Facebook’s teams have developed this framework from its ReactJS web version. In 5 years, it has become a rather mature language. Being among the most widely used technologies for web developers today, ReactJS created the base for the framework.
It also owes it to the many changes that the language has known. With major and constant updates, to make it highly-optimized, practically fluid yet also easier to learn. The framework imposes relatively few specifics. Utilizing it resembles writing pure JavaScript by adding separate React functions or widgets. Developers may also use JSX to insert pseudo HTML tags straight into the code.
So, if you have to choose between Flutter or React Native, we give you a description of both.
Table of Contents
The Community Feel
In addition to having acquired this maturity, RN rests on a relatively solid community foundation. React-native-community is one of the most active and reliable out there. React users can always turn to them for help and find like-minded people with similar issues. Aid components include a date picker, management of permissions, or management of vector images.
Developers will find components that resemble unique elements of all platforms within the framework. This combination creates special conditions and the feeling of being one whole with the native app. Besides, RN can provide two or more apps with a unified codebase simultaneously. Thus, clients can save up by hiring fewer developers and spending less budget on the technical base of their startups. A single person can work on the Android and iOS versions.
Is It Worth Doing?
Nevertheless, we do not recommend hiring a single developer for the operating systems that differ so drastically. Here you need to choose quality or quantity. Indeed, some elements are found only on one or the other platform. For instance, Android sandwich menus, which could result in a lessened user experience for an iOS user.
RN framework also offers benefits from a UI perspective. Its structure is based on Flexbox. This web module is highly popular as it integrates relatively well with the most popular design tools. Adobe XD or Figma works perfectly with it. The app’s simplicity and integration make it compatible with other native tools such as Android’s Compose or swiftUI for iOS.
Apps made with RN are intuitive and straightforward. They do not look superficial or complicated. However, this can be a con if you bet for higher production and end results. Making UIs should be better done via Flutter.
Optimal Use of Navigation & Hooks
Navigation is the heart of the application. Navigation defines which page appears before the other, how they are organized between them, whether they are hidden or not. It is therefore important to structure it well at the start of the application.
A library to manage these aspects on React Native is React Navigation. The latter adapts perfectly to recent React Native updates, including Hooks, which among other things allows you to access navigation from any screen.
TypeScript
React Native uses JavaScript. It is a mature, high-level language, even rather permissive. It requires attention to the smallest bits of its code to avoid potential errors. Thus, many developers choose to use TypeScript, which is a great competitor of the framework described above. It is also free and helps to optimize server responses.
React Native Paper
Once the body of the app is in place, the most important part is how it looks. But, as with navigation, this part can easily be repeated from one application to another, with a color palette, similar text sizes using certain standards such as H1, H2, etc. Follow the guidelines and you can integrate this design system into your boilerplate. Replicate the same and unique theme in a simple and intuitive way in the rest of your application.
