When it comes to React Native, there are a plethora of tools and libraries that developers can use for their project. But this abundance of variety also causes confusion among the React Native developers as to which tools and libraries should they go for.
To solve this exact confusion, we have come up with a complete guide on React Native libraries and development tools that one should consider using in 2023. But before we begin, it is important to know about the React Native ecosystem and its components. Let’s clear the basics first.
React Native ecosystem
Build system
Build system helps developers to build new web applications with utmost care. Here it’s important to notice that the build system is not just the instrument for running scripts, instead, it has the ability to alter the shape and structure of the applications. However, for this to happen, there are a few things that must be followed:
- Running preprocessors and compilers.
- Asset optimization for production
- Managing internal and external dependencies.
Separate UI
Mobile app developers across the world know that the ability to write HTML, CSS, and JS within one file is one of the biggest challenges. However, with React Native in place, developers can effectively overcome this huge challenge.
Database
React Native also comes with many options for databases. The database developers can store data either dynamically or locally. This is interesting since most of the applications need offline-online synchronize support.
Here are a few of the databases which spreads Native’s local storage ecosystem:
- Firebase
- PouchDB
- WatermelonDB
- SQLite
- Realm
- Couchbase
SQLite is quite popular as it offers a zero-configuration database engine. The best part about this is its library. Furthermore, it’s also specially crafted to work for iOS and Android.
Navigation
Some people find navigation simple; however, the truth is that React Native navigation is quite tough. React Native can be quite confusing due to a cluster of options and solutions.
The advantage is that, the React Navigation is much stable and Easy to implement with the latest version - V6.
Apart from these, there are also different module-based implementations that enable developers to induce navigation via developed apps.
JavaScript-based implementation module
JavaScript-based implementation modules ensure better performance due to their robustness. This is exactly what makes these modules different from the natively-coded navigation tools. Moreover, developers can use two different variants for working on embedding navigation in the React Native apps.
1. React Native Router Flux: It’s a robust library that is preferred by the majority of developers. It’s easy to use and also helps in restricting the navigational logic from the user interface of the developed apps.
2. React Navigation: It’s one of the most widely used navigation libraries which works well with native apps and with navigation tools. Furthermore, it’s also regarded as the improved version of the Navigational Experimental.
Leading React Native Libraries
There are a number of React Native Component Libraries which developers use across the globe. Here, we will be discussing some of the major ones.
React Native Component Library helps in customizing the app package using JavaScript. Moreover, with this, you don’t need to use any special syntax or language for defining styles. It’s also important to know that React Native components library accepts the prop named style.
The values and style names generally match how CSS works on the web application. The only exception is that the names are written in camel casing.
NativeBase V3
NativeBase V3 is one of the major application development frameworks which helps developers to create a native mobile application that runs on mobile frameworks. The major targets of these modules are the feel, look, and UI of the application.
In simple words, it helps in programming the UI of any application. It also plays a major role in a stunning app development.
Important to know: Instead of manually adding responsiveness, NativeBase V3 allows you to provide object and array values to add responsive styles and ensures an Improved Performance.
React Native Elements
React Native Elements is a popular framework tool that assists in combining several UI modules which are totally open-sourced in a single place.
React native elements V4 has fixed many like;
- Tooltip:- Add default value in measure component
- Button:- Theme spacing xs error
- Tab:- Indicator with initial index etc…. and much more
This library enables developers to dive into several packages which are premade for mobile app development. These packages consist of a number of modules like the search bar, divider, and many more.
React Native Lottie
This library helps in adding animations to the applications. Every animation which is added to any of the apps via this library is in JSON format.
Since the size of animations is small, it becomes easy to manage the application. This also makes the user interface of the app easy to use, simple, and more exciting.
This library is available for free and consists of animations that can be used for app development.
New Version of Lottie files added the supports to
- Support for lottie-iOS version 3.4.0
- Update tvOS deployment target to 11.0
- Support for remote animations
- Support for dynamic text
- Support changing lottie props for ongoing animations
- Support for PlatformColor
- Remove deprecated-react-native-prop-types import etc…
React Native Vector Icon
This Component library enables developers to add icons to the developed applications. These applications consist of over 3000 icons. It also allows developers to choose the icons which are required for application development.
The vector icons also enable developers to customize to extend icon styles. The addition of such icons in the application makes it easier for the user to use the application.
Vector Icon has Moved to mavenCentral() for Android as Jcenter is Shutting Down.
React Native Maps
The React Native Maps enables the map modules. Furthermore, it also helps the API to control features on the map. Mapview offers a variety of ways by which you can customize the style of the map.
Moreover, you can also change the position of the map view. Developers can also animate along with zooming into the location as per their requirements.
Developers find this module quite useful since it uses React Native API which is known as Geolocation to ascertain the global position. This Geolocation API exists on a global navigator object through navigator.geolocation.
Following are a few of the methods that are available in the navigator.geolocation:
- getCurrentPosition enables developers to request a user’s location at any given instant of time.
- watchPosition is very similar to getCurrentPosition.
