Learning React Native, Chapter 1: What is React Native

React Native is a JavaScript framework for building native iOS and Android apps.  React Native is based on Facebook's React UI tools.  It does not use web views like Cordova or Ionic, it translates your UI into real mobile native components.  React Native apps can also access platform features, like the camera or the location APIs.  This book promises to build both iOS and Android apps. 

Advantages of React Native

The main advantage of React Native is that is uses the host's rendering API's, not the web view of other platforms.  React works away from the main UI thread, so the app can maintain performance.  If you are used to React on the web, you can write mobile apps that seem native while using familiar tools.

Developer Experience

The React team has worked hard to have strong development tools and meaningful error messages.  Since React is JavaScript, you don't have to rebuild you app every time you need to see a change.  This should speed up your development time.  React allows you to use tools you are already familiar with for debugging purposes.  You also don't have to learn a new IDE (think Xcode and Android Studio).  Apple and Google allow you to load JavaScript only changes to your app without the usual review process.  This allows you to deploy changes to the App stores very quickly. 

Code Reuse and Knowledge Sharing

The skillset to write code in React is same for the web, Android, and iOS, so you don't have to silo developers into different teams.  You may have to write platform specific code, but the large majority of it should be reusable.

Risks and Drawbacks

Debugging can be harder.  When changes are made to the the major mobile platforms, React Native will lag behind the curve.  You can still use those features, but you will need to wait for React developers to implement them, or you will have to write the code to bridge them yourself.

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