Bringing Javascript & Typescript Libraries to Dart: What We Shared and Learned at FlutterBytes 2025

This blog walks through what I presented at this year’s FlutterBytes conference, the work we’ve been doing to run Javascript/TypeScript inside Dart, and why it’s useful for real projects. It also covers the conversations that came out of the session, what people are trying to build, and what we took away from spending time with the community.

Sharing Our R&D: Running TypeScript/JavaScript Inside Dart

In the talk, I walked through the core idea, run JS/TS inside Dart by embedding the V8 JavaScript engine in a native library and calling into it from Dart code.

Dart code communicates with this embedded engine via the Foreign Function Interface (FFI). To ensure stable communication, a specialised bridge using SendPorts handles data streaming and messaging between the two environments.

With over 100 attendees in the room, I was excited to present this work. But I read “Why would you want to do this?” on a number of faces.

The necessity of this approach lies in providing immediate access to established JavaScript libraries. By running JavaScript inside Dart, developers can directly use popular libraries like Vercel AI SDK, without waiting for a Dart port. The demo of our globe_ai work (from the pre-OpenAI/Gemini Dart SDK days) showed this in action. We were able to use JavaScript AI libraries directly in Dart when no native Dart alternatives existed. Examples from the repo drove the point home: thousands of battle-tested JS libraries become immediately accessible.

After the talk, I found from feedback that developers were looking for pragmatic solutions that quickly eliminate functional gaps in the current Dart toolset.

Community Connections & Conversations

Beyond the formal sessions, connecting with other attendees gave me essential context. I spoke with founders developing server-side tools in Dart and discussed day-to-day challenges with other developers.

These interactions helped align our technical research directly with actual community needs. Conversations frequently addressed common pain points such as state management complexity and the difficulties of long-term package maintenance. A developer showed me a custom server-side solution they had recently completed. Others asked specific questions about the roadmap for the Globe project.

The focus of every discussion was on solving immediate, practical problems. This confirmed that the Dart and Flutter community is active and motivated to build functional products. We learnt that the community values tools that quickly and effectively eliminate current workflow friction.

It’s these interactions that remind you how collaborative and connected our ecosystem really is.

A Well-Organized Event

A huge shoutout to Jamiu Okanlawon and his team for putting together a seamless conference experience.

The venue was spacious and open, with plenty of room between sessions for networking and hallway conversations. Registration was smooth and efficient, and the talk schedule had breaks that gave attendees space to digest content and connect with speakers. Everything felt intentional and well executed.

These details made FlutterBytes stand out as a conference that genuinely prioritizes attendee experience for me.

Lagos: Energy, Chaos, and Vibes

And then, of course, Lagos.

Three days in the city were energizing in ways I didn’t expect. The first evening after the conference, I ended up at a lounge with a group of developers who’d attended my talk. What stood out wasn’t just the city’s energy, though Lagos delivers on that front with legendary traffic, infectious vibes, and the eternal Nigeria vs. Ghana jollof wars that never get old. It was how naturally people wanted to talk about what they’re building, where they’re stuck, and what they need from tools like Globe.

Being in Lagos made it clear that the Dart & Flutter community is active, curious, and eager to build products to aid workflows. That’s exactly the kind of environment that helps us shape what we build next.

I’m absolutely certain I’ll be back, whether for vacation or another conference.

Conclusion

The integration of JavaScript and TypeScript via V8 and FFI offers a robust solution for extending Dart’s capabilities. This approach bridges two major ecosystems, ensuring Dart developers aren’t blocked by a missing package.

Please reach out via Discord or X if you have any specific questions about the technical challenges of bridging Dart and V8.