React Native: The Web Goes Native

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Facebook’s React framework has taken the web development world by storm. Building on a model of lightweight components and one-way reactive data flow, it has proven itself as a way to build complex yet performant single-page applications.

Now, recognising that the principles underlying React are not unique to the web, Facebook have released React Native, a framework for building native apps. In short, React Native gives you a native look-and-feel, but uses a Javascript-based component model. With an iOS version out since January and an Android version on the way, React Native aims to bring a “Learn Once, Write Anywhere” approach to native app development.

In this talk, we’ll start by discussing the fundamentals of React, specifically:

• The concepts of the virtual DOM and render-tree diffing
• The basics of the React component model
• The benefits of one-way data flow

Then we’ll go into how React Native translates these ideas into the native app development world. This will include:

• How render-tree diffing works with native apps
• How the React component model works with React Native
• How React Native handles layout, styling and animation

Along the way, we’ll also see:

• The benefits of React’s declarative component model
• How React Native differs from other hybrid app technologies like Phonegap or Titanium
• How Javascript’s inherently asynchronous nature makes it easier to write apps that are fluid and responsive

Those coming from a native development background will leave this talk with an understanding of how the React programming model can make their app easier to comprehend and reason about. Those with a background in web development will learn how it will let them apply their skills to the world of native app development. Either way, this talk will be a great opportunity to learn about the revolutionary principles behind this exciting new framework.

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