5 easy steps to get started with HERE SDK for Flutter

One of my 2024 resolutions is to learn new technologies. Among these, I looked into Flutter and began utilizing the HERE SDK for Flutter. I'm eager to share my experiences, so let's dive into the process with these 5 straightforward steps to kickstart your journey with the HERE SDK for Flutter.

Step 1: Installing Flutter SDK

The installation process may vary depending on your existing setup. Personally, with Xcode, CocoaPods, and Visual Studio Code already installed for another project, I opted to install Flutter SDK within Visual Studio Code. For a complete guide on how to install Flutter, follow this documentation.

You can verify the installation of all components by running the command:

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         $ flutter doctor

For my macOS setup targeting iOS development, here are the results:

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        [✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.16.8, on macOS 13.6.3 22G436 darwin-x64, locale en-US)
[✗] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices
    ✗ Unable to locate Android SDK.
      Install Android Studio from: https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html
      On first launch it will assist you in installing the Android SDK components.
      (or visit https://flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install/macos#android-setup for detailed instructions).
      If the Android SDK has been installed to a custom location, please use
      `flutter config --android-sdk` to update to that location.
[✓] Xcode - develop for iOS and macOS (Xcode 15.2)
[✓] Chrome - develop for the web
[!] Android Studio (not installed)
[✓] VS Code (version 1.85.2)
[✓] Connected device (3 available)            
[✓] Network resources
! Doctor found issues in 2 categories.

Step 2: Create credentials and download HERE SDK from HERE platform

Sign in or create an account on HERE platform. For the purpose of this blog, you only need to get the Base Plan which includes the Explore Edition of the HERE SDK for Flutter.
Register an app and get your app credentials (Access key ID and Access key secret). To learn more about authentication on HERE platform, read this blog.

Download the HERE SDK Explore Edition for Flutter from this page.

Step 3: Grab an example

Jumpstarting your development is easy by leveraging one of the available examples bundled with the SDK package or accessible on GitHub. For this walkthrough, I'm opting for the Hello Map App example.

Step 4: Adding HERE SDK to the plugins folder

Within the HERE SDK for Flutter package, you'll find a TAR file housing the plugin. Extract and rename the folder to 'here_sdk', then place it in the plugins directory within your example app's folder structure.

Step 5: Adding your credentials to your project

In the Hello Map App example, update the credentials (Access key ID and Access key secret) in the main.dart file.

Build and Run the app

With everything set up, it's time to build and run the app. Connect to an iOS simulator and initiate the app either from Visual Studio Code or by executing flutter run from the app's directory.

Closing Thought

Embarking on this journey with the HERE SDK for Flutter has been remarkably straightforward. Follow this comprehensive guide to kickstart your own exploration. Should you have any queries along the way, feel free to join us in our Slack workspace!