What Is React Native? Complex Guide for 2024
Whether you want to develop an application in your spare time or become a professional developer, learning React Native is a great starting point. There are many opportunities in mobile application development. Global revenue from mobile applications is expected to reach 613 billion US dollars by 2025. Use the article below to learn what React Native is and how you can use it.
What is React Native?
In software development, a framework is a platform for building applications. React Native is an open-source framework, meaning it is free for public use. It includes resources such as pre-built components, libraries, and reference material. Similar to a home’s framework, React Native provides the basic structure of an application. Developers can then customize it to fit their needs instead of building the application from scratch.
What does “native” mean in React Native?
When an application is native, it is written for a specific operating system (OS). For example, a Playstation 5 game’s native platform is the Playstation 5 because it is designed for that device and OS. Native applications usually provide a better user experience. They perform better and faster because they are tailored to their platforms. React Native allows you to render applications natively. This means your application will use the same programming platform as a native application, even though it was not specifically created for that device.
React Native vs. React
React is a JavaScript library, also known as ReactJS or React.js. Like React Native, it provides developers with building blocks for development, such as pre-written code and configurations. However, these building blocks are web components rather than native components. When used together, React.js and React Native complement each other. The chart below explores some similarities and differences between React and React Native.
| React | React Native |
|---|---|
| JavaScript library | JavaScript-based framework |
| Used for front-end web development | Used for mobile application development |
| Developed by the Facebook engineering team | Developed by the Facebook engineering team |
| A virtual representation of the user interface (UI) renders to the browser’s programming interface. This representation is also known as a virtual document object model (VDOM). | The UI renders to the native platform’s programming interface rather than creating a web-based view. |
What is Expo React Native?
Expo is a framework for building JavaScript and React Native applications. It includes libraries and a set of services and tools for React Native development and testing. Expo simplifies app development for web and mobile platforms like Android and iOS.
What is React Native for?
React Native is well-known for its cross-platform development capabilities. This means it allows developers to build software compatible with multiple devices and operating systems. With React Native, developers can create platform-specific versions of components. Instead of developing separate applications for each platform, they can build their codebase once and use it for both iOS and Android applications.
Additional features of React Native include:
- Active Community and Ecosystem: React Native has a large community of developers and tech experts. For instance, you can ask questions and share insights on the Reactiflux Discord channel or attend a React Native Meetup.
- App Performance: React Native enables applications to behave like native applications, offering faster and more efficient performance compared to non-native counterparts.
- Code Reusability and Cost Savings: React Native allows for reusable components, which leads to cost efficiency. Reusing large amounts of code across platforms results in shorter development times and a simplified development process.
Examples of applications built with React Native
React Native is one of the most popular technologies among developers worldwide. Below is a list of some well-known cross-platform apps that use React Native:
- Oculus
- Salesforce
- Airbnb
- Coinbase
- Shopify
Working with React Native
Thanks to React Native’s open-source nature, anyone can use it to develop mobile projects. You can also seek employment as a freelance developer or on an engineering team. React Native developers specialize in using the React Native framework to build mobile apps.
A mobile app developer’s typical day involves writing and reviewing code, troubleshooting bugs, and designing user interfaces (UIs). React Native developers usually focus on front-end development but may also collaborate with other teams to ensure quality across the entire application.
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