React Native is an innovative cross-platform technology that produces high-quality apps. This guide will help you learn everything about React Native app development, from how it compares to other frameworks to developer best practices.
In recent years, mobile application usage has increased. Android and iOS developers are faced with a dilemma: offer their users a classic User Interface (UI), an amazing User Experience (UX), or both.
REACT Native Development is here to help!
This guide will cover everything you need to know about React Native, including how to get started, the pros and cons, React’s the relationship with other frameworks, best practices for developers, and more.
This is a quick index that will help you get started. If you are already familiar with React Framework, skip to the protips.
What is React Native?
We will answer some questions to help you understand REACT Native.
What language is React Native using?
REACT Native allows mobile app developers to create apps that work with both iOS or Android platforms.
REACT Native allows developers to code only once, and the final product can be used on both iOS and Android. REACT Native is popular because it has been supported by Facebook and has large community support. It is also built on stable ReactJS.
Difference between React and React Native?
Yes. React (or React JS) is a JavaScript library that assists mobile app developers with the rendering of UI elements.
React is the V section in the MVC framework. It simply renders your views.
React Native, on the other hand, uses JavaScript to create native applications. React Native is a framework that compiles native components to allow mobile app developers to build native mobile apps.
What is the main difference between these two?
React JS is the base abstraction for React DOM (Document Object Model) when you build a mobile app. React Native uses React Native as its base abstraction.
In both cases, however, the syntax and workflow are identical but the components differ.
What does React Native do?
Understanding how to React Native works is key to understanding how different compilers on different platforms communicate with it.
React Native gained popularity since its launch. Most people consider it a game-changer because it allows mobile app developers to run JavaScript code within a mobile environment. React Native is not dependent on web views like Phonegap and Ionic. Instead, it relies on the platform resources.
React Native is a tool that allows you to create native UIs when creating mobile apps. You build UIView instances as a mobile app developer just like you would when creating an app for a platform-specific language.
It is important to remember that Dartlang is used to build apps by Google. The Abstract Syntax Tree is created from JavaScript code. This transforms the code so it can run on multiple devices.
React Native, however, has a completely different approach.
React Native’s main problem is that it targets compilation platforms based upon the JS code, essentially creating new compilers.
Existing compilers are therefore limited to specific platforms. Objective-C and swift, for example, target iOS platforms only while Java targets Android platforms.
This strategy is advantageous because it allows for better compilation since the compilers are specifically designed for these platforms.
You will need to create a code for each platform-specific compiler when you use platform-specific compilers. This means you’ll need to create a code for Android, iOS, or any other platform. Tedious. Right?
React Native Development Services is here to help. React Native works with existing compilers, and the code it generates is not platform-specific.
Native’s open architecture allows you to run native code on other platforms, such as desktop applications or virtual reality.
But I’m sure you are asking the right questions. What does React Native Technology do to facilitate communication between the React Native Code and different platforms?
You should first understand that React Native has two sides. There is the JavaScript side as well as the Native side.
React Native uses a “Bridge” to facilitate communication between JavaScript (Native) and JavaScript.
To answer your question, a “Bridge” is the heart of React Native architecture. It allows for flexibility and communication between different compilers on different platforms.
The Bridge allows bidirectional and asynchronous communication between the Native and JavaScript sides.
It is important to note that although the JavaScript and Native sides are written in different technologies, they can still communicate. Wonderful. Right?
React Native is better than other frameworks
Let’s now discuss what React Native App Architecture is.
This section will compare React Native to other major platforms such as Swift, Swift, Flutter, and Xamarin.
NativeScript vs React Native
Cross-platform development is a difficult task. Cross-platform development is embraced by many developers for its lower cost but there are always trade-offs in terms of performance and user experience.
Below are the differences between NativeScript and React Native mobile app development frameworks.
Code sharing
Code-sharing is supported by NativeScript and React Native cross platforms. ReactXP is available for React Native developers. You can share your iOS and Android code with other developers.
NativeScript or React Native mobile apps can share as much as 90% of the codebase. Apps with few custom features share more easily than apps with lots of them.
React Native emphasizes styling components that are appropriate for each platform when it compiles. This gives the project a more polished look and feel. NativeScript, on the other hand, follows a ‘write one, run all approach.
The code sharing percentage drops when there are many native-platform components.
Code sharing offers many benefits, including reduced development costs and time.
Code is easy to maintain
NativeScript and React Native use a shared codebase, which makes it easier to maintain the application codes.
Popularity
React Native is more popular than NativeScript in terms of cross-platform mobile development. It’s supported by Facebook, which is why it’s so popular.
A survey on the state of JS found that 16% of respondents had used React Native, while less than 5% had used NativeScript.
Growth and Contributor
React Native’s popularity has attracted many active contributors. Developers benefit from a large number of contributors because it means that more information is available in discussion forums.
