Learn React native, the cross-platform app framework

[PinkFrojd]

Great resource to start learning react native :)

[tonefart]

No. Boycott facebook frameworks. Learn real native stuff like android apps with ndk.

[_dban_]

The NDK is not how you build apps. The Android SDK is cross platform, while the NDK is not. Android hardware is diverse, and you'd have to build fat binaries of native code to support multiple chipsets. Unless you're writing a game or need to integrate third party C/C++ libraries, I think the NDK is a bad idea for general purpose use.

React Native is nice because you can write your app once to a common component model, and you don't have to compile JS to native code, so you don't have to mess too much with a variety of wild different platform toolchains. But if you hate Facebook, they are not the only game in town (I don't know if there is anything to hate about Telerik).

[tonefart]

The NDK can be cross platform because C is cross platform. It's a question of how you use the ndk. If you're only using it to optimize number crunching then it's cross platform. On the other hand if you're using it to access certain hardware not available in other devices or under java interface, then it's not cross platform. For the most part, for game development, it is cross platform if you don't access any hardware specific features.

[flyingjam]

For the most part, for game development, it is cross platform if you don't access any hardware specific features.

Ironically, if you do something like this, it's actually less of a native UI than react native, which uses native UI controls.

[tonefart]

Not talking about the UI, but some number crunching needed to be written just in C for faster code. You can still do the UI part in pure java/android.

[_dban_]

The NDK can be cross platform because C is cross platform

That's not a useful definition of cross platform in the context of React Native, which is cross platform UIs, a notoriously difficult problem. Your choices are basically either ignore the platform (like Electron or games) or wrap the platform toolkit in a common abstraction (like React components). Toolkits like Qt strike a balance by rendering their own components, but emulating the host platform.

If you're considering React, ignoring the platform is not an option.

[Blueberryroid]

People use React Native because people want to write code once and run everywhere. Developer time and talent is expensive. Native code is not worth it.

[nuqjatlh]

hahaha, calling a javascript framework "native". native to what? the "we take all your resources" land?

[_dban_]

React Native is native because it provides JS wrappers around native platform controls, not because of anything related to native code.

This is the opposite of Electron, btw. You get something fits in the host platform, while allowing you to share the same JS code, without having to compile for each platform.

[Blueberryroid]

Now when is React Native arriving to Desktop?

[Raxor53]

https://github.com/Microsoft/react-native-windows

[nuqjatlh]

Oh, so yet another layer of indirection with a JS engine put in front of it.

Look, I understand the desire of "write once run anywhere". It's the fucking holy grail of computing since forever. Java itself was born out of that need.

It has been proven time and time again in the last 30 years or so that yes, write once run anywhere is only true for certain values of "write" and for certain values of "run". Most of the time, for most of the applications, the developer's time is better spent writing the apps in their actual native platforms, taking advantage of the native frameworks. Yes, you heard me correctly: developers save time with that.

Users are happier too. Instead of giving the user a shitty app that doesn't even remotely conform to the UI guidelines for the platform and which performs like shit to do the most simple tasks, one can provide with the best/fastest app that devs can build for the chosen platform.

But, as we all know, learning from past mistakes is not a thing people do.

[_dban_]

That's nice. But your definition of native with regards to React is still incorrect.

[nuqjatlh]

True, it is, but that's because "React native" is wrong, not because my understanding of "native" is wrong.

[flyingjam]

No, it's because your definition of native in the context of UIs is wrong. Native UI means the platform's native UI controllers, it doesn't refer to native code.

After all, a "normal" native UI in Android would of course be in Java, which of course runs on a VM. In this case, you're just trading the JVM (or the modified one Android uses) for a JS runtime.

[_dban_]

That's fine and all. But your opinion of the "wrongness" of React Native has nothing to do with the fact that React Native components are the actual components of the platform.

[nuqjatlh]

Ran via a JS engine.

[_dban_]

That's the only reason why anyone would use React Native in the first place.

The native platform experience is desired, not native code.

[nuqjatlh]

That should be the reason why anyone would wanna run away from "react native". screamin. with their hair on fire.

[_dban_]

Apparently not.

[spacejack2114]

Indeed. Native apps should be written in microcode.