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React Native for Android

code.facebook.com

131–140 of 248 posts

Re: React Native for Android

#131

I think the best part of this article was the small link to the F8 2015 "Big Code" video [0] where they go into detail about switching from Git to Mercurial, building their own IDE around Atom, and detailing their continuous integration process. It's a long video but it's very watchable using the YouTube speed multiplier. :) [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0VH78ye4yY

> it's very watchable using the YouTube speed multiplier.

Good catch. Didn't know this feature, thanks!

Re: React Native for Android

#132

Question for everybody doing some sort of cross platform mobile dev. How common is it to have NO experience with a platform's native libraries? In other words you didn't go from ObjC or Java to React Native/Cordova/Xamarin to try and re-use code but because you know JS or C# and weren't concerned about learning the native platform. For any that started out with no native platform knowledge did you start to dip into i…

You'll be limited by the widgets/apis whatever abstraction gives you. Sometimes it is enough, often it is not.

Re: React Native for Android

#133
post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe it. As someone with lots of native UI experience, that has to occasionally support web projects, the web is just plain clunky and playing catch up with the RAD tooling we enjoy since the mid-90 on native platforms.

I was mostly referring to development paradigms and methodology in my original post, but in terms of tooling, I personally haven't see any tooling on the native side even approach the increased productivity provided by the instantaneous feedback loops that countless hot-reload implementations can offer for the web. https://github.com/gaearon/babel-plugin-react-transform/ http://gaearon.github.io/react-hot-loader/ htt…

I've done similar with inotify (dnotify before that) and Python now for over a decade, and it is an interface than can automate anything. I use it with doc generators also.

I believe I used something similar called fam in the 90's but that may have only been on SGI.

Re: React Native for Android

#134
post #56
post #54

Are any businesses avoiding using React because of the power it gives Facebook - where they can sue you however if they infringe on your copyright or patents or other then you can't sue them because you'll lose the license to use React - along anything else they've released? You can say it is a fair practice for a private company, however I am wondering what business operations and founders are thinking.

I'm not a lawyer, but you might have missed this clause in the patent grant: > Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Facebook or any of its subsidiaries or corporate affiliates files a lawsuit alleging patent infringement against you in the first instance, and you respond by filing a patent infringement counterclaim in that lawsuit against that party that is unrelated to the Software, the license granted hereunder will n…

Your example is solely if THEY initiate a lawsuit then you're allowed to respond, not if they do something against you that warrants suing them first.

Edit: E.g. They can copy your whole business, design and all, and if you're using React and sue them - then they can use that against you / you'd have to immediately cease using it; I'm not actually sure what the outcome would be if a license automatically expires.

Re: React Native for Android

#135
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it does have incentive for app developers on other platforms to port code to their own platform.

Apple probably doesn't concern itself with any developers that don't want to be on their platform. In fact they probably find the notion so inconceivable that they wouldn't see any value in that developer's app. Are there any "unicorn" apps that are Android only and intend to stay that way?

Absolutely and I don't think any other company could think in this way and succeed as wildly as Apple have.

Re: React Native for Android

#136
post #54

Are any businesses avoiding using React because of the power it gives Facebook - where they can sue you however if they infringe on your copyright or patents or other then you can't sue them because you'll lose the license to use React - along anything else they've released? You can say it is a fair practice for a private company, however I am wondering what business operations and founders are thinking.

This is no longer true. It was at one point, but Facebook have since amended their patent grant as a result of public pressure.

I'm fairly sure you're mistaken. They changed it so it was better, however you still can't sue them or take any acton against them or the license is revoked.

Edit: > The license granted hereunder will terminate, automatically and without notice, if you (or any of your subsidiaries, corporate affiliates or agents) initiate directly or indirectly, or take a direct financial interest in, any Patent Assertion: (i) against Facebook or any of its subsidiaries or corporate affiliates, (ii) against any party if such Patent Assertion arises in whole or in part from any software, technology, product or service of Facebook or any of its subsidiaries or corporate affiliates, or (iii) against any party relating to the Software.

Re: React Native for Android

#137
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it does have incentive for app developers on other platforms to port code to their own platform.

Apple probably doesn't concern itself with any developers that don't want to be on their platform. In fact they probably find the notion so inconceivable that they wouldn't see any value in that developer's app. Are there any "unicorn" apps that are Android only and intend to stay that way?

Torque Pro[1] -- it's the reason I bought my first Android phone. On the flip side, there's ForeFlight[2].

[1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torq... [2] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foreflight-mobile/id33325263...

Re: React Native for Android

#138
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is unlike using Ionic Framework, where I've gotten about 98% code reuse between platforms. The only place that I usually end up making platform-specific changes is where Ionic has an iOS-specific layout change that breaks the look of a custom component on iOS. That and sometimes native-only features like Push Notifications that need to be handled slightly differently on each platform. But the latter is about a…

If you want the exact same app on both platforms, you can do that on React Native too. The Facebook apps don't do that because we believe it gives a worse user experience.

[deleted]

Re: React Native for Android

#139
post #121

Google has been working with the alternative already: https://flutter.github.io/ . Probably usable in some months.

It uses Dart. Which despite looking like a nice language, approximately nobody knows. So I'm not sure this is really an viable alternative.

In fairness, if you know JavaScript then you wouldn't be long picking it up. Not compared to say Objective C or C++ or even Java. Its dynamically typed with objects and lambdas etc.

Re: React Native for Android

#140
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, the promise is not "write once, run everywhere". It's 1) write in a familiar way and 2) reuse a substantial amount.

Which is unlike using Ionic Framework, where I've gotten about 98% code reuse between platforms. The only place that I usually end up making platform-specific changes is where Ionic has an iOS-specific layout change that breaks the look of a custom component on iOS. That and sometimes native-only features like Push Notifications that need to be handled slightly differently on each platform. But the latter is about a…

Started out building our apps in Ionic, but switched to React Native as soon as it was released. The Ionic app just didn't feel native. Not even close.

React Native has been absolutely amazing so far. So excited for Android!

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