Dependencies - Trackmart

Overview

Trackmart uses a variety of Flutter packages to implement features like authentication, real-time database, mapping, messaging, and more. This page documents all dependencies, their versions, and their purposes.

Environment

environment:
  sdk: ">=2.2.0 <3.0.0"

The application requires Dart SDK version 2.2.0 or higher, but below 3.0.0. Consider updating to support Dart 3.0+ for better performance and features.

Core Dependencies

Flutter SDK

flutter

Version: SDKPurpose: Core Flutter frameworkThe fundamental Flutter SDK that provides widgets, rendering, and platform integration.

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter

Firebase & Backend Services

Trackmart relies heavily on Firebase for backend services including authentication, database, storage, and messaging.

firebase_auth

Version: ^0.11.1+7Purpose: User authenticationHandles phone number authentication, email/password login, and user session management.Key Features:

Phone OTP verification
Email verification
User state persistence
Sign in/out functionality

cloud_firestore

Version: 0.12.7+1Purpose: NoSQL cloud databaseReal-time database for user profiles, driver information, and chat messages.Collections:

users: User profiles
drivers: Driver profiles
messages: Chat data

firebase_database

Version: 3.0.5Purpose: Real-time databaseHandles real-time order requests, location updates, and driver-buyer interactions.Features:

Real-time synchronization
Offline persistence
Hierarchical data structure

firebase_storage

Version: 3.0.4Purpose: File storageStores user profile photos, chat images, and other media files.Usage:

Profile picture uploads
Chat image sharing
Media caching

firebase_messaging

Version: 5.1.2Purpose: Push notificationsSends real-time notifications for order updates, messages, and delivery status.Features:

FCM token management
Background message handling
Notification payload processing
Device-to-device messaging

Implementation: See lib/root_page.dart:21-46

Firebase packages are using older versions. Consider upgrading to the latest versions for improved security and features:

firebase_auth: Latest is 4.x.x
cloud_firestore: Latest is 4.x.x
firebase_storage: Latest is 11.x.x
firebase_messaging: Latest is 14.x.x

Location & Mapping

geolocator

Version: 5.1.1+1Purpose: GPS location servicesProvides real-time location tracking for users and drivers.Features:

Current position retrieval
Continuous location updates
Location accuracy settings
Distance calculations

Key Methods:

getCurrentPosition(desiredAccuracy: LocationAccuracy.best)
getPositionStream(locationOptions)

Usage in app: Tracks user location for delivery coordination (see lib/home_page.dart:193-203)

flutter_map

Version: 0.7.0+2Purpose: Interactive map widgetDisplays maps with markers, routes, and interactive features.Features:

Customizable map layers
Marker placement
Polyline drawing
Zoom and pan controls

Implementation: lib/map.dart for driver location and route visualization

flutter_polyline_points

Version: 0.1.0Purpose: Route drawingDecodes polyline strings and draws routes on maps between user and driver locations.Usage:

Delivery route visualization
Distance calculation
ETA estimation

permission_handler

Version: ^3.1.0Purpose: Runtime permissionsManages location, camera, and storage permissions required by the app.Permissions Handled:

Location (always/when in use)
Camera (for profile photos)
Storage (for image caching)
Notifications

Networking & HTTP

dio

Version: 2.1.13Purpose: HTTP clientPowerful HTTP client for API requests, including currency conversion and external data fetching.Features:

Request/response interceptors
FormData support
Timeout configuration
Error handling

Usage in app: Currency conversion for pricing (see lib/home_page.dart:75)

Local Storage

sqflite

Version: Latest (no version specified)Purpose: SQLite databaseLocal database for offline data persistence and caching.Stored Data:

Order history
Cached driver info
Offline messages

shared_preferences

Version: 0.5.3+4Purpose: Key-value storageStores simple data like user preferences and settings.Stored Data:

User display name
Phone number
Photo URL
App settings

path

Version: Latest (no version specified)Purpose: File path manipulationProvides utilities for working with file and directory paths, especially for SQLite database location.Common Usage:

import 'package:path/path.dart' as path;
final dbPath = path.join(await getDatabasesPath(), 'trackmart.db');

UI & User Experience

cached_network_image

Version: 1.1.1Purpose: Image cachingEfficiently loads and caches network images with placeholder support.Features:

Automatic disk and memory caching
Placeholder widgets during loading
Error handling
Progressive loading

Usage: Profile photos and chat images (see lib/home_page.dart:344-358)

image_picker

Version: 0.6.0+17Purpose: Camera and gallery accessAllows users to select images from gallery or take photos with camera.Features:

Camera capture
Gallery selection
Image compression
iOS and Android support

Usage: Profile photo upload in settings

smooth_star_rating

Version: 1.0.3Purpose: Star rating widgetCustomizable star rating widget for rating drivers and deliveries.Features:

Half-star support
Custom star icons
Touch interaction
Read-only mode

Usage: Driver and delivery ratings in order history

fluttertoast

Version: 3.1.0Purpose: Toast notificationsShows brief, non-intrusive messages to users.Features:

Customizable duration
Position control
Background and text colors
Gravity settings

Usage: Success/error messages throughout the app

Notifications

flutter_local_notifications

Version: 0.8.0Purpose: Local notificationsDisplays notifications on the device for incoming messages and order updates.Features:

Android notifications
iOS notifications
Custom notification sounds
Notification actions
Scheduled notifications

