Getting on with the times means keeping up to date with the most optimized programming languages today (performance and memory-usage-wise), by any and all means necessary.
In that light, a good developer should be familiar with most of the so-called “classical” languages out there (C++, C#), whilst also closely monitoring the progress of new languages and the potential to use them in the wild.
Dart is definitely one of those new languages, although it's kind of, sort of relatively new. In this guide, I’ll try to bridge the gap between understanding what Dart is used for and how to find great Dart devs without introducing major deviations to the sanity of everyone involved.
What is Dart?
Dart is a client-oriented language for mobile app development, but it can also be used to build desktop and server apps.
It was developed by Google and released back in 2011, essentially acting as a side note to a conference in Denmark. With the release of Flutter in 2018 however, Dart has gained a lot in popularity since then, essentially becoming the main language for the Flutter SDK.
Today, you can’t really use Dart without Flutter in a sentence, simply because they go together like converse shoes and high socks. This combination of Flutter + Dart is very popular for mobile application development, mainly owing to the fact that they provide cross-platform compatibility (iOS and Android apps) and reduce the time and money that need to be spent on a project.
How popular is Dart?
According to the Stack Overflow 2022 annual report, Dart was used by 6.54% of professional developers, but its popularity as of recently steadily grows.
One interesting thing to note is that the majority of developers who would like to try out Dart are already familiar with and proficient in JavaScript.
However, in terms of the top-paying technologies and tech stack, a proficient Dart developer is expected to earn around average $95,858 per year, in the United States.
Where to find Dart developers?
As StackOverflow had found, high-quality Dart devs should already be proficient in JavaScript and other JavaScript-related frontend languages, including TypeScript and the HTML + CSS package.
In that light, building a Dart development team would amount to following the breadcrumbs, or in this case, scouring the places frequented by JavaScript professionals and other web development or UI/UX enthusiasts.
These places can be anything, including online job boards, tech forums, software conferences, or right here at Profixy as well.
We offer a fast and reliable service that pairs you with the best developer for your needs in a matter of days. You can test the service out for a week, and if you’re not satisfied with what you’ve got, there’s a 100% money-back guarantee policy, no questions asked.
In terms of availability, we also provide both part-time and full-time developers with added supervision from one of our talented client managers which you can contact at any given time.
How to interview Dart developers?
Whether you’re looking to hire a project management lead, a so-called “people’s person” with maxed-out soft skills (role-playing games lingo), or a team member that offers cost-effective solutions – conducting a structured interview is an absolute MUST.
The candidate will need to have a strong sense of openness, presentability, flexibility and be an excellent communicator all-around.
Additionally, they would have between 3-5 years of experience in the field (or more!) and would be diligent in the way they write, troubleshoot, and debug code.
Top technical skills Dart developers should have and use
Hiring a Dart developer usually means to hire a Flutter developer: you just can’t separate the two! And it makes sense: Dart is the main language of Flutter, so the ideal candidate would be proficient in writing Dart code and comfortable with building apps in the Flutter environment.
A promising Dart developer would have the following general responsibilities:
- Participating in the entire development process from start to finish
- Brainstorming, designing and developing applications
- Writing consistent and clean code with diligent documentation
- Keeping up to date with new technologies and implementing them on a regular basis
- Follow new trends regarding Dart and Flutter
Speaking of hard skills (technical proficiency), an excellent Dart developer would have:
- Excellent knowledge of the Git repository
- Good proficiency in SQL
- Thorough knowledge of the Dart programming language
- Thorough knowledge of the Flutter framework
- Strong knowledge of different software architecture approaches
- Experience with Swift or Kotlin
- Experience with iOS and Android mobile development services
We’ve seen that hiring Flutter app development teams is synonymous with hiring Dart devs, so a good recruiting manager should consider both when assessing a prospective candidate.
According to Omar Hussein, a developer from the Proxify network, there is a big difference in the use-cases for Dart and some of the other languages, like C++ for example.
“Dart is optimized more for client and server applications. While C++ is optimized for high control over memory and system resources.”
Omar Hussein
To my question about what is the most optimized way (and the fastest one) to run Dart code, Omar was short and concise. “By following the Effective Dart style and standards, in addition to running Dart code metrics”, he said.
Finally, what is actually Dart best used for? Omar concluded in his next answer.
“Dart is best for creating mobile applications on both iOS and Android platforms, using the Flutter SDK.”
Omar Hussein
Dart interview questions
Here are some questions to assess the technical readiness of the candidate:
- What are the most prominent Dart features?
Expected answer: Refactoring, virtual machines, lexical scoping, optional static types, breakpoints and closures among other features.
- What are the supported data types in Dart?
Expected answer: Strings, booleans, maps, lists and the dynamic type.
- What is “typedef” used for in Dart?
Expected answer: Typedef is used to create a function’s user-defined identity, also known as alias. That alias is then used in place of the program code in the process.
- How many operators does Dart support?
Expected answer: Type test, bitwise, logical, arithmetic, relational and equality and assignment operators.
- Does Dart support function overloading?
Expected answer: It does not.
- What are the platforms used in Dart?
Expected answer: The most popular platform currently supported by Dart is Flutter, which is an SDK for building cross-platform mobile apps. However, there are Server frameworks, such as Jaguar, Start, and Alfred. Also. Dart supports client web app frameworks, such as OverReact and AngularDart.
- Is Dart easier than JavaScript?
Expected answer: It depends! For example. it is easier to learn Dart for developers who are already familiar with statically typed languages who follow OOP, such as Java and TypeScript.
- What is Dart and why does Flutter use it?
Expected answer: Dart is an open-source language that can be used to build applications for mobile devices and other targets. It is mainly used by the Flutter framework for building user interfaces for iOS and Android platforms. Flutter uses Dart because it’s developer-friendly, fast, and reliable.
- Which editor is used to enable breakpoint and step-by-step debugging?
Expected answer: Android Studio and Visual Studio Code are the main two IDEs for Dart tooling and debugging.
- What Is Method Overriding In Dart?
Expected answer: Method overriding is a feature in object oriented languages that allows a method to be defined twice with different implementations. In Dart, this is done with the keyword super. This enables tremendous flexibility in programming and can help to avoid duplication of code.
The main use for method overriding in Dart is for extending classes. If a class has a method with the same name and type signature as a parent class, the child class can override that parent method.
- What is a constructor in Dart?
Expected answer: A constructor in Dart is a special function of a class that is in charge of setting up the variables of the class once it is created. Dart specifies a constructor using the class’s name. As a function, a constructor may be parameterized.
Why should you hire a Dart developer?
Dart, and especially Flutter, are relatively new computer programming tools, which makes them more optimized and applicable for the current mobile application building landscape.
A Dart developer will be faster and more efficient with the company’s resources, and, comparatively speaking, will be able to complete the project without employing the intricacies of C++ or C# (although, it can also leverage both).
For a fast, agile and future-oriented company, hiring Dart developers to work on any upcoming projects and applications should be a definite no-brainer, period.
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