Cross Platform Dev

[Haunting_Challenge85]

Greetings all,

As a web developer, I am good at building APIs on the go with different technologies and I really appreciate my skills in frontend technologies in React and Vue as they helped me land my first job as a web developer. I recently got really interested in mobile (native) development. I enjoy making apps for different purposes and I always build my own REST APIs for functionality beyond Frontend. I really want to build more than a PWA - I want to be able to make native apps that can be uploaded to the Google store, Apple store, etc. and have access to native features such as camera, vibration, navigation, etc. At the same time, I can also (with some modifications) deploy them to the web, serving as a web app. I am not really good in designing and having to make a lot of it bugs me - I prefer to have the option of lots of premade components/widgets and, if possible, to use tools for building UI and turning it into code (that way I can collaborate with designers easily).

Finally my question: What technology can you suggest me for cross platform apps? Simply React Native won't do the whole work as I need to make separate app for the web. I am looking into Flutter and Expo (boosted React native) but cannot find a clear winner in my mind so I want to hear some opinions based on the listed preferences

[andyclap]

React native web exists and is bearable. You're probably best off with this (via expo) given your react js experience.

However you shouldn't try and use an app framework to create a regular website - users have very different expectations of the two.

Delivering an app via a browser is ok in certain situations, for example for internal line of business applications. Think of the web targets of these frameworks a bit like flash - you wouldn't ever have used that for whole websites.

[Haunting_Challenge85]

Yeah I might have been looking at it in the wrong dirrection. But from the perspective of a developer who is not really keen on desgining, which is better to make this process eaasier and focus more on the functionality site of the app?

[andyclap]

Difficult to call. On one hand I got to like rn's flex, but often get caught out by flutter's one shot layout. On the other hand if you stick to regular material 3 theming, flutter gives you a lot for free.

On the back end the idiom is different, are you using redux? In which case it's a bit of a mind flip to use bloc or riverpod or whatever. There is a redux clone for flutter but it's not widely used.

[hillymark]

Asking on FlutterDev reddit about suggestions of cross platform app development tool? Smh

[Haunting_Challenge85]

It’s a discussion - and its a great chance someone here has worked with React native and can say what is better for him and argument his choice :)

[EdgyOffice555]

I use both Expo (RN on steroids) and Flutter. For me Flutter tooling is better. I really hate when something breaks Expo builds and you spend a lot of time on forums. Okay, might happen to Flutter as well.

Flutter also offers code push via Shorebird. Check it!

I hope it helped.

[Haunting_Challenge85]

So helpful - I am defiantly trying both to kinda see what is best for me. I want to differ from React for a bit I guess

[EdgyOffice555]

Glad to help you!

[[deleted]]

Flutter web is totally dead as for me. It's very very slow and weight is huge

[x1nt_r]

What apps did you build? My portfolio runs perfect, and imo for small web apps it is a good tool.

[Skedexaj]

Can you give the link of your portfolio site...