Installation Guide¶

This guide covers setting up ShopSync for development. If you just want to use the app, see the Quick Start Guide instead.

Prerequisites¶

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Required Software¶

Optional Tools¶

• VS Code with Flutter extension (alternative to Android Studio)
• Xcode (for iOS development, macOS only)
• Chrome (for web development and debugging)

System Requirements¶

=== "Windows" - Windows 10 or later (64-bit) - Disk Space: 2.8 GB (IDE + SDK) - RAM: 8 GB recommended

=== "macOS" - macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later - Disk Space: 2.8 GB (IDE + SDK) - RAM: 8 GB recommended - Xcode for iOS development

=== "Linux" - Ubuntu 20.04 or later (or equivalent) - Disk Space: 2.8 GB (IDE + SDK) - RAM: 8 GB recommended

Step 1: Install Flutter¶

Follow the official Flutter installation guide for your operating system:

````powershell # Download Flutter SDK from flutter.dev # Extract to C:\src\flutter # Add to PATH: C:\src\flutter\bin

flutter doctor
```

```bash # Using Homebrew brew install flutter

# Or download from flutter.dev
# Extract and add to PATH
export PATH="$PATH:`pwd`/flutter/bin"

flutter doctor
```

```bash # Download Flutter SDK cd ~/development tar xf ~/Downloads/flutter*linux**.tar.xz

# Add to PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/development/flutter/bin"

flutter doctor
```

Verify Installation¶

Run flutter doctor to check your installation:

flutter doctor
````

Expected output:

!!! tip "Fix Any Issues"
If `flutter doctor` shows issues, follow the provided instructions to resolve them.

## Step 2: Clone the Repository

Clone the ShopSync repository from GitHub:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/ASDev-Official/ShopSync.git
cd ShopSync

Step 3: Install Dependencies¶

Install all required Dart packages:

flutter pub get

This will download all dependencies defined in pubspec.yaml.

Step 4: Configure Firebase¶

ShopSync uses Firebase for authentication and data storage. You'll need to set up your own Firebase project.

See the detailed Firebase Setup Guide for step-by-step instructions.

Quick summary:

1. Create a Firebase project
2. Enable Authentication (Google Sign-In)
3. Create a Firestore database
4. Download configuration files:
5. google-services.json for Android
6. GoogleService-Info.plist for iOS (if applicable)
7. Add files to the appropriate directories

Step 5: Verify Setup¶

Run the app to verify everything is set up correctly:

# List available devices
flutter devices

# Run on a specific device
flutter run -d <device-id>

# Or let Flutter choose
flutter run

IDE Setup¶

Android Studio¶

1. Install Flutter Plugin

2. Open Android Studio

3. Go to Settings → Plugins
4. Search for "Flutter"
5. Click Install

6. Restart Android Studio

7. Configure Flutter SDK

8. Go to Settings → Languages & Frameworks → Flutter

9. Set the Flutter SDK path

10. Click Apply

11. Open Project

12. File → Open
13. Select the ShopSync directory
14. Wait for indexing to complete

VS Code¶

1. Install Extensions

2. Open VS Code

3. Install the Flutter extension

4. Install the Dart extension

5. Configure Flutter

6. Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)

7. Type "Flutter: Select Flutter SDK"

8. Select your Flutter SDK path

9. Open Project

10. File → Open Folder
11. Select the ShopSync directory

Platform-Specific Setup¶

Android Setup¶

1. Install Android Studio

Download from developer.android.com

1. Install Android SDK

Android Studio will prompt you to install the SDK on first launch.

1. Accept Licenses

flutter doctor --android-licenses

1. Add Configuration Files

Copy google-services.json to:

android/app/google-services.json

1. Create a Virtual Device (Optional)

2. Open AVD Manager in Android Studio

3. Click Create Virtual Device
4. Choose a device definition
5. Select a system image
6. Click Finish

Web Setup¶

1. Enable Web Support

flutter config --enable-web

1. Verify Chrome Installation

flutter devices

You should see Chrome listed as an available device.

1. Run on Web

flutter run -d chrome

iOS Setup (macOS only)¶

iOS development requires a macOS computer.

1. Install Xcode

Download from the Mac App Store.

1. Install Command Line Tools

sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer
sudo xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch

1. Accept License

sudo xcodebuild -license accept

1. Add Configuration Files

Copy GoogleService-Info.plist to:

ios/Runner/GoogleService-Info.plist

1. Install CocoaPods

sudo gem install cocoapods
cd ios
pod install

Building for Production¶

Android APK¶

flutter build apk --release

Output: build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk

Android App Bundle (for Play Store)¶

flutter build appbundle --release

Output: build/app/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab

Web¶

flutter build web --release

Output: build/web/

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

echo $PATH

flutter doctor --android-licenses

cd android
./gradlew clean
cd ..
flutter clean
flutter pub get

sudo gem install cocoapods

Getting Help¶

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the FAQ
2. Search existing issues
3. Ask in GitHub Discussions
4. Create a new issue

Next Steps¶

Now that you have ShopSync installed:

• Set up Firebase
• Explore the Architecture
• Understand Project Structure
• Learn How to Contribute

Happy coding!