JavaScript libraries are considered the boon companions for the developers as you can control your web page by entering the server-side programs. In addition to this, the ReactJS is an open-source JavaScript library that is utilized for developing the web user interface. While these libraries are already doing well in the web industry but little we can assume them to be the best in mobile development too.
In the year 2015, Facebook developed React Native – a javascript framework that is based on React for building user interfaces but instead of the web it targets the mobile devices. This technology makes use of Javascript and XML markup called JSX for developing mobile application interfaces. In present times, React Native development is offering support for both Android and iOS platforms.
Not only this but there are also some amazing facts that are supporting the potential of this wonderful technology. Let us dig in deeper. Here’s how.
Code Iteration through Cross-Platforms
When you develop any native app, the incompatible behavior of the various platforms can become a huge challenge. For instance – When developing a native iOS app, you cannot send a direct SMS by using the platform API unless the native platform for the SMS app is launched to the user.
On the other hand, sending a direct SMS through the platform API can be possible to testify the fact that native applications are bringing the burden of defining a new logic for every platform. When you opt for React Native development it indicates that a set of code developed for Android can also work for iOS.
No need to Recompile
React native is nothing new but JavaScript as it gives relaxation from rebuilding the entire app to get the changes that are reflected in it. All you need is to combine the Command plus R for app refreshing as it happens on the web page. By doing so, you can save an ample amount of time that is spent waiting for the app to rebuild and boosts your productivity. Also, this is making the developers more open to experimenting with the code.
Modern and Friendly Tooling
The react native CLI helps you begin with a new native app project that works both on iOS and Android as these tools are great for building your app right away instead of spending more time on its setup and configuration. These tools are similar to Xcode and Android Studio project templates; one of the good features os it is live reloading which helps to maintain your application state.
This feature turns out to be great for testing changes to complex flows without recreating the steps each time. For this, tools like CodePush makes it easy to push updates for your React Native app without moving to iTunes Connect or Google Play submission processes.
Build quicker apps with code sharing
The development of each web, ios or android diverges and varies from platform to platform. With the help of the React-based platform, the web and native apps can share more of the code that is used for state management, API request, and GraphQL queries or mutations which can help to reduce the bugs and inconsistencies across the board. You cannot apply one logic to the three separate apps and hence react native helps you to unify your development team because all the same technologies are used on all platforms.
Any developer who is familiar with React and JavaScript and can create UI components for any platform can make use of React as it performs the same on the native web as well. All of your React components are rendering to native UI elements which are specific to each platform by creating applications that are high in performance than web-based ones.
It’s all about the JavaScript ecosystem
It is actually easy to integrate third-party modules into your native app in react native development platform as you have access to the entire javascript modules when working with it. There are no additional package managers required unlike native third-party frameworks and no compiler flags, and also you don’t need to worry about the target SDK compatibility when working with the react platform.
With any technology, there are going to be tradeoffs to the ease of building native apps with React Native. Javascript runs on a single thread which aids to provide some intense calculation operations for a native module to leverage multiple threads. You need to know Objective-C and Java for writing native modules along with the proper understanding of the APIs.
The Road Ahead
React is already in the mobile world as a fantastic way to build UIs for the web too. The react components are a good way to conceptualize your UI as a function of some data. React native also comes with some composable unified UI codebases and instant app updates along with better development tooling that makes React Native a better way to make native applications. So, what are you waiting for? Try your hands on React native for designing your own mobile app. Keep Learning!
