Contents
Blog series
This blog post is a series. You can see the other posts on the link below.
- [MacOS] Flutter installation
- [Flutter] Variable in Dart
- [Flutter] Operator in Dart
- [Flutter] Statement in Dart
- [Flutter] Function in Dart
- [Flutter] Class in Dart
Outline
In this blog post, you’ll see how to use the Class in Dart.
You can see the source code, that is introduced on this blog post, on the link below
Class
When you define the Class, the Class name should be started with the uppercase letter. The Class has member variables and functions.
class Fruit {
String name = 'Apple';
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit();
fruit.printName();
fruit.name = 'Banana';
fruit.printName();
}
You can access the Class member variables or functions by using ..
Constructor
The Class can have Constructor. The constructor name should be same with the Class name.
class Fruit {
String? name;
String? color;
Fruit(String name, String color) {
this.name = name;
this.color = color;
}
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}(${this.color})!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple', 'Red');
fruit.printName();
}
You can also define the Class constructor like below.
class Fruit {
String? name;
String? color;
Fruit(String name, String color)
: this.name = name,
this.color = color;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}(${this.color})!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple', 'Red');
fruit.printName();
}
You can use Named parameter in the Class constrcuctor.
class Fruit {
String? name;
String? color;
Fruit({String? name, String? color})
: this.name = name,
this.color = color;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}(${this.color})!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit(color: 'Red', name: 'Apple');
fruit.printName();
}
Dart provices Named constructor feature.
class Fruit {
String? name;
String? color;
Fruit({String? name, String? color})
: this.name = name,
this.color = color;
// Named Constructor: You can use any name on [fromMap]
Fruit.fromMap(Map<String, String> fruit)
: this.name = fruit['name'],
this.color = fruit['color'];
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}(${this.color})!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit(name: 'Apple', color: 'Red');
fruit.printName();
Fruit fruitFromMap = new Fruit.fromMap({'color': 'Red', 'name': 'Apple'});
fruitFromMap.printName();
}
final
You can use final in the Class to create constants when the instance is created.
class Fruit {
final String? name;
final String? color;
Fruit({String? name, String? color})
: this.name = name,
this.color = color;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}(${this.color})!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit(name: 'Apple', color: 'Red');
fruit.printName();
fruit.name = 'Kiwi'; // << ERROR
}
Private vairables
You can add _ to the variable name to create Private variable. The Dart Private variable, that is used only in the Class on the other langauges, can be accessed in the same file.
class Fruit {
String? _name;
Fruit(String name) : this._name = name;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this._name}!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple');
fruit.printName();
// Print Private variable
// It's possibe because of same file.
print(fruit._name);
}
Getter and Setter
When the Class has the Private variable, you can define Getter and Setter for the variable. You can define any name for Getter and Setter, but normally the variable name without _ of the Private variable is used.
class Fruit {
String? _name;
Fruit(String name) : this._name = name;
String get name {
return this._name ?? '';
}
void set name(String name) {
this._name = name;
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple');
print(fruit.name); // Getter
fruit.name = 'Banana'; //Setter
print(fruit.name);
}
Inheritance
The Class can inherit the another Class. You use extends keyword to create the inherited Class. In Dart, the Class can inherit just one class, and the super keyword is used to acces the parent Class.
class Food {
String? name;
Food(String name) : this.name = name;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}!');
}
}
// Inheritance
class Fruit extends Food {
// Call parent constructor
Fruit(String name) : super(name);
void printFruit() {
print('${this.name} is Fruit!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple');
fruit.printName();
fruit.printFruit();
Food food = new Food('Rice');
food.printName();
food.printFruit(); // << ERROR
}
Override
The child Class can override the parent Class function. The Override is that you can re-define the parent Class function in the child Class.
class Food {
String? name;
Food(String name) : this.name = name;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}!');
}
}
class Fruit extends Food {
Fruit(String name) : super(name);
void printName() {
super.printName();
print('${this.name} is Fruit!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple');
fruit.printName();
Food food = new Food('Rice');
food.printName();
}
When you override, you can use @override keyword to override it more clearly.
class Food {
String? name;
Food(String name) : this.name = name;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}!');
}
}
class Fruit extends Food {
Fruit(String name) : super(name);
@override
void printName() {
print('${this.name} is Fruit!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple');
fruit.printName();
Food food = new Food('Rice');
food.printName();
}
Static members
In Dart, you can define the Static mebmers and functions. When you define the Static members, you use static keyword.
class Food {
static String? kind;
String? name;
Food(String name) : this.name = name;
static printAll(String name, String kind) {
print('${name} is ${kind}!');
}
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}! I am ${kind}!');
}
}
void main() {
Food apple = new Food('Apple');
apple.printName();
Food banana = new Food('Banana');
banana.printName();
Food.kind = 'Fruit';
apple.printName();
banana.printName();
Food.printAll('Apple', 'Red Fruit');
}
Interface
In Dart, you can use the Class to define the Interface. You can use the Interface to define the Class with including the specific variables or functions. Unlike other languages, The class keyword is used instead of the Interface keyword to define the Interface in Dart, and the implements keyword is used to use the Interface.
class Food {
String? name;
void printName() {}
}
class Fruit implements Food {
String? name;
Fruit(String name) : this.name = name;
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}!');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple');
fruit.printName();
}
In the Interface, we define the Function, but don’t write the contents of the Function. When we create the Class with the Interface, we define the contents of the Function.
Cascade Operator
Dart provides the Cascade Operator feature. This feature is used other parts, but it’s easy to explain it with the Class, so I will introduce it here.
class Fruit {
String? name;
String? color;
Fruit(String name, String color)
: this.name = name,
this.color = color;
void printAll() {
print('My name is ${this.name}(${this.color})!');
}
void printName() {
print('My name is ${this.name}!');
}
void printColor() {
print('I am ${this.color}');
}
}
void main() {
Fruit fruit = new Fruit('Apple', 'Red');
fruit.printAll();
fruit.printName();
fruit.printColor();
new Fruit('Apple', 'Red')
..printAll()
..printName()
..printColor();
}
As the example, you can use the Cascade Operator(..) to use the various functions when you create the instance of the Class.
Completed
We’ve seen how to use the Class in Dart for developing an app with Flutter. Dart is also Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) langauge, so Dart provides the Class and we can use the features of OOP like other languages.
Was my blog helpful? Please leave a comment at the bottom. it will be a great help to me!
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