Implementation: See lib/root_page.dart:80-96 for notification configuration

Input & Forms

flutter_masked_text

Version: ^0.8.0Purpose: Masked text inputFormats text input with masks (e.g., phone numbers, credit cards).Usage:

Phone number formatting
Card number input
Custom input patterns

country_code_picker

Version: 1.1.7Purpose: Country code selectionDropdown widget for selecting country codes during phone authentication.Features:

Country flags
Search functionality
Dial codes
Country names

Utilities

intl

Version: 0.15.8Purpose: InternationalizationProvides date formatting, number formatting, and localization support.Features:

Date/time formatting
Number formatting
Currency formatting
Message translation

Usage Example:

import 'package:intl/intl.dart';
final formatter = DateFormat('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm');
String formatted = formatter.format(DateTime.now());

url_launcher

Version: ^4.0.3Purpose: Launch URLsOpens external URLs, phone calls, emails, and other URI schemes.Capabilities:

Web URLs (browser)
Tel: links (phone dialer)
Mailto: links (email client)
SMS and other schemes

Usage: Contact page phone/email links (see lib/contact.dart)

Dev Dependencies

Development and testing dependencies:

Testing
Build Tools

flutter_test

Version: SDKPurpose: Flutter testing frameworkProvides testing utilities for unit and widget tests.

flutter_driver

Version: SDKPurpose: Integration testingDrives the app from a separate process for end-to-end testing.

test

Version: anyPurpose: Core testing libraryDart’s testing framework for unit tests.

flutter_gherkin

Version: ^0.0.12Purpose: BDD testingBehavior-driven development testing with Gherkin syntax.Features:

Given-When-Then syntax
Readable test scenarios
Step definitions

flutter_launcher_icons

Version: ^0.7.2Purpose: App icon generationAutomatically generates launcher icons for iOS and Android from a single image.Configuration in pubspec.yaml:

flutter_icons:
  ios: false
  android: "launcher_icon"
  image_path: "assets/launcher/icon.png"

Usage:

flutter pub run flutter_launcher_icons:main

Dependency Management

Installing Dependencies

To install all dependencies listed in pubspec.yaml:

flutter pub get

Updating Dependencies

To update dependencies to the latest compatible versions:

flutter pub upgrade

Checking for Outdated Packages

To see which packages have newer versions available:

flutter pub outdated

Many dependencies in this project use older versions. Before upgrading, carefully review breaking changes and test thoroughly.

Recommended Upgrades

Consider upgrading these packages for better performance, security, and features:

Package	Current	Latest	Notes
firebase_auth	0.11.1+7	4.x.x	Breaking changes
cloud_firestore	0.12.7+1	4.x.x	Breaking changes
geolocator	5.1.1+1	10.x.x	Breaking changes
flutter_map	0.7.0+2	6.x.x	Major updates
cached_network_image	1.1.1	3.x.x	Performance improvements
dio	2.1.13	5.x.x	Null safety

Migration to Null Safety

This project was built before Dart’s null safety feature. Consider migrating to null safety for better code quality:

Update Dart SDK to 2.12.0 or higher
Run dart migrate to analyze and migrate code
Update all dependencies to null-safe versions
Test thoroughly after migration

Common Issues & Solutions

Pod install fails on iOS

Problem: CocoaPods dependencies fail to installSolution:

cd ios
rm Podfile.lock
rm -rf Pods
pod cache clean --all
pod install
cd ..
flutter clean
flutter pub get

Gradle build fails on Android

Problem: Android build fails with dependency conflictsSolution:

Update android/build.gradle with compatible versions

Clean build:

cd android
./gradlew clean
cd ..
flutter clean
flutter pub get

Rebuild:
```
flutter build apk
```

Version conflict errors

Problem: Multiple packages require different versions of the same dependencySolution:

Use dependency_overrides in pubspec.yaml (temporary fix)
Update conflicting packages to compatible versions
Check package compatibility at pub.dev

Additional Resources

pub.dev

Official Dart package repository

Flutter Packages

Flutter package documentation

Firebase Flutter

Firebase for Flutter setup guide

Package Management

Dart package management guide

Next Steps

Installation

Set up your development environment

Project Structure

Understand the codebase organization

Setup

Architecture

Customization

​Overview

​Environment

​Core Dependencies

​Flutter SDK

​Firebase & Backend Services

firebase_auth

cloud_firestore

firebase_database

firebase_storage

​Location & Mapping

​Networking & HTTP

​Local Storage

sqflite

shared_preferences

​UI & User Experience

​Notifications

​Input & Forms

flutter_masked_text

country_code_picker

​Utilities

​Dev Dependencies

​Dependency Management

​Installing Dependencies

​Updating Dependencies

​Checking for Outdated Packages

​Recommended Upgrades

​Migration to Null Safety

​Common Issues & Solutions

​Additional Resources

pub.dev

Flutter Packages

Firebase Flutter

Package Management

​Next Steps

Installation

Project Structure

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Environment

Core Dependencies

Flutter SDK

Firebase & Backend Services

Location & Mapping

Networking & HTTP

Local Storage

UI & User Experience

Notifications

Input & Forms

Utilities

Dev Dependencies

Dependency Management

Installing Dependencies

Updating Dependencies

Checking for Outdated Packages

Recommended Upgrades

Migration to Null Safety

Common Issues & Solutions

Additional Resources

Next Steps