Goal for this part
Insert messages and refresh the thread.
Treat 06-Send-Message as the source of truth for this checkpoint. If your local tree drifted, re-clone that folder rather than mixing files from neighbors.
What you should already know
You do not need prior Flutter experience for part 1. Later parts assume you finished the earlier snapshots on the same machine.
- Flutter SDK is installed and
flutter doctoris mostly clean - A desktop device target is available (for example Linux)
Why Flutter fits Wirehall
Flutter’s list + chat bubble widgets make a messenger UI fast to teach. Keep networking local/simulated so classrooms stay offline-friendly.
A conversation list beside a thread is the core layout. Persist messages in SQLite via ffi on desktop.
After you run the snapshot, you should recognize the behavior described in the goal—before you move on. If the window (or server) never appears, stop and fix the run steps.
Code shape
Snapshots stay small on purpose. Look for this kind of core call as you read the folder:
await db.insert('messages', {'room_id': id, 'body': text});How to run it
Clone the teaching repo, open 06-Send-Message, install what the README asks for, then run flutter run -d linux.
git clone https://github.com/michaeldunga1/fcc-flutter-messenger.git
cd fcc-flutter-messenger/06-Send-Message
flutter pub get
flutter run -d linuxCommon mistakes
- Ignoring platform-specific install notes in the snapshot README
- Updating the UI without writing through to storage
- Deleting records that still have dependents
- Leaving dialogs modal with no cancel path