Update as of 2024-02-18: https://docs.flutter.dev/release/breaking-changes/flutter-generate-i10n-source.

Currently, flutter_gen is a virtual package we generate to provide certain functionality (e.g. internationalisation). Developers have to import that package into their app. The package itself is not listed in their app's pubspec.yaml, though. Instead, the flutter_gen package is made available by a rewrite of the package config file itself.

This "hack" has caused issues with multiple tools in the past, e.g.:

• build_runner ([build_runner 1.10.3] Bad state: Unable to generate package graph dart-lang/build#2835)
• linter (specifically, the depend_on_referenced_packages lint, depend_on_referenced_packages triggers falsely on virtual flutter_gen package dart-lang/sdk#58690)
• Dart Code (AppLocalizations class from flutter_gen does not show in completion/have import fix Dart-Code/Dart-Code#3948)
• pub (mentioned in depend_on_referenced_packages triggers falsely on virtual flutter_gen package dart-lang/sdk#58690)

It's expensive for tooling to have to handle package:flutter_gen as a special case and it's easy to overlook that special support for it is needed resulting in a sub-par user experience.

We should rethink whether there are better ways to support the functionality that flutter_gen is currently providing that's more aligned with the dart ecosystem and its tooling. Maybe the upcoming support for macros in Dart can help with that).