Rocket Ship

Mark Lawlor, the creator of NativeWind, joins Simon on the Rocketship podcast to discuss the challenges of styling in React Native and the solutions provided by NativeWind. Mark explains the limitations of the StyleSheet API in React Native and how NativeWind addresses these limitations by bringing CSS concepts to React Native. He also highlights the benefits of using Tailwind CSS with NativeWind and the power of the NativeWind library in enabling complex styles and theming in React Native applications.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Mark Lawlor

• Mark Twitter: https://twitter.com/mark__lawlor
• Mark Github: https://github.com/marklawlor
• NativeWind: https://www.nativewind.dev/

Links

• Nativecn-UI: https://github.com/Mobilecn-UI/nativecn-ui

Takeaways

• The StyleSheet API in React Native provides basic styling primitives but lacks support for complex styles and state-based styling.
• Styling in React Native becomes more complex as the app grows and needs to support different states, platforms, and devices.
• NativeWind is a styling system for React Native that brings CSS concepts to React Native, allowing developers to use Tailwind CSS and leverage the power of CSS variables, media queries, and other CSS features.
• NativeWind enables developers to write styles in a familiar CSS syntax and provides advanced features like transition classes, platform-specific themes, and support for CSS variables and calculations. CSS variables can be used for theming and sub-theming in Native Wind.
• Standardization and compatibility with other libraries and platforms are important goals for NativeWind.
• Future plans for NativeWind include introducing new primitives, improving animations, and supporting other styling libraries.

Zach Taylor, a software engineer living in Japan, shares his journey from teaching guitar lessons and selling Pokemon cards to becoming a full-time software engineer. He discusses his transition to coding, learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and eventually discovering React Native. Zach provides insights into the job market and freelancing, emphasizing the importance of focused applications and multiple learning resources.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Zach Taylor

• Zach YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@webdevjapan
• Zach Portfolio: https://www.zach-japan.com/
• Zach Online Store: https://japandirect.org/

Links

• FreeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/
• Freemote: https://www.freemote.com/

Takeaways

• When starting a website, use the tools you have and do the best you can. It's important to get started and improve over time.
• Focus on becoming a better software engineer rather than climbing the corporate ladder.
• Continuous learning and skill improvement can lead to better job opportunities.

In this episode, Simon Grimm interviews Kacper Kapuściak, a React Native open-source developer at Software Mansion. They explore the importance of microinteractions in app design and how to identify relevant microinteractions. Kacper shares insights on layout animations and the current state of web support for Gesture Handler and Reanimated. They conclude by discussing the future of these libraries, including upcoming features and improvements for Reanimated and the React Native IDE project.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Kacper Kapuściak

• Kacper Twitter: https://twitter.com/kacperkapusciak
• Kacper Github: https://github.com/kacperkapusciak

Takeaways

• Transitioning from the Animated API to Reanimated can provide more flexibility and better performance for animations in React Native.
• Microinteractions are small, subtle animations and interactions that enhance the user experience and make an app feel more polished.
• Layout animations are a powerful tool for animating the appearance and disappearance of components in React Native.
• Gesture Handler and Reanimated have good web support, allowing developers to create interactive and animated experiences across platforms.
• The future of Gesture Handler and Reanimated includes features like screen transitions and improvements in multi-threading capabilities. 
• The React Native IDE is currently in a private beta testing phase and will be a VS Code plugin.

In this episode, Simon interviews Frank Calise, Senior Software Engineer at Infinite Red. Frank shares his experiences with different programming languages and platforms, including iOS, Android, Xamarin, and React Native. He also discusses the role of open source at Infinite Red and provides insights into Ignite, Infinite Red's battle-tested boilerplate React Native application, and its generators that help speed up development.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Frank Calise

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/frankcalise
• Github: https://github.com/frankcalise
• Website: https://www.frankcalise.com/
• Ignite: https://github.com/infinitered/ignite

Takeaways

• Ignite is Infinite Red's battle-tested boilerplate React Native application that includes generators to speed up development.
• The plans for Ignite include aligning with React Native's new architecture and continuing to support Expo and React Native upgrades.
• Ignite is expected to align with React Native version 10 and may not see major releases until then.

In this episode, Simon and Aaron Berezkin discuss the results of the State of React Native 2023 survey. They cover various topics such as state management, data fetching, navigation, or styling and share their own take on the outcome and trends of the different categories based on real-life observations.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Áron Berezkin

• Aron Twitter: https://twitter.com/AronBerezkin
• Aron Blog: https://www.aronberezkin.com/
• Aron Github: https://github.com/AronBe

Takeaways

• React Native developers are generally happy with the state of the framework and its various features.
• State management libraries like Redux and Zustand are widely used, but React Query is gaining popularity.
• React Native Paper and React Native Elements are still popular UI component libraries, but custom solutions are becoming more common.
• React Native Reanimated and the Animated API are the most popular choices for graphics and animations.
• The most commonly used debugging tools are console logs, Flipper, and Chrome DevTools.
• The new architecture and bridge-less mode are highly interesting to React Native developers.
• Expo modules are making it easier to create and use native libraries in React Native projects.
• React Native is moving in the right direction, with most developers agreeing.
• Building React Native apps is considered complex but not overly so.
• The React Native community is highly valued and supportive.
• Pain points include debugging, un-maintained packages, dealing with native code, and upgrades.
• Missing features include better debugging and Android shadows.
• The React Native ecosystem is stable but not boring, with ongoing improvements and innovations.

