Making API Call In Flutter Application

In this post, we’ll walk through the process of making HTTP requests in a Flutter app using the http package.

Making API Call In Flutter Application

Getting Started

In the modern mobile app , every application interacts with some form of web service.API calls are essential Whether it's retrieving user data, submitting a form, or syncing with a server . Flutter, Google’s UI toolkit for building natively compiled apps, provides a clean way to handle API requests using Dart programming.

To make HTTP API calls in Flutter, the most commonly used package is http. It is a client-side library that allows your Flutter app to perform HTTP operations and handle responses.

To Make API calls in Flutter app and handle responses, the below steps need to be follow:

Add the HTTP Package
Import the Package

Add the HTTP Package

Add the http package to your pubspec.yaml: dependencies:

 flutter:  
   sdk: flutter  
   http: ^0.14.0

Then run:

 flutter pub get

Import the Package

 import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;  
 import 'dart:convert';

Example of Flutter API Call

GET Request

 Future<void> fetchData() async {  
  final url = Uri.parse('https://xyz.com/posts/1');  
  try {  
   final response = await http.get(url);  
   if (response.statusCode == 200) {  
    final data = jsonDecode(response.body);  
    print('Title: ${data['title']}');  
   } else {  
    print('Failed to load data: ${response.statusCode}');  
   }  
  } catch (e) {  
   print('Error: $e');  
  }  
 }

POST Request

 Future<void> createPost() async {  
  final url = Uri.parse('https://xyz.com/posts');  
  final response = await http.post(  
   url,  
   headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},  
   body: jsonEncode({  
    'title': 'foo',  
    'body': 'bar',  
    'userId': 1,  
   }),  
  );  
  if (response.statusCode == 201) {  
   final data = jsonDecode(response.body);  
   print('Created Post: ${data['id']}');  
  } else {  
   print('Failed to create post');  
  }  
 }

Request With Bearer Token

 Future<void> fetchProtectedData() async {  
  final url = Uri.parse('https://xyz.com/posts/1');  
  final token = 'your_api_token_here';  
  final response = await http.get(  
   url,  
   headers: {  
    'Authorization': 'Bearer $token',  
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',  
   },  
  );  
  if (response.statusCode == 200) {  
   print('Data: ${json.decode(response.body)}');  
  } else {  
   print('Unauthorized or error');  
  }  
 }

Summary

Making API calls in Flutter is straightforward with the http package. You can fetch data, send requests, and manage network responses effectively. As your app scales, consider using more advanced solutions like Dio, Chopper, or Retrofit, especially for caching, interceptors, and cleaner architecture.

Thanks

Making API Call In Flutter Application