add-package

Adding a Dart/Flutter Package Dependency

Preferred approach

Use flutter pub add <package> (or dart pub add) rather than editing pubspec.yaml directly. The pub command output is the primary signal for package health; direct edits bypass it.

Read pub output after every add

After running pub add, read the output carefully before proceeding. Two classes of problem appear inline:

Discontinued packages

+ flutter_markdown 0.7.7+1 (discontinued replaced by flutter_markdown_plus)
...
1 package is discontinued.

Action:

• If a replacement is listed: remove the discontinued package and add the replacement instead (flutter pub remove <pkg> then flutter pub add <replacement>).
• If no replacement is listed: find a well-maintained alternative before proceeding.

Version pinned behind current major

+ lints 4.0.0 (6.1.0 available)
...
4 packages have newer versions incompatible with dependency constraints.

The (X.Y.Z available) annotation on a package you just added means the version you requested is behind the current release — often by a major version.

Action:

• Run flutter pub outdated to see the structured breakdown:

  Package Name  Current  Upgradable  Resolvable  Latest
  lints         *4.0.0   *4.0.0      6.1.0       6.1.0
  

• If a direct dependency you just added shows a major-version gap between Current and Latest, remove the version pin or update the constraint to the current major (flutter pub add 'lints:^6.0.0').

• Transitive dependency gaps are generally not actionable — note them but don't block on them.

When editing pubspec.yaml directly

If you add a dependency by editing pubspec.yaml instead of using pub add, run flutter pub get immediately after and apply the same output-reading rules.