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Important points to know about React Native and NativeScript

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Prerequisite: React Native

1. React Native : 
React Native is an open-source framework launched on the 26th of March,2015 by Facebook and the open-source community. This framework is built on JavaScript. It is used especially for creating cross-platform apps. It was created keeping the principle “learn once and use it anywhere” in mind. React Native brings the popular JavaScript library React and the good things from Native development. 

This makes React Native a great choice to build cross-platform mobile applications, that too with a great user experience. The apps made through this are also very fast as it uses JavaScript and JSX to write apps. Facebook, Walmart, Bloomberg, Instagram, Soundcloud, etc. are some of the examples of applications that are built using React Native.

Advantages of React Native –

  1. Good community support –
    As it is an open-source framework, developers can contribute to it as well as anyone can take help from other developers too. So, it is maintained with open source developers/community.
  2. Optimal performance –
    As it uses native controls of both Android and iOS platforms, it provides enhanced performance. It uses so many third-party libraries also to enhance its performance.
  3. Cost-Effective Solution – 
    As it is a cross-platform, so well-written code works in both Android and iOS platforms, no need to write separately which makes it cost-effective.
  4. Simplified User Interface – 
    Different JavaScript libraries which is used for UI design make the UI more simple and responsive. As it contains many UI components which are made by open source developers so finally it gives an amazing look and feel.
  5. Modular and intuitive architecture similar to React – 
    Its modular approach to writing code makes it easier for project development.

Important Points to know about React Native –

  1. React Native is an open-source framework for building native applications(cross-platform). It supports both Android OS and iOS, Windows. In React Native we can re-use some parts of the code for the web as well with help of the classical react framework.
  2. It is developed by Facebook.
  3. React Native is faster as it uses VIRTUALDOM technology which uses only one file. As in React, every piece of UI designed is a component that has its own state. React listens to the state changes and if the state changes of any component then it updates the DOM tree. After updating React compares the current version of DOM(Document Object Model) with the previous version of DOM.
  4. React Native is very much more popular than NativeScript.
  5. React Native uses JS and JSX. Because JSX is JavaScript, which provides a syntax to write elements in JavaScript.
  6. React Native applications are small in size. NativeScript applications are large in size.
  7. In React Native small code modifications are required for different devices which improve styling.
  8. In React Native we have to use 3rd party APIs.
  9. React Native doesn’t have an official plugin marketplace as it is heavily dependent on 3rd parties.
  10. React Native is suitable for apps with simple UI, fast prototypes, and reusable components.
  11. React Native has a hot-reload feature which allows seeing the changes directly into the live application. This means it can just patch the code which was changed and keep the state accordingly on the application.

2. NativeScript :
NativeScript is also another less popular open-source framework that is used to build cross-platform(android & iOS) apps. It was created by Progress Software and it was released in March 2015. The best thing about NativeScript is that you can use multiple languages to create apps like AngularJS, TypeScript, or just JavaScript. It creates elegant, adaptive apps and allows developers to reuse the code anytime. 

It can be integrated with Visual Studio Code (which is supported officially) and also with Intellij (with community support). Some popular apps made using NativeScript are Sennheiser, Puma, Airbnb design, MDBootstrap, Portable North Pole(PNP), SAP etc.  

Advantages of NativeScript –

  1. Native User Experience – 
    Different controls used in the application are generated by the NS API which makes an app native.
  2. Reusability of the codebase – 
    It is a real cross-platform, which enables once written code in Android works in iOS.
  3. Lower Learning Curve – 
    Code is very simple and requires little effort in learning and start working on it. This means it is not that much complex to start learning and working on it. Knowledge of JavaScript is a great advantage to start with.
  4. Good community support – 
    Is it open source like react native, it has also the same advantages as react being an open-source framework. Developers can contribute to it and they can also maintain it.
  5. Free and Open source – 
    It is free for developers means requires no cost on using it. So developers can contribute to it as well as anyone can take help from other developers too. So, it is maintained with open source developers/community.

Important  Points to Know about NativeScript –

  1. NativeScript is an open-source mobile framework for the development of mobile apps on the Apple and Android platforms. So developers can contribute to it as well as anyone can take help from other developers too. So, it is maintained with open source developers/community.
  2. It is created by Progress Software.
  3. NativeScript is comparatively slower as it has multiple modules(files).
  4. NativeScript is less popular compared to React Native. As React Native has more advantages in terms of native performance and development process, so React native is more popular than Native Script.
  5. In NativeScript we can use TypeScript, AngularJS, VueJS or JavaScript.
  6. NativeScript applications are large in size.
  7. This code can be reused multiple times. Yes, code and skills can be reused if once written for any activity.
  8. NativeScript uses Native APIs. It is a great ability of Native Script to access native platform APIs. So it provides a rich mobile development.
  9. NativeScript has an official plugin marketplace.
  10. It is suitable for real-time applications, games, geolocation apps, or apps with huge server connectivity
  11. NativeScript does not have a hot reload. Hot-reload is a feature that allows seeing the changes directly into a live application. This means it can just patch the code which was changed and keep the state accordingly on the application.

Last Updated : 07 Jul, 2022
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