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Undoubtedly, React Native is preferred by most developers for cross-platform application development, as it enables the developers to create software for both Android and iOS. With React Native, developers can work on various operating systems through a single platform.
React Facebook launched native as an open-source framework for creating native mobile applications through the JavaScript programming language. Developers can easily create applications with React Native, like Kotlin or Java for android application development and Swift or Objective-C for iOS. With React Native, developers can also design attractive and strong User Interfaces with the same features as native applications. Although React Native has major advantages for cross-platform application development, it also has some drawbacks.
Since the launch of React Native in 2015, everyone has been following one simple motto; "Learn once, write anywhere." The idea to reach as many users as possible with one single codebase through React Native development is nothing new. But with React Native (RN), the native experience for app development was taken seriously. The need to offer a native feel and experience to users is important. This is not only why to React Native became the top choice of millions of companies, including start-ups and some tech giants such as Walmart, Coinbase, Instagram, and Facebook. In this article, we will discuss other advantages of React Native, but before diving into it, we should first understand what the basic definition of React Native is.
What is React Native?
React Native was launched in 2015 by Facebook as an open-source framework with a declarative programming paradigm for creating a seamless native application with the help of JavaScript. React Native integrates the best part of native app development with React, a top-class JavaScript library for building seamless native applications. Most of the developers are going with React native framework for creating seamless cross-platform mobile applications.
Applications developed using React Native functions similar to the native iOS apps (built with Objective-C or Swift) and Android app (built with Kotlin or Java). React Native offers powerful tools to create applications with seamless UIs, the same as native apps. As a result, mobile applications created with RN saves time as well as money for companies.
The Journey of React Native
In 2013, Facebook announced React Native as its internal summer hackathon project, and after two years in 2015, the first preview of React Native 1 was launched. After the release in January 2015, Facebook officially launched React Native in March 2015 during its F8 conference.
React Native framework is older than Flutter and has a larger support community backed up by social media giant Facebook. Moreover, Facebook is also working on other enhancements of React Native. They are:
React Native Fabric: An architecture and re-designed user interface layer.
Turbo Modules: Used to improve the handling of native modules
Learn Core: Used for reducing the size of the mobile application.
React Facebook backs native; it has a stable and better API. Part of this, RN also focuses on fixing most underlying issues.
Some Important Facts About React Native
There are some amazing facts about this one of the leading cross-platform app development frameworks. This factor will help you to know about some of the nuances of React native in detail. mobile application development with React Native can be done easily with the help of fundamental blocks. The UI blocks offered by React Native are similar for both iOS and Android. So the developers do not have to create blocks in Java, Swift, or Kotlin separately.
The widgets of React Native are somehow comparable to ones in Flutter. The IT industry after the COVID-19 pandemic saw a paradigm swift, so in 2021 it became important to know everything about the framework you are planning to choose.
Features of React Native Development
React Native offers various features that developers love. One of these features is known as "adaption". React Native uses a pre-defined XML/HTML/underscaped script and then converts it into native code through this feature. This feature is most often used for creating cross-platform or hybrid applications.
One simple example of this is, suppose you are planning to design a user interface that looks and feels like iPhone or Android and is written in C++ or Java. The developers can easily convert the JavaScript into React Native's JavaScript code. Various other features allow the developers to build native apps easily and quickly.
One another beneficial feature of React Native is "webpack". It helps you merge or package up all the native code of the application into one single file and enables React Native to "link" it together for better use. SO the developers do not have to create multiple files while writing code for native applications. As the webpage bundles everything, it saves a lot of time for the developers. Moreover, React Native also offers the "hot reloading" feature, enabling the developers to see the changes in Real-Time without even restarting the application.
Although these features may look like they are reserved for large and complex apps, React Native also has some other smaller components that can also be individual. One another cool feature of react native app development is "helpers". This is a set of features offered by React Native to developers for performing some common tasks such as checking a value, logging in, adding in the library, building buttons and so on.
Recently, the developers have to overcome one of the biggest challenges, i.e. the inability to use vanilla JavaScript for React Native application development. JavaScript was created for use with browser and desktop environments only, not for mobile devices. As it was never designed to be used as a development language, developers followed some clever strategies. Fortunately, with a library called as "ES5 domino" code library, the developers can create react components that behave exactly like vanilla JavaScript code. However, these components created with the ES5 domino library are highly secured.
