React Native Blog • Mar 13, 2017

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

Critical Insight

CRNA removes the biggest barrier to React Native adoption by letting developers start building with just JavaScript and npm.

The ejection process reveals how CRNA bridges the gap between pure JavaScript development and full native control.

About This Article

Problem

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.

Solution

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.

Impact

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.