What are your thoughts on React Native?

[Mashiane]

Hi there

Anyway, been curious, so I went to https://facebook.github.io/react-native/

Seems to be very interesting and growing quickly and I intend delving in it soon. What are your thoughts? have you used it?

 

[KMatle]

My opinion: There are too many "new" platforms to create apps, etc. I need a reliable and good supported sdk and I want to develop apps. I don't want to learn new platforms "twice a week".

 

[ilan]

Hi there

Anyway, been curious, so I went to https://facebook.github.io/react-native/

Seems to be very interesting and growing quickly and I intend delving in it soon. What are your thoughts? have you used it?

this is very interesting. what i understand is that it is a crossplatform tool so u create 1 code and export to each platform what is a huge advantage.

i would love to have it in b4x at least only for the core lib so if i make an app that use only the core lib that i would have the possibility to export it to all b4x platforms.

i guess it would be to much work to make this possible

 

[ilan]

btw when u go to the showcase page you will find lot of big winners there (>1.000.000 installs apps)

 

[Erel]

i guess it would be to much work to make this possible

It is not only a matter of work. The platforms are different. The UI is different and the main concepts are different.

If you hide those differences with a heavy abstraction layer then you lose platform specific functionality. For example Android supports services and iOS doesn't. You cannot ignore this fundamental feature.

There are many other differences of course.

 

[ilan]

It is not only a matter of work. The platforms are different. The UI is different and the main concepts are different.

If you hide those differences with a heavy abstraction layer then you lose platform specific functionality. For example Android supports services and iOS doesn't. You cannot ignore this fundamental feature.

There are many other differences of course.

you are right erel but what do all those companies that offers a cross platform tool? do they ignore for example Services on Android? how do they solve that issue?

actually i am more talking about simple stuff where almost everything is the same but still you have to write it differently. maybe it could be possible to create a tool in b4j where u enter a b4a code and convert it to b4i (including all subs extras like page resize,... ) and also from b4i to b4a

i think it should be possible when we concentrate only on core functions like simple controls (labels, buttons, imageviews, panels, canvas,...)

 

[Erel]

I consider B4X tools to be cross platform as well. You can share about 80% of the code.

1. The third point on this page: https://facebook.github.io/react-native/
Use Native Code When You Need To

2. If you look in there showcase page you can see that most of the apps are not available for both platforms.

3. My uneducated guess is that they have implemented a UI framework that abstracts the differences.

i think it should be possible when we concentrate only on core functions like simple controls (labels, buttons, imageviews, panels, canvas,...)

The visual designer takes care of most of the differences in the main UI elements. You can also use the bal2bil tool to convert existing B4A interfaces to B4i.

 

[KMatle]

With B4x we have it all:

- cross platform (and it it's growing -> ESP8266, etc.)
- platform specific power
- code exchange (often just copy & paste)
- very good support
- years (!!!!) of experience
- thousands of WORKING apps

vs.

"a new tool"

 

[ilan]

With B4x we have it all:

- cross platform (and it it's growing -> ESP8266, etc.)
- platform specific power
- code exchange (often just copy & paste)
- very good support
- years (!!!!) of experience
- thousands of WORKING apps

vs.

"a new tool"

TRUE!! I also love b4x