React Native App Development: It all started with the intent of Facebook to form the event across mobile platforms quicker and with fewer developer efforts.
Being restricted by the specifics of the native platform languages, Facebook couldn’t update their mobile app as quickly as they did it with their website.
In 2013, a replacement technology named React Native was invented at an indoor Facebook hackathon.
Mostly considered for internal purposes, this technology permits for building native apps for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone using JavaScript and React.JS components.
The attractiveness of the React Native app development is that an engineer is in a position to make one code base which will fit any platform without a necessity to find out iOS and Android programming languages. This approach was named “learn once, write anywhere.”
Right now, there are quite 2,500 RN contributors with quite 13,000 commits registered on GitHub.
Anyone of the contributors can propose code fixes and enhancements, and after Facebook’s approval, they will be implemented and released officially.
React Native App Development – Why is React Native so cool?
There are many reasons why we love React Native, but we’ve narrowed it right down to our top five.
JavaScript is rendered into platform-specific languages
Though it’s not exactly like pushing the “make it all good” button, development with RN remains much easier and quicker than with platform-specific or hybrid development.
Around 75%-85% of JavaScript code is often rendered to mobile platform languages with help of ready-made native components. You create the code in JavaScript and everyone that you simply got to do is adjust it to the UI of your selected platform.
JavaScript is rendered to iOS or Android code then an end-user receives an app that runs within the native code. this type of approach makes the appliance run fast and appear natural.
Easy to find out if you recognize react
It’s easy for developers experienced with React to know React Native-specifics since they both use an equivalent reactive programming paradigm.
many tutorials and a vibrant GitHub community make it possible to master these skills quickly.
Flexbox and SVG for an adaptive UI
One of the benefits of React Native app development is that it uses the Flexbox technology for a layout that adapts UI to all or any screen dimensions.
This seriously saves time for development as you don’t get to adjust the code for various OS versions and screen sizes. Here is the example of Flexbox’s ability to rework into different screen dimensions.
You won’t need as many developers – React Native App Development
Most of the apps are often written by one JavaScript developer as there are tons of ready-to-use components that employment with the phone hardware like Bluetooth, GPS, accelerometer, camera, and push notifications and permit fulfilling any typical tasks.
Sometimes you’ve got to write down components by yourself, which can be challenging if you’re not familiar with the platform-specific programming languages.
a choice is that you simply may cooperate with Android or iOS developers to hurry up the discharge.
Converting apps is straight forward
If you have already got an internet application written with React, you’ll quickly migrate it into an RN mobile version. this is often obviously much simpler than writing it from scratch.
Of course, you’ll need to make some manipulations with layout and designs, also as change the interactions with a server. Overall, this type of migration saves you tons of time.
Let’s imagine we developed some music sharing application like SoundCloud. To facilitate the method, the subsequent scheme is often used:
Create an app in RN
Let the iOS and/or Android developers write some native components if they’re missing
Bridge these components to the remainder of the RN code.
Disadvantages of React Native
React Native remains the new kid on the block as far as mobile development goes. like all young technology, it still has quirks and issues.
Still raw technology
First of all, React Native is immature. Despite that, improvements are implemented quickly.
It’s not just Facebook developers performing on the changes, but also contributions from community members. This accelerates the technology evolution and maturity.
Here’s one example from several months ago. during which, there was no satisfying solution for navigation, making development difficult.
But, by the top of April 2017, React Navigation was released and took an enormous step towards the primary stable release with up to 300 bug fixes.
Since then, we’ve already used React Navigation during a recent project and it had been cool: quick to put in, easy to use, and it’s 60fps animation and native components for an excellent look and feel.
the sole problem we had was that creating this component work with redux; the answer wasn’t intuitive, so we had to spend a while wrapping our heads around it.
Some components aren’t available
The most significant disadvantage for React Native is that a lot of components are still unavailable.
But the great thing is that only a few components are left to develop. It’s only an issue of your time. For now, you’ve got to write down the missing components by yourself.
React Native vs. Hybrid
When clients say that they need an app for all mobile platforms, they think that they only need one app, not three apps written by three different teams for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
Native apps are always the simplest for every individual platform, as far as to look, feel, and performance are concerned. However, despite these benefits, native app development is slower and far costlier.
First of all, mobile devices vary wildly. Different mobile devices have a spread of screens.
Android, especially, features a catastrophic number of options to stay track of and optimize for. moreover, the gathering time after every minor change severely slows down development.
Another option is hybrid development. for instance, if a client wants to check a startup idea to deliver it to the market quickly. There are many hybrid apps like Basecamp or Untappd within the stores today.
With the assistance of frameworks like Cordova and Ionic, hybrids can easily deal with most of the quality features and mimic native behavior.
If you need a native-looking app that’s efficient and scalable, then you ought to build a mobile app with React Native.
At first glance, it’s going to seem that there’s no difference between RN and hybrid development. They both have a standard aim: to facilitate mobile app development and make native-looking apps with less time, money, and energy.
But the hybrids charge on a bottom of WebView — a central layer between an app and native shell. Such an approach affects app behavior smoothness and performance.
React Native doesn’t use WebView; that creates the appliance speed almost nearly as good as within the native Android or iOS apps.
Facebook, Instagram, Skype, Walmart, Uber, Airbnb, SoundCloud, and more are fully or partially built with the assistance of RN for both iOS and Android.
Why choose to React Native?
Today, you’ll see requests for React Native from employers and developers alike. The front-end developers that know RN are going to be in demand for the years to return.
In addition to making new apps from scratch, many companies want to rewrite their existing native apps to RN.
the most reasons for that are better scalability for various platforms, higher performance than in hybrids, and easier overall maintenance.
Advantages for developers
Exciting experience. RN may be a young and quickly maturing technology that’s interesting to follow. There aren’t many specialists yet and you’ll be one among the primary within the niche.
The learning curve is low. Having an honest knowledge of React and understanding mobile development principles, it’s possible to find out RN in a few months approximately.
If you’ve got some basics in iOS and Android native languages, it also can assist you to make great platform-specific things quicker.
Great community. The technology is usually updated and enhanced. thanks to the community the technology quickly progress and you’ll find the components that are still missing officially.
The technology is skyrocketing and perhaps while we are scripting this article, some new components and solutions are already added to the RN stack. We were glad to share with you our experience and are wanting to hear some enthusiasm from others who also work with React Native.