Since there are a lot of native applications out there in the market, they are still in the early stage of development. These native applications are being used by large organizations as well as in online gaming applications. Although react native apps have a certain place in the market, they will still never gain mainstream popularity like Xcode or iOS app development. But as more and more developers pick up this technology, they will enjoy the benefits offered by React Native in years to come.
Advantages of React Native app development
The benefits of choosing React Native for mobile application development are huge and staggering, and it usually offers a curtain to innovate developers for cross-platform application development. Let us have a look at the below-mentioned advantages of react native mobile app development:
Ensure Stable Mobile App Growth
The universe of mobile application development is huge, and it is unstable as well. So one major advantage of using React Native for mobile application development is that it assures stable growth in the market. The components of React framework knows the art of displaying the application on the platform.
Apart from this, the developers can focus on mobile app development instead of thinking about other details. So, the features of the application are consistent and resistant to discrepancies. Due to this resistance, the hybrid applications offer a feel and looks just like native applications.
The whole development process is synchronized as all the team members are on the same page during the development phase. The project's marketing team can easily plan the launch of the application in the market for attracting a large base of users. As react native offers stability, it ensures better chances of upgrades in the future.
Code Reuse and Pre-Developed Components
Another great advantage of using React Native app development offered to developers is code reusability. With React Native application, the developers have to write the code just once and use it many times. So there is no need of writing separate codes for individual platforms.
The developers can use almost 90% of the code for both iOS as well as Android platforms. So, apart from time-saving, it also reduces the time required for app development. The code reusability is not restricted to mobile apps only; the developers can also use it for website development. As the applications developed with React Native have a set of pre-developed components, the applications run faster and quickly. The open-source library of React Native enables the developers to write the code in advance, and these pre-written codes can be easily used whenever required.
Live and Hot Reloading
In the universe of mobile application development, React Native is famous amongst developers for this attractive feature. The Live and Hot reloading features make React Native a distinct framework. But you shouldn't get confused with the name, as both are different from one another.
The Hot Reloading feature of React Native is based on the Hot Module Replacement (HMR). It usually depends on the inception after the initial reloading process. The HMR works as an inter-mediator, and it updates a specific part of the application while keeping the remaining application functioning. So the application developed with react native can handle and perform multiple tasks easily.
Moreover, apart from Hot Reloading, the developers can also see their changes in the application in real-time. The app doesn't require any recompilation to see the modifications. The Hot Reloading feature also reduces the waiting time of the application.
Read Also: How To React Native App Development Saves A Lot Of Development Cost For Start-ups And Enterprises?
The Live Reloading feature helps in compilation and reading the file. This feature is used when the user makes changes. Live Reloading offers a new file to the simulator. With this new file, the simulator reads the application from the beginning.
Ready-Made Solutions and a Vibrant Library
React Native offers a wide range of ready-made solutions to enhance the mobile app development process. This framework also has various testing libraries to help the developers for writing bug-free code. With flawless coding, the developers can enhance the performance and credibility of the end product.
Some of the most versatile testing tools are:
- Chai
- Mocha
- Jest
- Enzyme
Apart from testing, it also offers various tools to developers for successful type checking. Flow, ESLint, and Axios are some of the tools used for type checking.
Larger Developer community
As Facebook backs react Native, it has a larger developer's community. The open-source feature of RN makes it available for free for everyone. Community-driven technology is one of the greatest advantages of using React Native for mobile app development.
An open-source platform also helps in recognition for writing codes for mobile app development. On an open-source platform, the developers can create and share their experiences and portfolios, inspiring them to write better codes. The developers are not alone; they can easily connect with other developers if they face any query or difficulty during the React Native development.
Saves a Fortune on Application Development
As the developers can reuse the same code, RN saves money and resources for your business. So you can easily work on smaller teams and also expand the app extensively.
Moreover, having one programming language has perks of its own. It eliminates the glitches that disturb the development between two platforms. Thus, it helps in maintaining clear communication between the team during app development.
Having a single programming language offers some extra perks of benefits. The glitches are eliminated that disturbs the development between two various platforms. So the communication between the team members is transparent during the app development phase.
So the React Native applications are developed on time, and there is no downtime in the case of RN. Thus it is easy for developers to switch between platforms as per their needs.
The Key Takeaway
React native app development is easy to set up and offers great productivity to businesses. Moreover, the overall functioning and productivity of the application are also enhanced. So the business organizations have to initially understand the objective of their business. After this, they have to move to React native mobile application development for further processing. And if you are still confused, you can consult with a React Native app development service provider for better opportunities.
