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Getting Started with MDC Files: AI-Assisted Flutter Development Basics

An Introduction to Modern Flutter Development with AI Tools

Series Navigation

• Part 1: Getting Started with MDC Files: AI-Assisted Flutter Development Basics (You are here)
• Part 2: Cursor AI vs. GitHub Copilot: Choosing the Right AI Assistant
• Part 3: Advanced MDC Techniques: Maximizing AI Productivity
• Part 4: Real-World AI Flutter Development: Case Studies
• Part 5: Future-Proofing Flutter Development: The Evolution of AI Tools

Table of Contents

• Introduction: The AI Revolution in Flutter Development
• What are MDC Files?
• Setting Up Your Environment
• Flutter Project Structure with AI Integration
• Basic MDC File Examples
• Your First AI-Assisted Flutter Component
• Common Problems & Quick Solutions
• Next Steps

Introduction: The AI Revolution in Flutter Development

What is vibe coding? It’s a modern development approach where AI tools like Cursor AI and GitHub Copilot assist you in building Flutter apps faster and more efficiently.

At the heart of this approach are MDC files (Markdown Context) – special documents that act as rulebooks for AI tools, guiding them to follow your project’s standards and patterns.

This guide will introduce you to the basics of MDC files and how they can transform your Flutter development workflow.

What are MDC Files?

MDC (Markdown Context) files are specialized documents that provide instructions and context to AI coding tools. Think of them as:

• Rulebooks for maintaining coding standards
• Knowledge bases that teach AI about your project’s patterns
• Style guides that ensure consistency across your codebase

MDC files are written in Markdown format, making them easy to create and maintain. They serve as a bridge between your development intentions and the AI’s code generation capabilities.

Why MDC Files Matter

When working with AI assistants, the quality of the output depends heavily on the quality of your instructions. MDC files provide:

1. Consistency in generated code
2. Efficiency by avoiding repetitive instructions
3. Standards that align with your project requirements
4. Documentation that serves both AI tools and team members

Setting Up Your Environment

To get started with AI-assisted Flutter development, you’ll need to set up your environment properly.

Required Tools

• Flutter SDK (latest stable version)
• VS Code or another supported IDE
• AI Coding Assistant:
  • Cursor AI: For project-wide rules and multi-file refactoring
  • GitHub Copilot: For inline code suggestions and completions

Installation Steps

1. Install Flutter following the official installation guide

2. Set up your IDE with Flutter and Dart plugins

3. Install AI tools:

   For Cursor AI:

   • Download from cursor.sh
   • Enable AI features in settings

   For GitHub Copilot:

   • Install the extension from your IDE’s marketplace
   • Authenticate with your GitHub account

Initial Configuration

1. Create a .cursor directory in your Flutter project root
2. Add a rules subdirectory for your MDC files
3. For GitHub Copilot, consider adding a .github/copilot.md file

Flutter Project Structure with AI Integration

Organizing your project files correctly is essential for effective AI assistance. Here’s a recommended structure that works well with both Cursor AI and GitHub Copilot:

Recommended Directory Structure

flutter_app/
├── .cursor/                      # Cursor AI rules
│   └── rules/
│       ├── styling.mdc           # Widget design standards
│       ├── state_rules.mdc       # Riverpod/Bloc guidelines
│       ├── testing.mdc           # Unit/Widget test patterns
│       └── api_rules.mdc         # Dio/HTTP conventions
│
├── .github/                      # Copilot instructions
│   └── copilot.md               # Global best practices
│
├── lib/
│   ├── main.dart
│   ├── screens/                 # UI pages
│   └── widgets/                 # Reusable components
├── test/                        # Test directory
├── pubspec.yaml                 # Dependencies
└── README.md                    # Project documentation

📝 Pro Tip

Place your most important standards in the root .mdc files, and use folder-specific rules for specialized components. This layered approach helps your AI tools understand context better.

Basic MDC File Examples

Let’s look at some basic examples of MDC files that you might create for your Flutter project.

Example: styling.mdc

This file defines your UI components and ensures visual consistency:

# Flutter UI Standards
## Components
- **Buttons**:
  - Use `ElevatedButton` with `borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(8)`
  - Primary color: `Theme.of(context).primaryColor`
  - Minimum size: `Size(88, 36)`

- **Text**:
  - Display: `TextStyle(fontSize: 24, fontWeight: FontWeight.w700)`
  - Body: `TextStyle(fontSize: 16, fontWeight: FontWeight.w400)`
  - Caption: `TextStyle(fontSize: 12, fontWeight: FontWeight.w400)`

- **Spacing**:
  - Standard padding: `EdgeInsets.all(16)`
  - List spacing: `SizedBox(height: 8)`
  - Section spacing: `SizedBox(height: 24)`

Example: copilot.md

For GitHub Copilot, you’d create a file like this:

# Flutter Development Guidelines

## Code Style
- Prefer `const` constructors for immutable widgets
- Use named parameters for better readability
- Follow the official Dart style guide

## Performance
- Implement `const` constructors
- Use `ListView.builder` for long lists
- Cache network images

Your First AI-Assisted Flutter Component

Now that you have set up your environment and created basic MDC files, let’s create your first AI-assisted Flutter component.

Step 1: Define Your Requirements

Let’s say you want to create a custom button component. First, think about what you want:

• Primary action button
• Follows your design system
• Has loading state

Step 2: Create a Prompt for the AI

Using Cursor AI:

@styling.mdc Create a primary action button widget with the following features:
- Follows our design system button standards
- Accepts text, onPressed callback, and isLoading parameter
- Shows a circular progress indicator when isLoading is true
- Disables the button when isLoading is true

Using GitHub Copilot:

Add this comment in your code:

// Create a primary action button that follows our design system standards
// with loading state support and proper disabled handling

Step 3: Review and Refine

The AI will generate code based on your MDC files and prompt. Review the generated code, make any necessary adjustments, and integrate it into your project.

Common Problems & Quick Solutions

As you begin working with MDC files and AI tools, you might encounter some common issues:

Next Steps

Now that you’ve set up your environment and created your first AI-assisted component, you can:

1. Expand your MDC files with more detailed guidelines
2. Create specialized MDC files for different aspects of your project
3. Experiment with different prompting styles to find what works best for you
4. Share your MDC files with your team for consistent results

In our next article, we’ll explore the differences between Cursor AI and GitHub Copilot in more depth, helping you choose the right tool for different scenarios.

“The journey of a thousand apps begins with a single MDC file.”

Happy coding!