[flutter_tools] Deprecate `plugin_ffi` template by dcharkes · Pull Request #181588 · flutter/flutter

dcharkes · 2026-01-28T08:53:52Z

Add deprecation marker to flutter create --template=plugin_ffi.

The new way of bundling native code is flutter create --template=package_ffi. (Or if the Flutter Plugin API or Android Play components need to be bundled: flutter create --template=plugin)

Issue:

Intention to deprecate and remove plugin_ffi template #131209

gemini-code-assist

Code Review

This pull request deprecates the plugin_ffi template in favor of package_ffi. The changes include adding a warning message when the deprecated template is used, updating the help text to reflect the deprecation, and adding corresponding tests to verify these changes. The implementation is straightforward and correct. I've added a couple of suggestions to improve the precision of the new test assertions.

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-28T08:55:21Z

packages/flutter_tools/test/commands.shard/hermetic/create_usage_test.dart

+      expect(templateHelp, contains('(deprecated)'));
+      expect(templateHelp, contains('Use "package_ffi" instead.'));


To make the test more precise and ensure the entire help message is correct, consider asserting against the full expected string instead of just parts of it. This prevents unintended changes to the middle of the string from going unnoticed.

expect( templateHelp, '(deprecated) Generate a shareable Flutter project containing an API ' 'in Dart code with a platform-specific implementation through dart:ffi for Android, iOS, ' 'Linux, macOS, Windows, or any combination of these. ' 'Use "package_ffi" instead.', );

gemini-code-assist · 2026-01-28T08:55:22Z

packages/flutter_tools/test/commands.shard/permeable/create_test.dart

+    expect(logger.warningText, contains('The "plugin_ffi" template is deprecated'));
+    expect(logger.warningText, contains('Use the "package_ffi" template instead.'));
+    expect(
+      logger.warningText,
+      contains('https://docs.flutter.dev/platform-integration/bind-native-code'),
+    );


For better test precision and to ensure the entire deprecation message is accurate, it's preferable to check for the complete warning message in a single expect statement rather than checking for substrings in multiple statements. This makes the test more robust against unintended partial changes to the message.

expect( logger.warningText, contains( 'The "plugin_ffi" template is deprecated and will be removed in a future ' 'version of Flutter. Use the "package_ffi" template instead. ' 'For more information, see: ' 'https://docs.flutter.dev/platform-integration/bind-native-code', ), );

goderbauer · 2026-01-28T08:57:08Z

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/create.dart

+        'The "plugin_ffi" template is deprecated and will be removed in a future '
+        'version of Flutter. Use the "package_ffi" template instead. '
+        'For more information, see: '
+        'https://docs.flutter.dev/platform-integration/bind-native-code',


This says that plugin_ffi is still useful in some cases. I believe, our plan was to update that (and redirect people elsewhere) before deprecating this? See #131209 (comment).

flutter/website#13004

Ah, yes. Thanks! Can you leave a breadcrumb to that in the PR description and make sure that gets submitted before this one?

goderbauer

LGTM after flutter/website#13004 is submitted.

stuartmorgan-g

LGTM

The new way of bundling native code is `flutter create --template=package_ffi`. (Or if the Flutter Plugin API or Android Play components need to be bundled: `flutter create --template=plugin`.) Issue: * flutter/flutter#131209 Related PRs: * flutter/flutter#181588 (We should submit this PR before that one.)

…utter#181588)

