Implement an A/B test on your Flutterflow app in 5 minutes

FlutterFlow and Theta combined can take your no-code development speed to the next level. This tutorial will guide you through integrating Theta with FlutterFlow for real-time updates and faster A/B testing.

Advantages of integrating Theta#

• Real-Time UI Changes: Instantly see the impact of your changes without having to rebuild or redeploy your app.
• A/B Tests: Run experiments to determine the most effective UI elements, all controlled via Theta.
• Faster UI Building: The Theta integration accelerates your UI building process by reducing the need for repeated manual updates.

Prerequisites#

• Basic understanding of Flutter
• Experience with FlutterFlow (or the willingness to use Flutter along with our existing Theta tutorial)
• A Theta account on buildwiththeta.com

Steps

Step 1: Draw the UI and its variants visually within Theta#

To create the UI, you need to visually design the UI using Theta's design editor. Open your Theta dashboard, create a new project, and design a new component and its variants.

Add buttons, text, and other UI elements to guide the user toward making a purchase or subscription.

Step 2: Create an A/B test in Theta#

On the left menu, open the A/B test panel. Click "Add" and set the following properties:

• Test name
• View A - The main component
• View B
• View C (optional)
• View D (optional)

Step 3: Create an Initialize Theta Custom Action#

Create a new custom action in FlutterFlow.

1. Add in Pubspec Dependencies: "theta: ^0.8.4"
2. Copy the following code into the code editor:

// Automatic FlutterFlow imports
// ... (other imports)
// DO NOT REMOVE OR MODIFY THE CODE ABOVE!

import 'package:theta/theta.dart';

Future<void> initializeTheta() async {
  const key = 'your anon key here';
  await Theta.initialize(
    anonKey: key,
    componentsNames: ["Component Name"],
  );
}

3. Save the action as "initializeTheta".

Step 4: Update main.dart file#

1. In the right sidebar go to Initial Actions > Add Custom Action > Choose "initializeTheta"
2. Your code will look like this with "await actions.initializeTheta();" in it.

import '/custom_code/actions/index.dart' as actions;
// ... (other imports)

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  usePathUrlStrategy();

  // Start initial custom actions code
  await actions.initializeTheta();
  // End initial custom actions code

  final appState = FFAppState(); // Initialize FFAppState
  await appState.initializePersistedState();

  runApp(ChangeNotifierProvider(
    create: (context) => appState,
    child: MyApp(),
  ));
}

Step 5: Create a Custom Widget for importing the remote UI#

Create a new custom widget in FlutterFlow, and copy the following code into it:

// Automatic FlutterFlow imports
// ... (other imports)

// Set your widget name, define your parameter, and then add the
// boilerplate code using the button on the right!

import 'package:theta/theta.dart';

class RemoteWidget extends StatelessWidget {
  const RemoteWidget({super.key, required this.width, required this.height});

  final double width;
  final double height;

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return SizedBox(
      width: width,
      height: height,
      child: ThetaProvider(
        theme: ThemeMode.light,
        child: UIBox("Component Name"),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Step 6: Place the Custom Widget in the UI#

Now, you can use this custom widget anywhere in your FlutterFlow project. Simply add the RemoteWidget where you need it, and it will render the Theta-controlled UI you defined earlier.

• In the editor:

• In Test Mode:

Add workflows for user interactions#

You can add workflows based on different triggers to perform specific actions.

UIBox(
    'Your Component Name',
    workflows: [
        Workflow('Element ID', Trigger.onTap, () {
            print('Element tapped');
        }),
    ],
)

Add custom analytics#

Here is how you can integrate analytics tools to collect data for your A/B tests. Let's assume you are using Firebase Analytics as an example.

Modify your UIBox to include the analytics event in the workflow:

UIBox(
    'Your Component Name',
    controller: controller,
    branch: 'Optional Branch Name',
    workflows: [
        Workflow(
            'Element ID',
            Trigger.onTap,
            () async {
                await analytics.logEvent(
                    name: 'element_tapped',
                    parameters: {
                        'component': controller.componentName,
                        'component_id': controller.componentID,
                        'branch': controller.branch,
                        'timestamp': DateTime.now().toString(),
                    }
                );
            }
        ),
    ],
)

Review analytics and iterate#

Once you've successfully integrated the analytics tool and set up the event logging, the next step is to review the collected data to determine the effectiveness of different UI components.

Go to your analytics dashboard to view the events. Based on this data, you can make further improvements and continue to A/B test until you find the most effective UI for your app.

And there you have it! You've just significantly sped up your FlutterFlow development process by integrating Theta. Now you can easily use real-time updates, custom widgets, and advanced analytics functionalities to enhance your app.