Episode 10: Mastering Images in Flutter: A Complete Guide
Season 1: Exploring Common Widgets #flutterforbeginners
Understanding Images in Flutter
In Flutter, images can originate from different sources—you can utilize assets, which are images included in your application's source code, or use images from the network. AssetImage and NetworkImage are two classes designed for these respective purposes.
Although AssetImage and NetworkImage are not widgets themselves, they provide an ImageProvider, which can be used with the Image widget.
Using AssetImage
To use AssetImage, the first step is to include an image in your project. This involves adding the image file to a directory in the project and updating the pubspec.yaml file to incorporate the asset.
flutter:
assets:
- images/my_image.png
With the asset included in the project, it can be used in the code using the AssetImage class:
Image(
image: AssetImage('images/my_image.png'),
)
Here, we utilize the Image widget and supply it an AssetImage as the ImageProvider. The path used in the AssetImage constructor corresponds to the path provided in the pubspec.yaml file.
Using NetworkImage
For displaying an image from the network, the NetworkImage class comes into play. Here's an example:
Image(
image: NetworkImage('https://my-website.com/my_image.png'),
)
Similar to the AssetImage example, we use the Image widget but provide a NetworkImage as the ImageProvider. The URL in the NetworkImage constructor points to the location of the image on the network.
Image Widget Parameters
The Image widget offers several parameters for customizing the image display. Some of the most commonly used ones include 'width' and 'height', which dictate the dimensions of the image. If only one is set, the other adjusts to maintain the image's aspect ratio.
Image(
image: AssetImage('images/my_image.png'),
width: 100,
)
The 'fit' parameter controls how the image scales to fill its box. BoxFit is an enum with various options like fill, contain, cover, fitWidth, fitHeight, none, and scaleDown.
Image(
image: AssetImage('images/my_image.png'),
width: 100,
height: 100,
fit: BoxFit.cover,
)
Lastly, the 'alignment' parameter can be used to align the image within its box.
Image(
image: AssetImage('images/my_image.png'),
width: 100,
height: 100,
alignment: Alignment.bottomRight,
)
Conclusion
And there you have it—the fundamentals of images in Flutter! With AssetImage and NetworkImage, you can load images from any source and display them using the Image widget. Flutter's versatility allows for limitless customization, helping you create the perfect user interface for your application.
If you found this tutorial helpful or have any queries, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're eager to hear about your experiences with images in Flutter. Here's to creating more engaging Flutter apps. See you in our next tutorial!