Saved 40 hours a week of development time
Can easily switch among map providers
1,600+ Free controls with Community License
Introduction
Christian Geiger is a software engineer with more than 15 years of experience professionally developing .NET apps. He also creates apps for fun in his spare time.
Problem Summary
Christian Geiger is creating a Flutter app that lets skaters see where their friends are having skate sessions in real time. The most important widget of the Skate With Me app is a map.
Christian started off using the native Google Maps integration to create features but quickly became stuck. He tried several open-source map widgets, but none of them fit his app well. Then, he came across the Syncfusion Flutter Maps widget, and since he knew Syncfusion by reputation, he decided to try it
“Of course, I recommend Syncfusion. You have everything, every control which you can imagine.”
– Christian Geiger, Developer
BEFORE SYNCFUSION
Challenges
- He had trouble finding a map widget that let him build his app’s UI to his standards.
- He found it difficult to build and test features for multiple maps providers.
AFTER SYNCFUSION
Solutions
- Adopted the Syncfusion Maps widget, which let him customize its UI without limitations.
- The Maps widget only requires three lines of code to switch to a different map provider.
Implementation
Christian applied for and received the Syncfusion Community License, giving him free use of all Essential Studio Flutter widgets. He found that the Flutter Maps widget was an excellent and easy fit for his app, especially since it’s so customizable.
Results Summary
Christian was also delighted by the fact that it was so easy to switch among map providers. With the previous widgets he’d tried, switching from Google Maps to OpenStreetMap or Here WeGo (formerly Nokia Maps) to test features was a huge hassle. With the Syncfusion widget, it only took three lines of code.
“It saved me a lot of time, because I use different map sources. In the early days of my development, I had to change the code. I had different code bases,” Christian explained. “I have to check out and switch again to see which features maybe fit better for me. With Syncfusion, now I can change between them just in a matter of seconds.”
Future Plans
Christian intends to use Syncfusion controls for his next pet project. He wants to create an app for managing sports fields, and he thinks the Syncfusion Calendar control will be perfect for it. He is, however, going to concentrate on finishing Skate With Me first.
Conclusion
Using the Syncfusion Flutter Maps widget, Christian estimates that he saved 40 hours of development time a week. The Skate With Me app was in beta testing when Christian was interviewed, and he was hoping to move quickly into alpha testing.
If you want to speed up your hobby projects like Christian did, or you just need a hand up for your startup, check out the Syncfusion Community License. Flutter is just one of many supported .NET and JavaScript platforms.
