All you must know about React Native.

In today’s fast-paced world, mobile apps are a crucial component of businesses looking to stay ahead of the curve. React Native, with its efficient cross-platform development capabilities, has made it easier than ever to create high-quality mobile apps that meet the needs of modern users.

In this article, we will dive deeper into  React Native, its architecture, language, how it works, and the pros and cons of React Native. We will also discuss the key features and benefits of React Native, as well as some real-world examples of apps built with the framework.

React Native: Introduction-

React Native is an open-source framework for mobile app development that was released by Facebook in 2015. It is a powerful tool that allows developers to create high-quality mobile apps for both iOS and Android platforms using a single codebase. React Native allows developers to use JavaScript and React to build mobile apps, making it an accessible option for those already familiar with web development.

Since its release, React Native has become one of the most popular frameworks for mobile app development, due in large part to its ability to achieve high performance and its accessibility to web developers already familiar with React and JavaScript.

1.Language used to build React Native App.

JavaScript is a popular programming language used for web development, making it accessible to a wide range of developers. React Native leverages this familiarity with JavaScript to make it easier for developers to build mobile apps, without requiring them to learn a new language or platform-specific APIs.

TypeScript is a typed superset of JavaScript that provides additional features, such as static type-checking, making it easier for developers to catch errors before they occur.

In addition to these languages and libraries, React Native also supports native modules written in Java, Kotlin, Objective-C, and Swift. This allows developers to extend the capabilities of their apps beyond what is provided by the React Native framework.

2.React Native Architecture-

React Native is constantly evolving and improving with the new release of React Native  0.70 rolled out in October 2022 they rolled out new architecture that promises to improve performance and make it easier to maintain and scale React Native apps. The new architecture is called Fabric.

Earlier React Native had an old architecture that was based on a bridge between the JavaScript code and the underlying native platform code. 

How Fabric Works?

Here’s a high-level overview of how React Native’s new architecture with Fabric works: 

• The developer writes JavaScript code to define the application logic and UI components. 
• The JavaScript code runs on the JavaScript thread, which communicates with the Native modules through the Fabric architecture. 
• The Native modules consist of platform-specific code written in Java for Android and Objective-C or Swift for iOS.
•  The Fabric architecture provides a lightweight and efficient communication channel between the JavaScript thread and the Native modules. 
• The Native modules access the device’s hardware and software resources, such as the camera, storage, and location. 
• The Native modules send updates and events back to the JavaScript thread, which updates the UI components accordingly.

3.How does React Native Work?

React Native is a framework for building mobile applications using JavaScript and a set of native UI components for iOS and Android platforms. It works by allowing developers to write JavaScript code that can be executed on both platforms, using a set of pre-built native UI components.

Here’s how React Native works:

• Code is written in JavaScript: Developers write code in JavaScript to create the app logic and user interface.

• Code is bundled and loaded onto the device: The JavaScript code is bundled into a single file and loaded onto the device or emulator.

• JavaScript code is executed: The JavaScript code is executed using a JavaScript engine that’s embedded within the native app.

• Native components are rendered: The JavaScript code uses a set of pre-built native UI components to render the user interface on both iOS and Android platforms. These components are designed to match the look and feel of native UI components.

• Communication with native modules: If the app requires access to device-specific functionality, it can communicate with native modules written in Java or Objective-C/Swift. These native modules can be called from JavaScript using a bridge that allows the two languages to communicate.

• React Native updates the UI: When the app state changes, React Native updates the UI by re-rendering the relevant components, ensuring that the app remains responsive and performant.

4. What do you need to learn to become proficient in React Native?

To become proficient in React Native, there are a few key areas that you need to focus on-

JavaScript- Javascript is the core language used in react native You should be comfortable with concepts like variables, functions, arrays, objects, loops, and conditional statements. Additionally, knowledge of modern JavaScript features like arrow functions, classes, and modules is highly recommended.

Debugging and troubleshooting: React Native can have its own set of challenges when it comes to debugging and troubleshooting, so it’s important to learn how to use the tools and techniques available for diagnosing and resolving issues.

Redux: Redux is a popular state management library for React and React Native apps. It provides a way to manage and update the app state in a predictable and efficient way.

Performance optimization: Learn how to optimize the performance of your React Native app by identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks, improving render times, and reducing memory usage.

Testing: Testing is an essential part of the development process for any application. you must be familiar with unit and integration testing.

Architecture: Learning architecture in mobile development is essential for building scalable, maintainable, and efficient applications. Without a solid understanding of architecture, mobile apps can become difficult to maintain, prone to bugs and performance issues, and can be challenging to scale as the app grows. A good start is deeply understanding the SOLID principle and architecture patterns such as MVC & MVVM.

5.Key features and benefits of React Native –

Cross-platform compatibility: React Native allows developers to build apps that work on both iOS and Android platforms, with a single codebase. This means less time spent developing and maintaining separate codebases for each platform.

Native-like performance: React Native uses native components, which means that the apps built with the framework have native-like performance and user experience.

Fast development cycles: React Native has a “hot reloading” feature that allows developers to see changes to the app in real time as they make them. This speeds up the development cycle and allows for faster iteration.

Large developer community: React Native has a large and active developer community, which means that there is plenty of support and resources available for developers who are new to the framework.

Third-party integrations: React Native has a vast ecosystem of third-party libraries and integrations that make it easy to add features like push notifications, analytics, and social media sharing to your app.

6.Real-world examples of apps built with React Native include:

Instagram: Instagram is a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos. The app is built with React Native and has a native-like user experience on both iOS and Android platforms.

Facebook Ads Manager: Facebook Ads Manager is a mobile app that allows advertisers to create and manage ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. It is built with React Native and is available on both iOS and Android platforms.

Skype: Skype is a video conferencing and messaging app that is available on both iOS and Android platforms. It is built with React Native and allows users to make video calls, send messages, and share files.

Conclusions-

In conclusion, React Native is a powerful mobile development framework that allows developers to create high-quality cross-platform mobile applications with the use of JavaScript and React. It offers numerous benefits, including faster development time, better performance, and the ability to reuse code across different platforms.

React Native has a large and active community, which provides excellent support and resources for developers. This community also ensures that the framework is regularly updated with new features and improvements.

Overall, React Native is an excellent choice for developers who want to build mobile applications that are fast, efficient, and easy to maintain. With its numerous benefits and community support, it is likely to remain a popular choice for mobile app development for years to come.