React Native Best Practices and Core Concepts 2023

React Native is one of the best technologies we can use for building cross-platform mobile applications. Using React Native, developers can create a smooth and responsive user interface in applications while reducing the loading time to a great extent. Furthermore, as it is based on JavaScript, using React Native is easier. Experienced developers won’t take much time to get the gist of this technology.

Having said that, it is still essential to understand some basic concepts and practices of React Native. Following these practices means developers can write readable and clean code, and they can also ensure the effective performance of the application. Follow the article ahead to learn more about the core concepts and best practices to follow for building solutions with React Native.

Must Read: React Native App Development: The future of Mobile App Development

React Native Best Practices

The best practices help developers build a robust and high-performance code. To create a code script that works as intended is stable, readable, and scalable, you need to follow the best practices for coding.

• Using a Design System

  As users prefer to use an app that is designed well, you need to focus on the right designing from the get-go. In this scenario, you must use a consistent styling system, which is provided by a Design System.

  This system helps you set some rules and principles that lay the foundation of the application’s aesthetics and outlook. This includes setting the right precedents for spacing, colors, and typography.

  As devices have different screen sizes, consistent spacing is pivotal to provide a coherent look of the application on all devices. Second, setting the right colors is essential for a pleasing look. You must also name your colors according to their function.

  Lastly, on different platforms, the font size and type can change. Hence, having the right font families, weights, and sizes is always beneficial. This will help you achieve a harmonious look across all devices.

• Follow Right Naming Conventions 

  In React Native, you need to follow some naming styles and practices. These naming conventions are not rules per se, but they are set to provide a smooth development experience.

  Some of the most used conventions include;

  • The name of a folder and sub-folder must start with small letters.
  • The files in that folder must always be written in Pascal Case.
  • Follow the path-based component naming systems. This includes naming the component in accordance with its relative path to the folder components or to the application.
  • For files in a folder with the same name, they need not be named again. For instance, the file path components/user/form/Form.Js can be written as UserForm and not UserFormForm. 
  • While clarifying the class name, declare it as the file name. This will help with importing.

• Dividing Components

  Components in React Native are pieces of the JSX code dictating what should be rendered on the screen. While working with React Native, it’s a good practice to split the components into two individual directories;

  • Container
  • Plain

  In addition to this, the developers must use redux hooks and import components relating to styles, types, and components. Furthermore, the React Native imports from the RN component’s JSX code should not be placed in the container. However, the high-order components related to the Redux store and its elements, like hooks, selectors, etc., must be placed within the container.

• Usage of TypeScript

  React Native and TypeScript are perfectly combined, and if you are working in Visual Studio Code, the result can be even better. One of the benefits of using TypeScript is that it allows you to validate all or any errors in the code.

  Using TypeScripts removes the need to use React’s PropTypes for validation purposes. With PropTypes, validation can happen only when the code components are in runtime.

  Furthermore, you can define the attributes of components and code scripts that are acceptable. This will also allow the editor to autocomplete the valid values. This ultimately results in completing the work with speed.

• Declaring the Types

  In any programming technology, using the right Declaring Type is essential. With FlowScript, TypeScript, etc., these declaration developers can define the return type or an argument type.

  const payload: LoginUserType = {

    email: ‘name@example.com’,

    password: ‘password’,

  }

  const roundDistance = (distance: number): string => (distance / 1000).

  toFixed(1)

  Declaring types is done for easy management. But if you will go on declaring types for every new component, that same ease of management can turn into a nuisance. And it only adds more work to be done in the management part.

  So, it is better to include //@flow for the files created while developing.

  type LoginUserType = {|

    email: string,

    password: string,

  |}

These are the top best practices you must use for writing code in React Native. Other good practices include;

• Using hooks in Components.
• Separate the Styles, which helps give the style application identity.
• Use Absolute Relative paths in Codebase for better organization.
• Usage of the right components. Functional Components must be used for Stateless Presentational Component, and Class Component must be used for Stateful Container Component.
• React Native has a built-in API for writing code that is compatible with different platforms. However, for a better outcome, you can use the Platform Module for stylesheets.

With the practices covered, let’s move on to knowing the core concepts of React Native.

React Native Core Concepts 

Every application is like a big machine where a lot of parts work together to deliver the intended output. Similarly, in an application, several parts move and work together to give the end user a memorable experience.

To ensure that all the parts are performing accurately, React Native developers must follow some core concepts.

• React Native Architecture

  The React Native code structure is based on JavaScript; it’s a cross-platform app development technology. The code structure and architecture is set to render native views of the application. The code developers write in React Native does not get converted to the corresponding languages.

  In React, the code you write is rendered in the corresponding component related to the platform. For instance, the TextInput component for iOS is UITextView, and the same is for Android is TextView.

  When writing the code for the TextInput component, it generates corresponding views rendered for the native platform.

• React Native Threading Model

  React Native has a main thread that spawns when the application starts. As a result, this starts the JS thread required to execute the JS Code. this main thread is sensitive to any interaction of the end user with the application.

  It notes touches, scrolls, etc. with this information, the thread sends information to the backend for generating the required views. The interaction between the JS thread and the backend is taken care of by the RN bridge.

  Moreover, this is the segment that takes care of all the JS logical code. It takes care of the API calls for execution.

• JavaScript and HTML are in the Same File

  In React Native, HTML and JavaScript live in the same file giving the result to JSX. in this; the ‘X’ stands for XML. Developers are trained to keep JavaScript and HTML separate, but in React Native, they are taught to combine them.

  The resultant, JSX is beneficial for front-end developers. The benefits include easy understanding of the code and faster and better debugging.

• Props and State in React Native

  Props and State in React Native help identify how different attributes interact with each other. In HTML, these are referred to as tags. For those who use HTML, these are tags, including href, etc.

  When it comes to React Native, the data flows only in one direction. That is, from parent to child. At times, when the component needs to accept data directly from the source, it uses States.

• Understanding the React Native Component Lifecycle

  The React Native Component Lifecycle is an important concept detailing the lifespan of a component. The components go through three stages, Mounting, Updating and Unmounting. Always remember that a component can only be in one stage at a given time.

  The lifecycle starts with mounting and moves to updating. The component stays in the Updating stage until it is removed, which pushes the component into the unmounting stage.

Some other basic concepts of React Native you must know about include;

• High-Order components, or HOCs, takes one component and return a new one in return.
• The component API works in its unique way with the APIs. The commands it gives, including render, and setState, are particular to the language’s unique configuration.

Conclusion

React Native is like a new kid on the block, but it is getting a lot of attention and fame. React Native works differently than React.Js. Even though the states, props, and components work in the same way, the implementation in React Native is different. Moreover, learning, practicing, and implementing is easy, provided you understand the basic concepts and follow the right practices.