Android is well known as an open source environment that is maintained by Google LLC. Many applications are written for Android and then again for iOS, which is the biggest competitor to Android. Facebook developed a new mobile application development language called React Native. The idea is that the language interacts with the operating system of either iOS or Android, using JavaScript as a wrapper.
The applications built using React Native supposedly have the same look and feel as those that are native to the phone (that is, Android native apps and React Native apps on Android phones feel and look the same). So where is the advantage?
The advantage is that an application can be developped in React Native and then be used on both Android OS and iOS. This is an important advantage because it allows the turnaround time for an application to be significantly lowered.
Other advantages:
- Faster turnaround
- Learn once, write everywhere
- No need for separate IOS and Android app development
- Interaction with Java and Swift
- Less specialized knowledge (need JavaScript but not Java or Swift)
Some prior users of React Native: Tesla, Walmart, Uber Eats, Instagram, Discord, Wix etc.
Two very basic apps were developed using React Native and Android OS.
React Native is very similar to ReactJS. Fig. 1 shows the environment for React Native.
The application displays some facts about the F22 Raptor. The result can be shown on an iOS phone or simulated online. This is the online simulation in Fig. 2.
The Android development environment is more complicated with many more options and clicks. The utilized framework is Android Studio. The environment looks like in Fig. 3. The result is shown in Fig. 4.
