What is the difference between these two packages importing ways in Dart language?

Question

There are two ways to import packages in Dart programming language, I need to know what is the difference between them both, please? Also when to use the first way and when to use the second way?

First way:

import 'dart:io';

Second way

import 'dart:io' as io;

[This might help you understand](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19723063/what-is-the-difference-between-show-and-as-in-an-import-statement) — Madhan Varadhodiyil, Sep 12 '18 at 08:15
@MadhanVaradhodiyil yeah. That page has a lot of great nuggets related to this question — draysams, Sep 12 '18 at 08:17
@MadhanVaradhodiyil thank you very much this was very helpflul — Ben Ghaleb, Sep 12 '18 at 08:51

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 12 '18 at 08:18

as io specifies a prefix.

Without you can use members dart:io exports like

var f = File();

with prefix it would be

var f = io.File();

This is useful to disambiguate imports if names collide with declarations in your current library or another imported library.

Packages like path assume that they are imported with a prefix, because it exports many top-level functions with common names that without a prefix would clutter the scope.

What is the difference between these two packages importing ways in Dart language?

1 Answers1