React Native Consulting

React Native is a framework that allows us to build Mobile applications for both iOS and Android using JavaScript.
It offers high speed (uses GPU), better responsiveness and greater efficiency.
At Cazton, we help Fortune 500, large and mid-size companies with React Native development, consulting, recruiting services and hands-on training services.

For the longest time, mobile application developers have had to learn and write code separately for the two mobile operating systems. To make an app available to everyone, you would have to write all the code twice: for iOS in Swift and for Android in Java.

Mobile app developers have long been plagued by the problem of inefficiency, typically slow cycles of development, slow loading of applications and overall low productivity. React Native offers a solution to these problems. As a relatively new and fast upcoming technology in the market that improves efficiency and productivity to a large extent, more and more organisations and developers are looking at React Native as a viable solution. Our team has the expertise backed with years of rich experience developing scalable and modular applications that are easy to test and maintain.

It's important to distinguish that React Native is not the same as React. While React is just a Javascript library, React Native is a full-fledged framework. Moreover, React Native is built on the same principles as React, and in fact, implements it. To study the differences between the two in more detail, please check out our React article.

React Native boasts high speed, better responsiveness and greater efficiency as compared to other app development technologies in the market. It is tailor made for enhanced mobile user experiences and uses the GPU in contrast to other CPU intensive technologies. The highlight, however, has been the confluence of code for Android and iOS, which was initially built by Facebook to cater only to iOS. Recently added support for Android has allowed us to write code that can be rendered on both platforms. Just like React, React Native is open-source, making it easier to access and collaborate for developers.

Benefits of React: React is built to enhance user interactions through responsive, efficient UI interfaces, and lends all these benefits to React Native as well. Much of the code is made reusable through React Native. Component-based and modular architecture makes it easy for other developers to understand the code logic making it easier to contribute and test the application. Languages used by React include CSS, HTML, JSX, which cannot be used directly in React Native. Alternate components, are however provided for the same (e.g. Animated API by React Native, Navigator, Flexbox, etc.), which need to be grasped along with some native UI components and design patterns.
Code for both platforms: Development for both platforms (Android and iOS) has so far been necessary because of the fundamental differences in the way they make network calls, design their APIs, render and design animations and of course, the languages used in describing Java and Swift conventionally. It has therefore been an expensive and complicated affair to create apps for both platforms so far.

React Native allows us to create efficient native apps catering to Android as well as iOS. Theoretically with React Native, more than 90% of the codebase can be shared amongst the two. Reusing the logic layer is a huge economic benefit as well since it not only reduces human effort, but also saves invaluable time and investment.
Live and Hot Reloading: Live and Hot Reloading, similar as they sound are two different features available in React Native. The main difference is in the way the changes get saved and consequently reflected. In Live Reloading, the file where you make changes gets read and compiled again. The simulator automatically receives a new file, which gets read from the top.

Hot reloading updated files are put into a separate place, even with the app running. This is called Hot Module Replacement. In a stimulator running side by side, one can see the changes made in the source code as only the above updated portions get loaded without being recompiled. It becomes pivotal in reducing waiting time for the changes thus starkly improving performance.
Dealing with Updates: For applications written in Swift and Objective-C, Java application updates are a tedious process. You need to send the new, updated version to the AppStore again. Before this distribution, the app must be recompiled so overall including time taken for approval by the AppStore, this process could take a few weeks.

React Native functions differently. It can directly download and compile only the code that has changed on the user's device, making it a much more effective and favourable way to update an application.
Extent of Reusability: It is important to clarify that not all code can be reused in the React Native paradigm. All code written for Android cannot be used for iOS and vice versa. Logical layer of code can be shared amongst the two, but the presentation of a UI should be kept separate for both platforms, such that it feels organic and abides by best practices of that platform.
Third-Party Plugins: Despite an extensive set of Components available with React Native, there may be some functionalities that may not be provided for. In such cases, you can resort to third party plugins (i.e. you can integrate Google Maps with your app using a third-party plugin which has the ability to use in-built mobile functionalities such as screen rotation, zoom etc.). This makes it more memory-efficient and hence faster.
Integration with Native Code: For greater control and to optimize certain aspects of your application, you may want to write it in Native code. React Native allows you to do this, making it convenient to write some parts of code using native code directly.

This ability to integrate well with native code makes it easier to incorporate a few components of this framework without having to do a complete overhaul of an existing application. In cases where this is not directly possible (e.g. Cordova), third-party plugins can be helpful.

Despite being based on React, React Native doesn't use HTML, CSS etc., it uses alternate components such as Animated API to perform its animations. Thus, specific knowledge of Native platform APIs and components provided by React Native is necessary. Since it's the latest technology and has the distinguishing feature of ability to write code for both platforms, it is highly in demand. Without complete overhaul of applications, we can help in integrating React Native with native application code seamlessly.

We have a team of seasoned experts on the latest technologies. We have significant experience in Webpack, and our expertise can enhance your project's performance and improve its efficiency. We believe in customising each solution to tailor to the exact needs of the client. From project consulting to code migration, development, deployment and augmentation, we deliver on our promise of high quality services.