StackOverflow currently has 10 times more React Native contributors than NativeScript.
NativeScript had 145 Github contributors in April 2019 and 5,699 commits, compared to React Native’s 1990 contributors (and 17,625 commits) in April 2019.
NativeScript is not as popular as React Native. Because of the high availability of React Native developers, it is easy for mobile app developers to launch new projects.
Marketplace for plugins
NativeScript has an official marketplace to sell its plugins. React Native does not have one. Developers rely on third-party plugins and libraries because there is no official marketplace for React Native plugins.
Third-party plugins or libraries could cause security issues for developed applications. These libraries might be discontinued suddenly and developers will need to look for alternatives that might increase development costs.
Integration with Native APIs
React Native offers a variety of API modules that enable developers to access native device functionality. React Native modules are available to mobile app developers who need to access third-party modules.
Developers must build their bridges for mobile apps with complex and unsupported functions. This is because these bridges are difficult to build and require pro-level knowledge in Native languages.
NativeScript doesn’t use bridges but instead injects the Android platform APIs into JavaScript Virtual Machine.
It is now easier to access native APIs using NateScript than React Native.
Performance
You won’t notice a difference in performance whether you choose to use NativeScript or React Native when developing your mobile app. The differences in performance may be due to the app’s platform, access device, and framework version.
An app that has multiple animations can achieve a 60-frame-per-second frame rate when using NativeScript or React Native.
React Native: When is it best to use it?
You need native mobile apps with high performance on both iOS and Android.
You need to create native interfaces that allow native performance.
You can use hardware functionality for each platform rather than third-party plugins.
NativeScript: When is it appropriate?
When JavaScript and TypeScript are available.
If you plan to use a cross-platform approach to developing your mobile apps.
If your app will use web components, and you plan to use angularJS.
Swift vs React Native
We have already discussed React Native, so let’s first talk about Swift.
What is Swift?
Swift is an Apple multi-paradigm programming language that can be used to build iOS-powered apps or other ecosystems.
Swift was specifically designed to create apps that run on macOS, watchOS(AppleWatch), and tvOS [Apple TV digital media player] as well as z/OS which powers IBM mainframe computers.
We now have a better understanding of Swift’s functions, let’s look at the differences between Swift and React Native.
Many indicators can help determine the success of exceptional mobile app development. To analyze the differences, we will use some of these indicators.
User interface
Swift is exclusively designed for iOS app development. It uses all UX principles. Swift is used to building mobile apps. This means that you must code native apps from scratch. As a developer, each element must be polished separately.
React Native, on the other hand, leverages the power and internal APIs of JavaScript to run native elements.
React Native allows mobile app developers to create codes for iOS and Android platforms with one code.
Coding speed
Swift has taken over Objective-C and eliminated all the disadvantages. Swift is now a simple way to build iOS mobile apps. Swift is not a good choice for iOS app development. You will need to create the app from scratch when using it.
React Native uses JavaScript to simplify the creation of powerful web apps. Because of the many resources and tools available, React Native is easy to use.
React Native can be used to create Android apps in some cases. This is due to its high code reusability.
Performance
Native apps should perform better than framework-based apps, theoretically. This might not be the case.
React Native apps have better CPU utilization optimization. React Native is not able to handle graphical issues. React Native makes it possible for developers to embed native code within their apps.
Flutter vs React Native
React Native and Flash are cross-platform mobile application development frameworks that allow developers to create IOS or Android apps.
We will now examine the two frameworks in detail in the section below:
Language
React Native is built on JavaScript. React Native is based on JavaScript. React Native is easy to learn because it’s based on JavaScript. This is why it is so popular with mobile app developers.
Flutter is built on Dart programming language. Flutter learning is more difficult than React Native. Developers with Java or C++ backgrounds can quickly learn Flutter.
Corporate backing
Facebook has backed React Native, making it even more popular. React Native has seen a lot of investment from Facebook. As a result, more libraries and features are being added daily.
Google supports React. Flutter – Google’s open-source SDK for Android and iOS developers that allows them to create amazing iOS and Android apps using one codebase. Google has invested heavily in Flutter, just like React Native. We expect to see more cross-platform features in the future.
Popularity
A survey conducted by StackOverflow in 2019 found that Flutter is the most popular framework, with 75.4% of respondents while React Native is at 62.5%. The survey was conducted to find the most popular framework among developers.
React Native is a long-standing project, while Flutter is just one year old.
Performance
Flutter is thought to have a higher performance than React Native. Flutter may be faster than React Native since it doesn’t use a JavaScript Bridge during compilation.
Flutter allows you to develop apps by compiling Dart code directly to native machine code. This eliminates the JavaScript Bridge layer.
Adoption
Flutter has a lower adoption rate than React Native. React’s success may be responsible for the increased adoption. React Native has been adopted by major corporations like Bloomberg, Uber Eats, and Tesla, as well as Facebook, Instagram, Uber Eats, and Tesla.
