Why spend double the amount of money when you can get apps for iOS and Android from a single code? Cross platform development is getting popular day by day because it saves both money and time. One such platform for development is React Native. The apps developed with it have almost similar performance to that of native apps and that is why more and more developers are choosing it. To add to this, we have listed a few benefits that React Native brings with it.
Pros of React Native
Code Reusability
React Native is cross platform meaning you do not need to write separate codes for Android and iOS. The developers can use the pre-built libraries based on JavaScript. The code reusability increases efficiency and saves cost and time. Also, when you hire dedicated React Native app developers and they have experience in developing similar applications, they can reuse the same code while developing the application.
Hot Reloading
Hot reloading feature of React Native allows developers to make changes in the code quickly. Generally, the entire app reloads after making changes in the live app. But with hot reloads, only the code that has changed, that specific area will only reload. Thus, this feature makes testing faster and the development process more manageable.
Faster Development
React Native has been in the game for a few years now and so by each passing day it has built an online support community. This means that there are so many relevant components out there for developers to use. So mostly developers do not have to develop anything from scratch. As only one code is required for Android and iOS, the bug resolution takes lesser time. Thus, at the initial level, you can build the minimum viable product (MVP) quickly and release the first version as soon as possible. Later on you can add advanced functionalities as when required rather than investing so much time on making a detailed interface.
Third-party Extensions
Why make components from scratch when we can simply reuse them? React Native has many reusable libraries and the number is increasing day by day. Building all the components will eat up a lot of time and money. Best solution to this is third-party plugins. React Native will connect these plugins with a native module. This way the sync will be smooth and faster as it helps in memory management.
Debugging
As with React Native, you will have a single code for both Android and iOS, detection of bugs becomes as easy as it is for students to buy cheap dissertation these days. This is a huge relief for developers. The testers work hours to test each and every field to identify if there is any bug in the code. Now, you will not need two teams that have to work for hours in two different codebases. A single bug fix will solve issues for both Android and iOS. Thus, you will have consistent performance across platforms.
Easy to Hire React Native Developers
One of the big reasons to choose React Native is that it has a large community of developers. React is backed by Facebook meaning it has a robust community online. There are regular updates from Facebook which keeps the platform relevant. Thus, these are the reasons developers choose React Native. As more developers are choosing it, it gets easier for us to hire dedicated React Native app developers. One more advantage of React Native is that it is flexible enough for you to divide small teams of developers, designers, QAs, etc. We all know coordinating with a smaller team is much more easy as well as innovative as all ideas are heard and executed quickly.
Cons of React Native
There are some disadvantages of React Native that a developer must be aware of so that they can avoid it as much as possible.
Difficult to Learn
Learning React Native can be challenging for beginners as JavaScript syntax extension is difficult. As it is used for cross platform development, the developers must know the native app coding too. Because the features like maps, videos, camera, etc. require in-depth knowledge of all the platforms. If the developers do not have in-depth knowledge then it will be difficult for them to fix the issue. Hence, the learning curve is shallow in this case and may delay the development process.
Complex UI
Developers usually feel that complex gestures, animations, screen transitions, etc. are a bit complex to handle. This issue arises because iOS and Android touch subsystems are different from each other and so using a unified API is challenging.
Conclusion
The benefits like code reusability, hot reload, faster development, easily compatible third party extensions increases productivity during the development process. One thing you must ensure is that when you hire React Native developers, they must be experienced enough to handle the complexity that comes during the development process like integrating maps, videos, animations, screen transition, etc. Hence, the development process will be much smoother and would leverage more fruitful features.
Summary: The React Native is used for cross platform mobile application development. Developers and businesses are choosing it because one code can be reused for both the native apps. It saves time and money for business and for developers. It is a valuable expertise to be able to develop apps for both Android and iOS.
