React Native Introduces Create React Native App
Original post Introducing Create React Native App
Article Summary
Remember when setting up React Native meant wrestling with Xcode and Android Studio for hours? Facebook and Expo just changed that.
Create React Native App (CRNA) is a new collaboration between Facebook and Expo that eliminates native build dependencies from the initial setup process. Inspired by Create React App, it lets developers build iOS apps from Windows or Linux without touching native tooling.
Key Takeaways
- Zero Xcode or Android Studio required for initial development
- Develop iOS apps from Windows or Linux using Expo app
- QR code scanning loads your JavaScript instantly on device
- Eject to native code when you need custom dependencies
CRNA removes the biggest barrier to React Native adoption by letting developers start building with just JavaScript and npm.
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What This Article Covers
Getting React Native set up for Android development was a pain. Developers had to install and configure a bunch of native build dependencies, which meant wrestling with Xcode or Android Studio just to get started.
Facebook and Expo built Create React Native App to sidestep this problem. It lets you run pure JavaScript projects through the Expo app without compiling any native code, so you don't need native tooling while you're developing.
Now you can spin up a new React Native project with three commands: npm install, create-react-native-app, and npm start. Then you can test it on your device right away by scanning a QR code in the Expo app.
This page summarizes “Introducing Create React Native App” by React Native Blog, published Mar 13, 2017. All credit for the original work goes to the authors.