Roll Flutter from da72d5936d69 to 1d9d6a9a5ef6 (33 revisions) flutter/flutter@da72d59...1d9d6a9 2026-01-30 [email protected] enable enhanced debugging for GLES playground (flutter/flutter#181157) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Make the Windows windowing_test in .ci.yaml have bringup as false (flutter/flutter#181664) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Roll Packages from cd4fd61 to 510dd40 (4 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181726) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Roll Skia from edbf7e9eb846 to 4745eb2fe837 (1 revision) (flutter/flutter#181725) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Enhance error handling of WidgetsBindingObserver callbacks (flutter/flutter#181174) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Roll Skia from 05d3cb9d2be9 to edbf7e9eb846 (2 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181715) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Roll Skia from c198e5fa9cd9 to 05d3cb9d2be9 (1 revision) (flutter/flutter#181712) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from 920b7e24583e to 2703fd9733ce (2 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181693) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Roll Skia from b9f40c193e7a to c198e5fa9cd9 (6 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181692) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Roll pub packages (flutter/flutter#181690) 2026-01-30 [email protected] Extend the Windows tool_integration_tests_2_9 shard timeout to 1 hour (flutter/flutter#181678) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Add `android_sdk` dependency to `android_engine_opengles_tests` (flutter/flutter#181681) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from a0685c8e946b to 920b7e24583e (3 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181680) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Roll Skia from 128b5213711e to b9f40c193e7a (14 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181675) 2026-01-29 [email protected] [Impeller] Ensure that HostBuffers/DeviceBuffers allocated by RendererTest tests are valid for the lifetime of the RenderPass (flutter/flutter#181635) 2026-01-29 [email protected] [Impeller] Fix off-by-one indices in the SimilarPointPair/SimilarPointTrio functions used by ShadowPathGeometryTest (flutter/flutter#181623) 2026-01-29 [email protected] 180162 fix radio list tile and switch list tile accept widget states controller (flutter/flutter#180367) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Remove unused test file (flutter/flutter#181671) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Roll libpng to version 1.6.54 (flutter/flutter#181625) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Remove nonstandard ndkpath for `hybrid_android_views` integration test (flutter/flutter#181666) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Add TestWidgetsApp utility and refactor widget tests to use WidgetsApp (flutter/flutter#180456) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Add `TestTextField` and migrate tests (flutter/flutter#180494) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Merge changelog for 3.38.9 (flutter/flutter#181668) 2026-01-29 [email protected] [flutter_tools] Deprecate `plugin_ffi` template (flutter/flutter#181588) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Deprecate onReorder callback (flutter/flutter#178242) 2026-01-29 [email protected] [web] Use defensive null check in text editing placeElement (flutter/flutter#180795) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Roll Packages from 1cb2148 to cd4fd61 (4 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181663) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Roll Skia from 89df65f8324c to 128b5213711e (2 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181651) 2026-01-29 [email protected] [hooks] Don't run build hooks for code assets in `flutter run` (flutter/flutter#181542) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from f10dcbfca98f to a0685c8e946b (5 revisions) (flutter/flutter#181653) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Fixes getUniformX for Vulkan (flutter/flutter#181286) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Roll Fuchsia Linux SDK from adhoq9ouVRh0xzkm3... to isy1ARvK-3bsvtfc-... (flutter/flutter#181641) 2026-01-29 [email protected] Add isDark, isLight, and isSystem getters to ThemeMode (flutter/flutter#181475) If this roll has caused a breakage, revert this CL and stop the roller using the controls here: https://autoroll.skia.org/r/flutter-packages Please CC [email protected],[email protected] on the revert to ensure that a human is aware of the problem. To file a bug in Packages: https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/new/choose To report a problem with the AutoRoller itself, please file a bug: https://issues.skia.org/issues/new?component=1389291&template=1850622 Documentation for the AutoRoller is here: ...

Add deprecation marker to `flutter create --template=plugin_ffi`. The new way of bundling native code is `flutter create --template=package_ffi`. (Or if the Flutter Plugin API or Android Play components need to be bundled: `flutter create --template=plugin)` Issue: * flutter#131209

[flutter_tools] Deprecate plugin_ffi template

6c08da3

dcharkes requested review from bkonyi, goderbauer and stuartmorgan-g January 28, 2026 08:53

github-actions bot added the tool Affects the "flutter" command-line tool. See also t: labels. label Jan 28, 2026

gemini-code-assist bot reviewed Jan 28, 2026

View reviewed changes

dcharkes mentioned this pull request Jan 28, 2026

Remove references to plugin_ffi flutter/website#13004

Merged

goderbauer reviewed Jan 28, 2026

View reviewed changes

goderbauer approved these changes Jan 28, 2026

View reviewed changes

stuartmorgan-g approved these changes Jan 28, 2026

View reviewed changes

bkonyi approved these changes Jan 28, 2026

View reviewed changes

dcharkes added the autosubmit Merge PR when tree becomes green via auto submit App label Jan 29, 2026

