Why Should I Learn Dart Language

Gone are the days when one programming language could satiate all your coding needs. Today, the landscape of programming languages is vast, with each language having its own unique strengths and limitations. Among these, Dart is a standout choice that combines ease of use, safety, and speed. This article aims to shed light on why learning Dart could be a valuable addition to your coding repertoire.

Why Dart is Easy to Learn

For Python enthusiasts, Dart might seem like a play on your beloved language. However, Dart is designed to be as easy as Python, minus the common bugs that Python can fall prey to. Let's dive into a simple Python program and how Dart implements the same functionality in a safer yet equally efficient manner.

Python Example

while True:
    number  intinput
    if number  -1:
        break
    while number  0:
        print(number)
        number - 1

This Python program is a basic loop that continuously asks for user input, countdowns the number, and breaks the loop when -1 is entered. Although functional, it has some minor issues, such as the lack of type checking and handling null values, which can lead to bugs.

Dart Example

Dart achieves the same functionality with a bit more 'cruft', but that's just Dart's robust approach to safety and readability:

int? getInt() {
  // Assume the input is always valid
  return (getUserInput());
}
bool isNull(int? number) {
  return number  null;
}
void main() {
  int? number;
  while (!isNull(number)  number ! -1) {
    number  getInt();
    if (!isNull(number)) {
      if (number  0) {
        print(number);
        number - 1;
      } else if (number  -1) {
        break;
      }
    } else {
      continue;
    }
  }
}

In Dart, we define a function getInt to safely handle the input. We also add checks to ensure that the input is not null. If the input is null, the program will simply return to the beginning of the loop, avoiding any potential errors. This safer approach is comparable to the Pythonic version, with some additional safeguarding measures.

Why Dart is Safe

Dart ensures that your programs are safe by default through its nullable types and sound null safety. Let's delve deeper into what this means and how it benefits developers:

Null Safety

In Dart, every variable can be assigned a null value. This means that to access a variable, it must first be checked for null. In the example earlier, if number is null, the program safely falls back to the beginning of the loop instead of crashing with a null dereference error (NDE).

Dart's null safety is enforced at compile time. This means that bugs related to accessing null values are found and fixed before the application is even deployed. This is in stark contrast to languages where such errors can only be caught at runtime, often leading to frustrating debugging sessions.

Practical Example

int? i  null;
print(i.abs());  // This will raise a compile-time error due to null safety

Attempting to call the abs method on a null integer will result in a compile-time error, indicating that the variable might be null. This prevents the program from accessing null values and helps developers write safer code from the beginning.

Why Dart is Fast

Another significant advantage of Dart is its performance. Compared to Python, Dart is significantly faster, making it a serious contender for both backend, frontend, and mobile app development. This speed is achieved through Dart's Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation and ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation.

In conclusion, learning Dart can be incredibly beneficial for developers, offering a balance between ease of use, safety, and performance. Whether you're a Python enthusiast looking for a more robust language or someone interested in cutting-edge technologies, Dart is definitely worth considering.

Conclusion

Choosing the right programming language is a strategic decision that can impact the success of your projects. Dart, with its ease of use, built-in safety features, and performance, makes it a compelling choice for modern developers. As the app development landscape continues to evolve, keep Dart in mind as a powerful tool in your coding arsenal.