TIL : React Native

As someone who had only worked with web technologies, the emergence of React Native was a revelation. Build native apps with just the JavaScript I already knew? With that thought in the back of my mind, I was waiting for the right opportunity — and one finally came up in a real project. This is a light introduction to what the technology is all about.

What is it?

React Native lets you build iOS and Android native applications all at once, using the same React library and component-based development approach you already know. Like React itself, it is an open-source project that originated at Facebook, carrying the philosophy of "Learn once, write anywhere." Unlike hybrid apps that render a WebView, React Native goes through its own platform bridge and converts your code into the native code that iOS and Android actually use. You write JavaScript, and native code comes out — it feels like magic.

• Further reading: React Native explained

Setup and Installation

Is it production-ready?

Yes, absolutely.

Let me introduce a well-known app built with React Native. The language-learning app Cake attracted a lot of attention from the very start for being built entirely with react-native, and it consistently ranks very high on the app stores. I have used it myself — it is a great way to learn English in a casual, easy-going manner.

Pros and Cons

Retrospective

React Native official docs ZeroCho React basics course Velopert React tutorial list