You can take your knowledge of working with Flutter and create applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux by means of desktop support. No matter what desktop application you are building, be it a productivity tool or any other program including games; Flutter gives you the needed abilities and freedom to materialize your idea through its tools at hand. Beginning today, the development of your application will discover new horizons and become available for more opportunities.