A comprehensive guide on creating Windows applications using Flutter and automating the build process with GitHub Actions.

Building a Windows Application with Flutter and GitHub Actions

Introduction

The Flutter framework, known for its versatility in cross-platform development, extends its capabilities to Windows applications. In this blog, we’ll explore how to build a Windows application using Flutter and automate the process with GitHub Actions. This automation ensures consistent quality and streamlines your development workflow.

Getting Started with Flutter for Windows

Setting Up Flutter for Windows Development

Before diving into GitHub Actions, ensure your environment is set up for Flutter development on Windows:

1. Install Flutter: Download the Flutter SDK and add it to your system path.
2. Windows Development Environment: Install Windows 10 SDK and Visual Studio 2021 with the ‘Desktop development with C++’ workload.
3. Enable Windows Desktop Support: Run flutter config --enable-windows-desktop in your command line.

Creating a Windows Flutter Project

1. Create a New Project: Use flutter create my_windows_app to generate a new project.
2. Run Locally: Test it on your local machine with flutter run -d windows.

Automating with GitHub Actions

Setting Up the GitHub Workflow

GitHub Actions can automate the build process each time you push changes to your repository. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Create Workflow File: In your Flutter project, create a .github/workflows directory. Add a YAML file, e.g., flutter_windows_ci.yml.

Configuring the Workflow

Edit flutter_windows_ci.yml to include the following:

name: Flutter Windows CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build-windows:
    runs-on: windows-latest

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2

    - name: Install Flutter
      uses: subosito/flutter-action@v1
      with:
        flutter-version: 'latest'

    - name: Get dependencies
      run: flutter pub get

    - name: Run tests
      run: flutter test

    - name: Build Windows executable
      run: flutter build windows

Workflow Breakdown

• Trigger Events: The workflow activates on pushes and pull requests to the main branch.
• Job: build-windows runs on the latest Windows runner.
• Steps: Include checking out the repository, installing Flutter, getting dependencies, running tests, and building the Windows executable.

Committing and Pushing the Workflow

Commit and push flutter_windows_ci.yml to your repository:

git add .github/workflows/flutter_windows_ci.yml
git commit -m "Add Flutter Windows CI workflow"
git push origin main

Monitoring Workflow Runs

After pushing, check the Actions tab in your repository to monitor the workflow’s execution and results.

Conclusion

Integrating GitHub Actions into your Flutter development process, specifically for Windows applications, automates your builds and tests. This setup not only enhances the efficiency of your workflow but also ensures that your application maintains a high standard of quality with each update. As a result, you can focus more on development and innovation, knowing that the consistency and reliability of your builds are taken care of. Happy Fluttering! 🦋💻🚀