In this episode, Simon interviews Evan Bacon, the creator of Expo Router. They explore the features and benefits of Expo Router, including file-based routing, deep linking, and automatic TypeScript. Evan shares the roadmap for Expo Router version 4, which aims to unify the server-client connection and introduce server components. They also touch on the future of Expo Web and its separation from the core native platform.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Evan Bacon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Baconbrix
Github: https://github.com/evanbacon
Blog: https://evanbacon.dev/
Blog Code: https://github.com/EvanBacon/evanbacon.dev

Takeaways

- Expo Router is a file-based router for native applications that enables universal code sharing and simplifies complex navigation routing.
- Expo Router provides features like deep linking, automatic TypeScript, and API routes, which allow for secure server-client communication.
- Expo Router version 4 aims to tie together the server-client connection and introduce server components, enabling more flexible and efficient app development.
- Expo Web will be separated from the core native platform, allowing developers to choose between Expo Router and React Navigation based on their specific needs.
- The future of Expo Router and Expo Web promises exciting advancements in universal app development and improved developer experience. 
- Expo V4 is expected to be released around May, with a focus on unblocking important features.
- Evan Bacon's blog, built with Expo, showcases the capabilities of Expo Router and other Expo features.
- Expo and Next.js have different scopes and priorities, but Expo aims to be a universal React framework.
- Expo's goal is to unlock new types of mobile experiences and provide a seamless transition between web and native.

Simon talks with Theo about the differences between React Native and Flutter, and what React Native's Superpower is. They explore the benefits of React server components and how they differ from over-the-air updates. Finally, they delve into the T3 stack and its origins, and the integration of Expo and React Native.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Theo Browne

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@t3dotgg
• Ping: https://ping.gg/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/t3dotgg
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theo
• T3: https://t3.gg/
• New Devrel course: https://www.devrel.fyi
• React Native Superpower video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd9198xvlzc

Takeaways

- Over-the-air updates are a powerful feature of React Native, allowing developers to quickly patch and update their applications without going through the lengthy app review process.
- Flutter is a popular cross-platform framework, but it has limitations and is not as flexible as React Native in terms of native integration and over-the-air updates.
- Ionic and Capacitor are still relevant for certain use cases, particularly in enterprise applications and internal tools, but their importance may decrease as progressive web apps and other technologies improve.
- React Server Components offer the potential for server-side rendering and sending pre-rendered UI structures to the client, reducing the need for complex JSON-to-UI translations on the client-side.
- Mobile developers should pay attention to React Server Components as they could simplify development and improve performance by offloading rendering tasks to the server. Server components provide granular over-the-air updates and can be updated as part of a data fetch, offering a more efficient way to update components in React Native.
- The T3 stack, consisting of TypeScript, Prisma, TRPC, Tailwind, and Next.js, offers a modular and flexible solution for building full-stack applications.

In this episode, I talk with Szymon Rybczak, a 17-year-old React Native developer at Callstack. Szymon shares his journey into open source and his experience working with React Native. He discusses the benefits of contributing to open-source projects and provides tips for getting started. Szymon also explains the concept of React Server Components and how they can be used in React Native. He discusses the challenges and potential of this technology. Finally, Szymon talks about the Repack project and the future of universal apps.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Szymon Rybczak

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SzymonRybczak
• Github: https://github.com/szymonrybczak

Takeaways

- Contributing to open-source projects can help developers improve their skills and gain valuable experience.
- React Server Components can execute React components on a server, enabling full-stack development and performance optimizations.
- Repack is a project that allows for module federation and bundle splitting in React Native, enabling micro frontends.
- The future of React Native includes the adoption of React Server Components and the development of universal apps.

Links

- Brownfield app process: https://www.callstack.com/blog/brownfield-development-with-react-native
- RePack: https://www.callstack.com/open-source/re-pack

In this conversation, Kadi Kraman and I discuss various topics related to Expo and React Native. We cover EAS (Expo Application Services) and its features, including building native apps quickly and handling certificate management. We also discuss the differences between Expo Go, development builds, and pre-builds. Finally, we touch on the customization options for the Dev Client and the flexibility of transitioning from Expo to plain React Native.

Kadi also highlights the new features in Expo SDK 50, including DevTools plugins and a focus on web development. Kadi explains the benefits of Expo Router 3 and API routes, as well as the challenges of deep linking. She also mentions the future of Expo and the addition of NativeWind. Finally, Kadi shares tips for building a 5-star app, including addressing common issues and asking for positive reviews.

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Kadi Kraman

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kadikraman
• Github: https://github.com/kadikraman

Takeaways

- EAS (Expo Application Services) is a CI/CD service for React Native apps that simplifies the build process and handles certificate management.
- Expo Go is a sandbox environment for testing and prototyping, while development builds allow for customization and native code changes.
- Pre-builds in Expo generate the iOS and Android directories based on the app.json and package.json files, making it easier to upgrade React Native and Expo.
- The Dev Client in Expo allows for customization of the development environment, but it is not necessary for running pre-builds. Embracing change and pivoting when things aren't working is essential for growth and success.
- Expo SDK 50 introduces new features such as DevTools plugins and a focus on web development.
- Expo Router 3 and API routes provide server-side code capabilities in React Native apps.

Simon talks with Thor Schaeff, Dev Rel & DX at Supabase. We cover all things Supabase, compare it to other solutions and how well Supabase plays together with React Native in 2024!

Learn React Native - https://galaxies.dev

Thor Schaeff

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thorwebdev
• Personal: https://thor.bio/

Links

• Supabase: https://supabase.com/
• Supabase Twitter: https://twitter.com/supabase