In this section, we will guide you through the process of setting up your development environment for Flutter. This includes installing Flutter SDK, setting up an IDE, and configuring your system to run Flutter applications on both Android and iOS simulators/emulators.

1. Download Flutter SDK:

   • Visit the Flutter official website and download the Flutter SDK for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

2. Extract the SDK:

   • Extract the downloaded zip file to a desired location on your system. For example, on Windows, you might extract it to C:\src\flutter.

3. Update Your Path:

   • Add the Flutter bin directory to your system's PATH environment variable.
     • Windows:
       1. Open the Start Search, type in "env", and select "Edit the system environment variables".
       2. In the System Properties window, click on the "Environment Variables" button.
       3. Under "System variables", find the Path variable, select it, and click "Edit".
       4. Click "New" and add the path to the Flutter bin directory (e.g., C:\src\flutter\bin).
       5. Click "OK" to close all dialog boxes.
     • macOS and Linux:
       1. Open a terminal and run:

          export PATH="$PATH:`pwd`/flutter/bin"
          

       2. To make this change permanent, add the above line to your shell's startup file (e.g., .bashrc, .zshrc).

4. Verify Installation:

   • Open a new terminal or command prompt and run:

     flutter doctor
     

   • This command checks your environment and displays a report of the status of your Flutter installation. It also provides suggestions for any additional dependencies you may need to install.

• Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
• Android Studio

1. Install VS Code:

   • Download and install Visual Studio Code.

2. Install Flutter and Dart Plugins:

   • Open VS Code.
   • Go to the Extensions view by clicking on the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window or by pressing Ctrl+Shift+X.
   • Search for "Flutter" and click "Install".
   • The Dart plugin will be installed automatically along with the Flutter plugin.

1. Install Android Studio:

   • Download and install Android Studio.

2. Install Flutter and Dart Plugins:

   • Open Android Studio.
   • Go to File > Settings (or Android Studio > Preferences on macOS).
   • Select Plugins and then click on Browse repositories.
   • Search for "Flutter" and click "Install".
   • The Dart plugin will be installed automatically along with the Flutter plugin.

1. Install Android SDK:

   • Open Android Studio.
   • Go to File > Settings (or Android Studio > Preferences on macOS).
   • Select Appearance & Behavior > System Settings > Android SDK.
   • Ensure that the Android SDK and Android SDK Platform-Tools are installed.

2. Create an Android Virtual Device (AVD):

   • Open the AVD Manager by clicking on the AVD Manager icon in the toolbar.
   • Click on Create Virtual Device.
   • Select a device definition and click Next.
   • Select a system image and click Next.
   • Click Finish to create the AVD.

3. Run the Emulator:

   • In the AVD Manager, click the Play button next to your newly created AVD to start the emulator.

1. Install Xcode:

   • Download and install Xcode from the Mac App Store.

2. Set Up Xcode:

   • Open Xcode and go to Preferences > Locations.
   • Ensure that the Command Line Tools are set to the latest version of Xcode.

3. Run the iOS Simulator:

   • Open a terminal and run:

     open -a Simulator
     

1. Create a New Flutter Project:

   • Open a terminal or command prompt.
   • Run the following command to create a new Flutter project:

     flutter create my_first_app
     

   • Navigate to the project directory:

     cd my_first_app
     

2. Open the Project in Your IDE:

   • Open the project in VS Code or Android Studio.

3. Run the App:

   • Ensure that your emulator or simulator is running.
   • In your IDE, click on the Run button or use the terminal to run:

     flutter run
     

By following these steps, you have successfully set up your development environment for Flutter. You are now ready to start building Flutter applications. In the next section, we will dive deeper into understanding the Flutter architecture and how it works.