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Exponent – Build native apps in JS that work across both iOS and Android

getexponent.com

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Re: Exponent – Build native apps in JS that work across both iOS and Android

#31

I was following the Pluralsight course but it looks like Exponent had a big upgrade a while back. Are the old binaries used on the course still available somewhere?

One thing that we do that we think is pretty cool is that we figured out a way to include multiple versions of our SDK (and React Native) in a single binary, so stuff you build with old versions will continue to work. Here are the docs for SDK 10 (based on RN 0.33.0): https://docs.getexponent.com/versions/v10.0.0/index.html And here are the docs for SDK 9 (based on RN 0.31.0): https://docs.getexponent.com/versions/v9…

That's awesome. Will this work with your mobile application? I know that's delivered through the app-store so I assume only the latest version is available there?

Sorry I'm new to mobile development...

Re: Exponent – Build native apps in JS that work across both iOS and Android

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing that we do that we think is pretty cool is that we figured out a way to include multiple versions of our SDK (and React Native) in a single binary, so stuff you build with old versions will continue to work. Here are the docs for SDK 10 (based on RN 0.33.0): https://docs.getexponent.com/versions/v10.0.0/index.html And here are the docs for SDK 9 (based on RN 0.31.0): https://docs.getexponent.com/versions/v9…

That's awesome. Will this work with your mobile application? I know that's delivered through the app-store so I assume only the latest version is available there? Sorry I'm new to mobile development...

The apps in the App Store/Play Store support multiple versions of our SDK. The current versions support back through March. Not sure which SDK version the Pluralsight course is targeting. It might be easier to follow our docs here: https://docs.getexponent.com/versions/latest/introduction/in... which will always be up to date.

Re: Exponent – Build native apps in JS that work across both iOS and Android

#35

The video says you support Linux for XDE but I don't see[1] a build for it. [1] https://docs.getexponent.com/versions/v10.0.0/introduction/i...

For Linux, you have to build it from source. https://github.com/exponentjs/xde#build-from-source It's usually pretty smooth to do so.

Re: Exponent – Build native apps in JS that work across both iOS and Android

#36
post #33

What's the preferred way to test an Exponent based app?

Exponent apps have URLs, so if you have the URL for an Exponent app, you can just download the Exponent developer app from the iOS App Store / Play Store and then open the URL.

Ex. Try opening https://getexponent.com/@exponent/floatyplane from your phone.

If you have the source code for the app, just open the project directory in XDE (our desktop software) and it will give you a development URL that you can open in the Simulator or on your phone.

In general, testing Exponent apps is way easier than testing apps other ways. We put a lot of time into making it simple.

Re: Exponent – Build native apps in JS that work across both iOS and Android

#37

Intriguing. But how does exponent make money out of this?

Hey! I work on Exponent. Basically, we don't make money right now. Our plan is to eventually help developers make money and take some cut of that. We're open source so you'll never be locked in if we start doing anything you don't agree with. We talk about it a little more at https://docs.getexponent.com/versions/latest/introduction/fa...

I am using react-native for my startup too, and we thought of doing something like exponent before going the way we are going now.

A great option for exponent, once it reaches a certain level of maturity, can be a new type of browser.

Re: Exponent – Build native apps in JS that work across both iOS and Android

#39
post #10

Hmm, they say you can buy an Exponent app through the App Store, and then you can push updates to it through them, and they show up the "next time the user opens the app without having to do through the App Store"? I don't think downloading scripting or native code that changes how an app behaves from outside sources has been allowed on the App Store, so what gives?

Apple allows updates like this as long as it doesn't substantially change the behaviour of the application. Of course the definition of 'substantially' is, deliberately I think, left open to interpretation. But new features and bug fixes are okay. Swapping out the application entirely and replacing it with another one would not be.
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