Table of Contents

• What is React Native?
• Uses of React Native
• Connection between JavaScript and React Native
• Advantages of React Native
• Native development vs. React Native
• Statistics on usage, growth, and popularity of React Native
• FAQs about React Native

What is React Native?

React Native is an open-source mobile application framework. It allows developers to build mobile applications using JavaScript and the React library. Released in 2015, React Native quickly gained traction as it enabled developers to use a single codebase for both iOS and Android platforms, reducing the need for separate development teams and decreasing overall development time.

React Native uses a component-based architecture, which is ideal for creating sophisticated, interactive UIs. By allowing JavaScript code to run on mobile platforms and using a bridge to interact with native components, React Native can produce performance results similar to fully native apps.

Uses of React Native

As React Native is used to build cross-platform mobile applications, it’s a popular choice for startups, established companies, and tech giants alike due to its flexibility and efficiency. Some key applications of React Native include:

• Social media applications: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest use React Native for sections of their mobile apps.
• E-commerce platforms: Apps such as Shopify and Walmart utilise React Native to deliver consistent experiences across devices.
• Service applications: Uber Eats and Airbnb have incorporated React Native for certain features to streamline user interactions.

Productivity and utility apps: Skype, Discord, and Bloomberg utilise React Native to provide seamless, high-performance user interfaces.

Connection between JavaScript and React Native

React Native is built on JavaScript, specifically using a library called React that is also used for web development. Here’s how they relate:

• JavaScript: The core language used in React Native to write business logic and UI code. React Native applications are written using a mix of JavaScript, JSX (a syntax extension allowing HTML-like syntax within JavaScript), and, when necessary, native languages.
• React: This is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, primarily for web applications. React Native extends the concepts of React to mobile by using native components instead of web components.

JavaScript’s popularity is a key reason React Native has been widely adopted. Developers familiar with React on the web can transition to React Native with relative ease, accelerating development and enhancing code reuse.

Advantages of React Native

React Native has become increasingly popular, particularly among teams seeking an efficient cross-platform solution. Below are some of the main advantages:

Cross-platform development

React Native allows developers to write code once and deploy it across both iOS and Android platforms, reducing development time and resource expenditure.

Hot reloading

This feature allows developers to see changes in real-time without recompiling the application, boosting productivity by allowing immediate testing of changes.

Reusable code and components

Approximately 90% of the code written in React Native can be shared between iOS and Android, making it extremely efficient for cross-platform development.

Access to native components

React Native provides access to native UI components, enabling a closer-to-native performance and experience compared to other cross-platform tools.

Strong community and ecosystem

Since its launch, React Native has garnered a strong developer community, resulting in a wealth of libraries, tools, and third-party plugins that speed up development.

Performance

Although performance is marginally lower than fully native applications, React Native apps are still highly performant due to native module usage.

Comparison: native development vs. React Native

 

If your app demands intensive processing, complex animations, or very high performance, native development may be ideal. For most other applications, especially those that need to operate on both iOS and Android, React Native is a cost-effective, high-performing choice.

Statistics on usage, growth, and popularity of React Native

React Native’s growth and popularity underscore its impact on the mobile app development landscape. Some key statistics:

Global market share

React Native holds approximately 42% of the cross-platform mobile frameworks market, making it the most widely-used cross-platform mobile framework.

Community size

React Native has over 100,000 stars on GitHub and thousands of contributors, making it one of the largest developer communities in the world.

Industry adoption

Major companies, including Facebook, Instagram, Uber Eats, Airbnb, and Skype, use React Native for their mobile applications, demonstrating its trustworthiness for both small and large businesses.

Developer popularity

In the 2021 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, React Native ranked as one of the most loved frameworks, reflecting its appeal and robust ecosystem.

FAQs about React Native

Q: Can React Native be used for large applications?
A: Yes. Facebook, Instagram, and Airbnb use React Native in their apps, proving it’s scalable for complex applications.

Q: Does React Native require knowledge of native languages?
A: Basic React and JavaScript knowledge is often enough. However, understanding Swift or Kotlin can help when dealing with native modules or performance enhancements.

Q: How does React Native differ from Flutter?
A: Flutter, developed by Google, also supports cross-platform development but uses Dart instead of JavaScript. Flutter tends to have higher performance, but React Native offers broader compatibility and a more extensive community.

Q: Are React Native apps slower than native apps?
A: React Native apps are generally performant enough for most use cases. They may not match the speed of fully native apps in highly intensive applications but are nearly indistinguishable for everyday apps.

Q: Can React Native access device features like the camera and GPS?
A: Yes, React Native can access these features via libraries or native modules, providing similar functionality to native apps.

Read our blog: ‘Could switching to React Native be a game changer for your business?’, written by Propel Tech app developer, Mark Hansgate.