Building a Google Chrome Extension with Flutter and Stream

The article provides a comprehensive guide to building a Chrome extension using Flutter and the Stream Chat SDK, showcasing Flutter's flexibility beyond traditional platforms like mobile, tablet, and desktop. It explains the unique functionalities of browser extensions compared to webpages, such as access to specific APIs and the importance of the manifest.json for permissions and service workers. The tutorial walks readers through creating a simple chat extension called "Webside Chat," where users on the same webpage can communicate instantly. Key steps include setting up the Flutter project, configuring HTML and JSON files, building the project with specific renderers, and loading the extension in Chrome. The article also covers setting up a Stream Chat account, using local storage to maintain user identity, and employing Dart's JS interoperability to obtain the current URL for channel management. By integrating pre-built Stream Chat UI components, the tutorial simplifies the implementation of a messaging interface, demonstrating Dart and Flutter's capability to manage complex web functionalities.