Discord Switching to React Native for Android App • Hacker News Board

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#11

Post by sandofsky » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:19 PM UTC

robertoandred wrote: post #7

I hope desktop apps can soon start switching from Electron to React Native.

I'm skeptical that this makes business sense for most companies. Most electron apps feel like they're just checking off a box, rather than crafting any sort of quality desktop experience. If you don't care, why not just slap your website in a webview? Way easier than trying to hire or train developers in a niche technology.

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#12

Post by lohii » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:21 PM UTC

https://twitter.com/sandofsky/status/1554178071820771328?s=2...

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#13

Post by jrsj » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:22 PM UTC

I hate a lot of Electron and React Native based software, but Discord manages to avoid performance, stability, and quality issues that most seem to encounter. I don't know what they do or how they do it, but I think it's very impressive.

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#14

Post by raingrove » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:23 PM UTC

I thought Discord is mostly webview-powered, is it not? If so, this change will make very little difference to the user.

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#15

Post by rstat1 » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:24 PM UTC

robertoandred wrote: post #7

I hope desktop apps can soon start switching from Electron to React Native.

I would prefer something actually native, instead of a switch from one bad web based thing to another.

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#16

Post by willio58 » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:26 PM UTC

vorpalhex wrote: post #4

Oh this makes me nervous. Discord on android is slow and bloated and occasionally memory leaky. I have a tasker routine to restart it nightly... If the app gets any laggier or slower I will probably have to abandon it...

Their reason for switching to react native is to address these issues

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#17

Post by gruez » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:27 PM UTC

raingrove wrote: post #14

I thought Discord is mostly webview-powered, is it not? If so, this change will make very little difference to the user.

react native =/= electron (and similar frameworks like CEF). The former uses native widgets. The latter uses HTML/CSS rendered by a browser layout engine.

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#18

Post by jrsj » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:27 PM UTC

robertoandred wrote: post #7

I hope desktop apps can soon start switching from Electron to React Native.

On the desktop I don't think there's much value in it. Electron is much more compatible with the web, requires less platform specific work, and doesn't really come at a significant performance or UX cost.

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#19

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:31 PM UTC

jrsj wrote: post #13

I hate a lot of Electron and React Native based software, but Discord manages to avoid performance, stability, and quality issues that most seem to encounter. I don't know what they do or how they do it, but I think it's very impressive.

[deleted]

Re: Discord Switching to React Native for Android App

#20

Post by occz » Mon, Aug 01, 2022, 8:31 PM UTC

akmarinov wrote: post #6

That’s good. Having one app be RN and one native is probably the worst thing you can do. That said, seems like Android users really dislike this update as the app seems slower, buggier and less polished than it used to be.

A better choice would have been to port their RN-app on iOS to an actual native iOS-app.