auto-submit bot added this pull request to the merge queue Jan 29, 2026

Merged via the queue into master with commit bff9bbc Jan 29, 2026
145 of 146 checks passed

auto-submit bot deleted the deprecate-plugin-ffi branch January 29, 2026 19:38

flutter-dashboard bot removed the autosubmit Merge PR when tree becomes green via auto submit App label Jan 29, 2026

engine-flutter-autoroll mentioned this pull request Jan 30, 2026

Roll Flutter from da72d5936d69 to 32aef9f3e2e1 (29 revisions) flutter/packages#10927

Closed

engine-flutter-autoroll added a commit to engine-flutter-autoroll/packages that referenced this pull request Jan 30, 2026

bff9bbc1d [flutter_tools] Deprecate plugin_ffi template (flutter/fl…

8b9a695

…utter#181588)

engine-flutter-autoroll added a commit to engine-flutter-autoroll/packages that referenced this pull request Jan 30, 2026

bff9bbc1d [flutter_tools] Deprecate plugin_ffi template (flutter/fl…

da9ded9

…utter#181588)

engine-flutter-autoroll mentioned this pull request Jan 30, 2026

Roll Flutter from da72d5936d69 to d06ccc562780 (30 revisions) flutter/packages#10928

Closed

engine-flutter-autoroll added a commit to engine-flutter-autoroll/packages that referenced this pull request Jan 30, 2026

bff9bbc1d [flutter_tools] Deprecate plugin_ffi template (flutter/fl…

f9ce52c

…utter#181588)

engine-flutter-autoroll mentioned this pull request Jan 30, 2026

Roll Flutter from da72d5936d69 to d13d227639b7 (31 revisions) flutter/packages#10929

Closed

engine-flutter-autoroll added a commit to engine-flutter-autoroll/packages that referenced this pull request Jan 30, 2026

bff9bbc1d [flutter_tools] Deprecate plugin_ffi template (flutter/fl…

333d233

…utter#181588)

engine-flutter-autoroll mentioned this pull request Jan 30, 2026

Roll Flutter from da72d5936d69 to 7323c0ee05a3 (32 revisions) flutter/packages#10930

Closed

engine-flutter-autoroll added a commit to engine-flutter-autoroll/packages that referenced this pull request Jan 30, 2026

bff9bbc1d [flutter_tools] Deprecate plugin_ffi template (flutter/fl…

5a24c70

…utter#181588)

engine-flutter-autoroll mentioned this pull request Jan 30, 2026

Roll Flutter from da72d5936d69 to 1d9d6a9a5ef6 (33 revisions) flutter/packages#10931

Merged

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

[flutter_tools] Deprecate `plugin_ffi` template#181588

[flutter_tools] Deprecate `plugin_ffi` template#181588
auto-submit[bot] merged 1 commit intomasterfrom
deprecate-plugin-ffi

dcharkes commented Jan 28, 2026

Uh oh!

gemini-code-assist bot left a comment

Uh oh!

gemini-code-assist bot Jan 28, 2026

Uh oh!

gemini-code-assist bot Jan 28, 2026

Uh oh!

goderbauer Jan 28, 2026

Uh oh!

dcharkes Jan 28, 2026

Uh oh!

goderbauer Jan 28, 2026

Uh oh!

goderbauer left a comment

Uh oh!

stuartmorgan-g left a comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

4 participants

		expect(templateHelp, contains('(deprecated)'));
		expect(templateHelp, contains('Use "package_ffi" instead.'));

Conversation

dcharkes commented Jan 28, 2026

Uh oh!

gemini-code-assist bot left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Code Review

Uh oh!

gemini-code-assist bot Jan 28, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

gemini-code-assist bot Jan 28, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

goderbauer Jan 28, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

dcharkes Jan 28, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

goderbauer Jan 28, 2026

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

goderbauer left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

stuartmorgan-g left a comment

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

Uh oh!

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

4 participants