Dart Syntax Basics

A few rules cover most of what Dart code looks like.

Statements end with a semicolon.

Curly braces mark blocks of code, and conditions go in parentheses:

void main() {
  if (10 > 5) {
    print('Ten is bigger');
  }
}

Ten is bigger

Indentation is two spaces. Dart doesn't require it, but dart format applies it automatically, so every Dart project looks the same.

Case matters, and naming follows conventions:

• lowerCamelCase for variables, functions, and constants (firstName, maxUsers).
• UpperCamelCase for classes, enums, and types (ShoppingCart).
• lowercase_with_underscores for file and package names (shopping_cart.dart).

A leading underscore means private. A name like _cache is only visible inside its own file (library). There are no public/private keywords.

Trailing commas help formatting. In Flutter especially, adding a comma after the last argument tells dart format to put each argument on its own line.

Common mistakes

• A missing closing brace or parenthesis. The editor highlights matching pairs to help.
• Leaving out the semicolon after a statement.