# The Dart SDK, Projects and pubspec.yaml — Dart

Source: https://www.skillbyai.com/en/dart/f-setup

> Create, run and manage Dart projects with the dart command-line tool.

## One tool for everything

Install the **Dart SDK** on its own or get it bundled with Flutter. The single **`dart`** command covers the whole workflow: `dart create` scaffolds a project (console app, package, server or web templates), `dart run` runs it, `dart test` runs tests, `dart analyze` reports static analysis issues, `dart format` formats code, `dart fix --apply` applies automated fixes, `dart pub add <package>` adds dependencies and `dart compile exe` builds a native executable. A project is described by **`pubspec.yaml`**: the package name, the **Dart SDK constraint** (`sdk: ^3.5.0`), **dependencies** and **dev_dependencies** from **pub.dev** with version constraints, and other metadata. `pubspec.lock` records exact resolved versions; commit it for applications (and for packages it is usually not committed). Conventional layout: `bin/` for entry points, `lib/` for library code (with `lib/src/` for private implementation), `test/` for tests. **VS Code** and **IntelliJ/Android Studio** have excellent Dart plugins, and **DartPad** lets you run Dart and Flutter snippets in the browser.

## Creating and running a console project

pubspec.yaml declares the SDK range and dependencies.

```bash
dart create -t console order_tools
cd order_tools
dart pub add http
dart pub add --dev test lints
dart run
dart test
dart analyze
dart format .
dart compile exe bin/order_tools.dart -o build/order_tools

# pubspec.yaml (excerpt)
# name: order_tools
# environment:
#   sdk: ^3.5.0
# dependencies:
#   http: ^1.2.0
# dev_dependencies:
#   lints: ^5.0.0
#   test: ^1.25.0
```

## A Swiss Army knife

Where other ecosystems need separate tools for running, testing, formatting and packaging, `dart` is one Swiss Army knife with a blade for each job, all the same version and working together.

**Quiz:** Which file declares a Dart package's dependencies and SDK constraint?

- [ ] package.json
- [ ] build.gradle
- [ ] Cargo.toml
- [x] pubspec.yaml

*Answer:* pubspec.yaml. pubspec.yaml is the manifest for Dart and Flutter packages.