React Native! The future of mobile app development ?

What is React Native ?

React native is a javascript framework developed by facebook. It has native libraries for creating mobile applications for both IOS and Android. Since it is targeted for mobile apps but it has the potential to expand to future platforms as well. With React native , its easy to build mobile apps using only Javascript. It uses the same design as React.

React helps to create interactive UIs. While, React Native makes it easy to compose a rich mobile UI using declarative components.

It is a complete platform, similar to a web browser, and in fact it provides a lot of the same APIs (e.g. XMLHttpRequest, setTimeout, geolocation, etc) so you can use many web-focused JavaScript libraries with little or no adaptation.

The apps are real Mobile Apps.
The apps you are building with this platform aren’t mobile web apps but the real mobile app.It uses the same fundamental UI building blocks like regular android and IOS. The days with hybrid apps are now gone. Its a new era with React Native.

Advantages of React Native Apps.

Unlike Cordova, PhoneGap, and other cross-platform frameworks that produce hybrid mobile apps, it renders certain code components with native API’s.
Apps built with Cordova, PhoneGap and other cross-platform frameworks are actually hybrid mobile web apps whereas apps built with it are real mobile apps.
You don’t have to get the knowledge of both iOS and Android platforms separately as it allows developers to reuse the common logic layer in both platforms. Isn’t it time saving?
If you know JavaScript, React Native will be easy to follow, allowing most front-end web developers to be a mobile app developer. All you need to know is JavaScript , API’s and some native UI elements with some platform-specific design patterns. Now you are set.
Native app development usually comes with less developer productivity, less efficiency and slower time to deployment . React Native is all about bringing high speed, responsiveness, and agility of web app development . It provides the users similar native app experience.
If you need to overhaul your old app , all you have to do is add its UI components into your existing app’s code, without having to rewrite. Also the components are reusable multiple times.

Future of React Native

Thousands of apps are using it, from established 500 worldwide companies to new startups as well . Since Facebook, Instagram, Tesla, Bloomberg, Wix apps were built on this platform, it can be believed that it has a pretty bright future. The platform is the most discussed platform in the web and stackoverflow community at the moment.

Many startups and enterprises are now adopting it for their apps mainly because they now only need to manage one team of framework experts rather than handling two teams sperately for iOS and Android. For enterprises ,the process on React Native is time saving as well as affordable.

Below are the some points to consider it as a future of mobile app develpment.

1) Easy to learn

It is very easy to learn since it relies on language fundamentals . React Native is the perfect tool for the new developer’s.

2) Shorter development cycle and huge developer community

The process of developing mobile apps is faster with React Native . Also there is a huge developer community in the web which is supporting React Native.

3) Better development environment

With react native you need to learn only one layout engine to develop on both iOS and Android since React Native uses the Flexbox layout engine for both platforms.