This article was published on March 14, 2017

Facebook’s new tool helps you get started quickly with React Native projects on any OS


Facebook’s new tool helps you get started quickly with React Native projects on any OS Image by: Facebook

Got an idea for a new mobile app? You might want to consider building it with a new React Native tool from the folks at Facebook, which works for iOS and Android projects on any OS.

With the launch of Create React Native App (CRNA), you don’t need Xcode or even a Mac to build iOS apps, and similarly, Android Studio and other dependencies aren’t required for creating Android software. This is made possible with Expo (formerly known as Exponent), an app that runs CRNA without compiling native code and allows you to control native UI components on both mobile platforms using JavaScript.

In addition, you’ll also be able to access APIs for things like the camera, contacts, maps and Facebook authentication. However, if you need to include native code in your project, you’ll have to eject it and then continue your build in Xcode or Android Studio.

To get started, all you have to do is install the tool using a few command-line interface instructions to create a project and start the React Native packager. Next, open the QR code that’s automatically generated using the Expo Android or iOS app on your mobile device, and you’re good to go.

The idea is to make the process of building and testing mobile apps just as simple as with Web apps. If you’re familiar with Facebook’s React JavaScript library, CRNA should help you get started even faster with your next project than before.

You can find out more about CRNA and grab the tool from this GitHub repository.

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