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FlutterConf LATAM 2024 brought together developers, engineers, and enthusiasts from across Latin America. We were honored to present several talks covering diverse aspects of Flutter and Dart, from accessibility improvements to improving development workflows. Here’s an overview of some of the key presentations and insights.
The conference kicked off with sessions focused on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with Flutter and Dart. Our team members shared their expertise across a range of topics designed to empower developers at every level. Here’s what happened on the first day:
Mauricio Pastorini, CEO at Somnio Software, talked about “10 Insights for Flutter Developers: Elevate Your Skills Beyond Coding.” The session highlighted essential practices that every Flutter developer should adopt to level up their skills. Moving beyond coding, he emphasized the importance of understanding the broader ecosystem, including performance optimization, code architecture, and testing strategies. The talk focuses on providing valuable insights and shifting the developer's mindset from simply enhancing hard skills to also growing technically and contextually. Having awareness of where we are working, for whom, and the value we generate may seem obvious, but being more conscious day-to-day can not only make us better developers but also contribute to the overall success of the product we are building.
https://youtu.be/InF_Pcy8mYQ?t=7420
Gianfranco Papa, Senior Developer at Somnio Software, presented "The Power of New Macros in Dart." This talk focused on showcasing Macros, a new feature in Dart. During the talk, we explored how the idea of Macros came about and how it differs from what we currently know as code generation. We presented the challenge and a demo comparing build_runner (https://pub.dev/packages/build_runner) and Macros (https://dart.dev/language/macros) to illustrate a relatively common use case—data serialization from a JSON, something typically done using json_serializable (https://pub.dev/packages/json_serializable). The demo link can be found here. Macros are a fascinating topic in Dart as they will significantly change how we program applications, increasing efficiency and reducing boilerplate code. However, it's important to note that this is still an experimental feature, with an expected official launch in early 2025.
https://youtu.be/InF_Pcy8mYQ?t=24720
Enzo Lizama, Senior Software Engineer at Somnio Software, talked about “Accessibility in Flutter.” This is an important topic if you want to dive deep into a11y (accessibility). Not only did we discuss the importance of this subject, but also shared best practices and provided a demo on how to effectively meet a11y standards, including font sizes, using screen readers such as TalkBack on Android and VoiceOver on iOS, semantic widgets, and accessibility tools.
https://youtu.be/InF_Pcy8mYQ?t=31845
Juan Carlos Ramón, Senior Developer at Somnio Software, presented the workshop “Exploring Shaders in Flutter.” The workshop explained in simple terms what a shader is and how Flutter uses them within the framework. It then showcased examples of what can be achieved with shaders, including one with a FlutterConf-themed shader. Finally, there was a challenge for participants with prizes for the top three performers, including books and t-shirts.
The second day began with the GDE (Google Developer Expert) panel, where I participated alongside colleagues such as Roman Jaquez, Leo Farias, Argel Bejarano, Sasha Denisov, and Daniel Herrera. The panel addressed a wide range of interesting questions, focusing both on the path to becoming a GDE and on the future and roadmap of Flutter. Following this, the talks and workshops commenced. Here’s a summary of what happened on the second day:
Agustina Marrero, Engineer at Somnio Software, presented “Improving SEO in Web Applications Using a Reverse Proxy.” This lightning talk explored how to integrate two technologies to make the most of both: Flutter & Next.js. As we know, Flutter Web has its limitations, and SEO is one of the most well-known issues. Agustina offered strategies for overcoming this problem in the best possible way. Through an ingenious solution involving the use of a reverse proxy to redirect traffic, we saw how to combine a Next.js landing page with a Flutter web application to provide a seamless user experience while achieving perfect SEO. If you've encountered this issue before, this talk is highly recommended, as it also explores a real-world use case.
https://youtu.be/vFtHcWMtIyA?t=15117
Elian Ortega, Senior Software Engineer at Somnio Software, presented “Templating Your Flutter App.” This talk can be highly interesting if you’re looking to create any type of template to start a Flutter project. Elian explained how the Mason tool works and then demonstrated how to auto-generate a "brick" template through a few simple steps using Dart scripts. Additionally, we saw automations in action using GitHub Actions to streamline the entire development experience. This talk is great if you frequently start new projects in Flutter or want to understand the mechanisms to make this process more efficient.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFtHcWMtIyA&t=27378s
Lastly, we saw Ignacio Lauret, Senior Software Engineer at Somnio Software, who presented a hands-on workshop titled “Advanced CI/CD Workflows with Codemagic.” This workshop demonstrated how to use Codemagic, a CI/CD tool. First, the problem and its solution, along with the tool, were introduced. Then, a step-by-step guide was provided on how to use Codemagic. If you’re a developer wanting to automate repetitive manual processes, whether running a suite of unit tests or distributing an app via TestFlight, this workshop aimed to help you take that valuable next step.
Embracing the Future of Flutter
The energy and enthusiasm at FlutterConf LATAM were palpable, and it’s clear that the Flutter community is dedicated to continuous learning and innovation. The sessions provided practical advice for every stage of the development process, from improving code quality to making applications more accessible and SEO-friendly.
For more insights from our team on Flutter, check out our previous posts, such as “FlutterCon USA 2024 Recap: Key Takeaways and Highlights” and “Building Cross-Platform Apps with Flutter,” where we dive deeper into the advantages of Flutter for custom software solutions.
Final Thoughts
At Somnio Software, we’re committed to making the most out of the power of Flutter and Dart to build impactful, scalable applications. We are flutter experts and events like FlutterConf LATAM provide a unique opportunity to learn, network, and push the boundaries of what’s possible with Flutter.
We specialize in making the most out of cutting-edge technologies like Flutter, AI and many more to build powerful and scalable applications to make your business goals and help you reach your goals. Whether you’re looking to implement offline-first solutions, enhance user experience, explore new architectural strategies, or any customized solution, our team is here to help!
Reach out to us today to learn how we can transform your dreams into reality.