Over the past year, Flutter has gained popularity. Hamilton Music is one of the notable giants to have adopted Flutter.
Both Flutter and React Native are growing in popularity, and the next few decades will be exciting for cross-platform app developers.
React Native vs Xamarin
Microsoft has developed Xamarin, a cross-platform framework. It can be used by developers to create Android, iOS, and Windows apps.
C# is the basis of Xamarin’s programming language.
Let’s now analyze React Native and Xamarin.
Performance
React Native was designed to give you a native app experience. You can create applications with high performance using React Native. React Native applications can perform as well as native language applications, according to the official website.
However, this assertion may not be true as only native languages such as Swift and Java can guarantee such a performance.
React Native lets developers integrate native code into their apps. You can use Native code to build your app, while React Native can be used to develop the rest.
Xamarin allows developers to create mobile apps that are fast and easy to use. Xamarin makes it possible to achieve high app performance by using platform-specific hardware acceleration.
Development Environment
React Native offers developers great flexibility in selecting a development environment. You can use any IDE and text editor to develop your mobile apps as a developer.
There are many text editors available, including Atom, Sublime Text, and Visual Studio Code.
However, Xamarin prohibits mobile app developers from using Visual Studio. Visual Studio is an amazing Integrated Development Environment, despite this restriction. Visual Studio IDE offers developers several useful tools and features that make it easy to create mobile apps.
Rapid development
React Native utilizes the Hot Reloading feature for mobile app development speed. Hot Reloading supports app reloading automatically, making it easier to make app changes.
Xamarin makes use of the Visual Studio IDE controls and layouts to improve mobile app development. Xamarin lets you use existing controls and the NuGet plug-in to simplify your mobile app development.
Support for the community
React Native is very popular and has an extensive support network. There are many resources available that make it easy to learn React Native.
Xamarin is popular and has good support from the community. React Native, however, has more support from the community and can provide you with more online learning materials.
As a long-time developer, I recommend that you choose the framework that best suits your needs.
Instead of asking React Native or Xamarin which framework is best, think about which framework will help you achieve your current goals, what resources you have, and which language your developers are proficient in.
What is the difference between Native apps and React Native?
React Native is a cross-platform framework that Facebook developed to aid in the development of Windows, iOS, and Android mobile apps.
React Native apps are therefore applications that have been developed using the React Native platform.
Native apps, on the other hand, are apps that were developed using platform-specific frameworks such as Swift or Objective C.
React Native allows you to create one code for both iOS and Android when you’re developing mobile apps.
However, Native apps can only be developed using one code. Swift allows you to only create an iOS app.
What are some of the most popular apps built with React Native Architecture?
React Native is used in some of the most popular apps.
Facebook
Facebook Ads Manager
Instagram
Airbnb
Skype
Tesla
Walmart
Bloomberg
Baidu mobile
Delivery.com
Chop
Flare by GoDaddy
Pros and cons of React Native
React Native: The Pros
Time efficiency
React Native’s Hot Reload allows you to visualize the code changes that are being made. Hot reloading lets developers preview the changes made to their code, which makes it easier to develop your app.
Performance
React Native makes use of native controls and modules to improve performance. React Native uses Native API components for iOS and Android to enhance direct rendering. React Native can use native APIs to create a separate thread for the UI, which improves performance.
Growing community
React Native is a popular community that has grown in popularity. A large support network is a positive contribution to the framework’s growth. Developers can also learn from forums and other online learning materials.
App development costs are reduced
React Native is a cross-platform framework. Developers can use the same code to create applications for multiple platforms. This allows developers to create one code for both iOS apps and Android apps. This reduces development costs by a large percentage.
Cross-platform frameworks also lower the need for developers to be hired, which further reduces labor costs.
Apps that are reliable and stable
React Native uses data binding to ensure app stability and reliability. React Native uses data binding to ensure that any changes made to the child elements don’t affect the parent data.
Developers can modify objects only if they make modifications to the object. Only the intended components can be upgraded.
The Cons of React Native
Only a few components are available
React Native is still a young framework so there are not many components. Developers will need to create custom components for advanced features that are not supported by the existing components.
Native code is required
React Native is cross-platform. However, this does not mean all app features can be developed using React Native. Developers are required to modify the code created with native code at the end.
Native code is required for certain hardware functions, such as access to the microphone and camera. This increases development costs. This is inconvenient, to say the least.
Native apps have a faster app performance
React Native delivers performance when creating complex apps with advanced functionality. React Native may be suitable for apps with basic functionalities.
Substandard components from third parties
Developers are permitted to create custom components due to the limited React Native components. There are a few available third-party components, but they are not all of the same quality. This could compromise app security.
Security concerns
React Native is made of JavaScript Library. As such, React Native, like JS is fragile and vulnerable. It is important to take extra care when developing code to eliminate malicious code snippets.
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