Are apps developed on React Native truly native?

React Native has been here for sometime. After making its debut in March 2015, it has turned five by now. It has become quite well-known with app developers in several organisation. Its popularity can be attributed for three major reasons:

1. Airbnb was using it, and they have written some glorious pieces on the same

2. It was even utilized and open sourced by Facebook. All of FB was not built by it but some parts

3. React happens to be an amazing JavaScript library.

What do you mean by React Native?

Prior to taking further steps, let us get an understanding of React Native. The definition is very tough to find on the web. However, GitHub repository has the perfect answer for the same: “React Native comes with React's declarative UI framework to iOS and Android. As for React Native, you can use native UI controls and get full access to the native platform.”Hence in a way, React Native is a JavaScript library that permits you to utilize native UI controls and all the things available in the native platform.

Apps built via React Native are indistinguishable

As per React Native web page, through React Native, you are not developing a ‘mobile web app,’ an ‘HTML5 app,’ or a ‘hybrid app.’ You can construct a real mobile app that would be difficult to tell apart from an app built with Objective-C or Java. React Native employs similar basic UI building blocks as usual iOS and Android apps. You only need to put those building blocks in unison with JavaScript and React. We have spoken to several mobile developers and some of them have over 5 years of experience. Even they had no clue as to what a “real” mobile app could possibly be. For them all the apps in the App Store, notwithstanding the technology happen to be real. What they imply is that the majority of their React elements have similarity in either Objective-C or Java, and when the app provides, the outcome is native code.

Is it genuinely swifter than building Native Code?

Generally there is a mad craving for speed and the same holds true in the technology industry as well. Mobile application projects are no child's play as they come with different complexities. We tend to ignore the fact that developers create something, and speed is not something really objective. However, coming back to the topic of Fast and Furious in a technical domain, React Native is not exactly a speed king, it simply helps you to employ your apps on both platforms (and possibly others) with the similar code.

As for fixing the bug, which happens to be a very time-consuming job in software construction, problems can be detected separately in Android and iOS. One developer has confessed that in React Native, the time you managed to garner by deploying in both platforms would vanish in fixing platform-based bugs or issues.

Look for a Developer familiar with JavaScript

While doing a project in React Native, we happened to speak to a couple of people working on this technology. There was a unanimous response from recruiters and people who worked previously on React Native. The common refrain was that knowledge in JavaScript is vital,

but you need someone in the team who has been into native as well.

Why do you require someone with proficiency over native?

1. Certain native features of Android and iOS are not there in React Native, and in case your requirement happens to be specific, you would want someone to incorporate things in native code and then link the same to JavaScript.

2. Native mobile app developers have good awareness about tools to free apps from bugs in Android and iOS. Also while React Native produces every code, you are yet handling the native tools for certain bugs.

3. Native developers have a good idea about their platforms. If you happen to work on a platform on a daily basis, you understand the set of problems as well. They really understand bugs emanating from one type of hardware. They even have the knowledge of bugs occurring post an OS update. They have the benefit of experience to understand what or where things have to be fixed. Similar things happen with a JavaScript developer in the JavaScript environment — they know all. Over here you’re making a cocktail of three diverse profiles in one person.

Madness is also equally important

Technology is not as simple as we think it is nor as complex as we think it is. Sounds strange but it is true. We at Winklix have worked on many app projects. Besides we have even handled a bunch of platforms and languages. The developers of ours had immense exposure to several projects. We believed that good software engineers are the ones who were able to adopt a new technology’s fundamentals in close to two weeks of regular diligent studies. This might sound a bit like a dictator at work, but an individual with a burning desire to understand and to work on similar projects would accomplish the challenge posed. That is what is required today as far as developers are concerned, apart from knowledge that madness is required to excel in what they do.

Final say

So, what do you think finally?. Is technology driving you nuts, literally? The problem has hardly got to do with technology. Same can be said about Developers as well. The woes lie in the tendency to find quick and simple solutions to sail through smoothly devoid of any effort or investment. This will not work, come what may. React Native is a good alternative, without a shred of doubt. In case you want to use the same for a project, ensure certain things. React Native happens to be a fine alternative technology with merits and demerits like any other option. However, do not consider it as a shortcut.