- Polyline is Used to create a Line from current location to Destination
- Zoom in to Current Location
React Native Gifted Chat
React Native Gifted Chat is a chat UI that enables users to send messages effectively and quickly with more features as compared to the others.
Developers can use this library for chat User Interface. However, its wider scope has replaced most of the companies. This library is written with Typescript and it uses its 0.8 version.
This library has very customizable modules. It also enables users to attach media, pictures, etc. with the help of easy composer actions with multi-line input.
The Latest Version of Gifted chat has Update the chore(dependencies).
React Native Material UI
The React Native Material UI offers around 20 components for React Native. These components include avatars, dividers, subheaders, action buttons, drawers, toolbars, and much more. These are highly customizable components that use material design in their construct.
Here it’s possible to extend customization that is made to the theme to different components as well. Furthermore, the local changes can be made simply by overriding styles wherever required. This library has got more than 3000 stars on GitHub.
New Updated Version of React Native Material Ui has added
- Add support for nested CssVarsProvider
- Enable size prop overrides via TypeScript module augmentation
- Add motion design tokens
- Add shape design tokens
React Native Paper
React Native Paper is an open-source library. This Material Design library fulfills almost all the needs of the developers since it covers most of the use cases. Furthermore, it also helps developers in building responsive interfaces for the web and mobile at a lightning speed.
No matter which platform you choose, whether it’s Android or iOS, React Native Paper always offers developers all the required tools and instruments to ensure a flawless user experience of the application.
In addition, this library is actively managed, maintained, and developed by its community. It consists of 30 customizable components that can be adjusted as per the choice of the platform. Moreover, this library complies with RTN standards and accessibility which makes the application accessible and inclusive to users having diverse backgrounds.
React Native Paper Version 5.0.1 has Updated for custom Designing like
- customInputStyle to TextInput
- delay long press support
- label prop to FAB.Group
- prop pointerEvents for ListAccordion
React Native snap carousel
As the name suggests, this is a carousel component of React Native. This library comes with multiple layouts, images, various previews, performant handling of items, etc. This library works well with both the platforms Android and iOS. Furthermore, it also comes with tricks and tips on performance optimization.
RN snap carousel has added Add props animatedDuration, animatedFriction, animatedTension and delayPressInDot to the Pagination component to improve and More functionality to Snap.
This library has over 8000 stars on GitHub. Developers can use this library whenever they are looking to add stylish sliders to their app.
React Native Developer tools
If you’re still confused as to which React Native developer tools you should go for then don’t worry as we have made a list of the top tools. Some of these tools are useful for beginners and others are useful for experienced developers.
We have also given credit to the creators of these tools. So, let’s have a look at these top React Native Developer Tools for 2023.
Webstorm
Webstorm is a robust, lightweight IDE for JavaScript, web, TypeScript development which is also equipped for complex server-side development and client-side development with Node.js. This React Native tool helps in writing codes of high quality in quick time regardless of the magnitude of the complexity of the project.
Furthermore, it has out-of-the-box support for almost every popular technology along with a range of inbuilt developer tools which eliminates all the time required in setting up the development environment and gets you straight to the work.
Atom
Atom is an open-source and free text editor which is quite popular for its hackability or easy approach. GitHub launched atom in February 2014. Atom is known to support Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Atom also enables developers to select various open-source packages to add more functionalities and features. Its services include cross-platform editing, an in-built package manager, bespoke designs & themes, and navigation of multiple files through a single window.
Nuclide
Similar to Atom, Nuclide is also an open-source and free React Native tool; however, it’s generally developed as a single package over the top of Atom. Nuclide also has high hackability and it also offers the support of a huge community of developers who are always ready to help other developers.
Nuclide also comes with in-built support for Flow. Moreover, it also includes auto-complete, inline errors, and jump-to-definition features.
Nuclide was released by Facebook in the year 2015. It comes with a cluster of services like Hack development, working sets, Remote and JavaScript development, in-built debugging, task runner, mercurial support, etc.
Visual Studio Code
Microsoft created Visual Studio Code which is known for its open-source and free React Native source code editor. This tool supports TypeScript, JavaScript, and Node.js for all JavaScript developers.
Furthermore, it also has a strong ecosystem of extensions that supports other languages such as Java, PHP, C#, C++, and Python. It also supports runtimes like .NET and Unity.
The thing which makes this tool quite powerful is the combination of developer tools like IntelliSense code completion & debugging and source code editor. This tool was released in April 2015 and is written in TypeScript and JavaScript. Furthermore, it also supports all the important platforms such as Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Expo
Expo is an open-source toolchain for React Native developers which offers several features like a Slack community, documentation, community forums. Moreover, it also provides a rich source of React Native components such as the Expo SDK library and native APIs for both Android and iOS platforms.
Flow
Flow is a React Native programming tool that provides static typing. It was released by Facebook in November 2014 and since then it has emerged as a developer’s favorite tool for reliable, fast, and simplified coding.
It’s an open-source and free tool. It’s also known for offering services such as real-time feedback, ease of integration, type interference, and customizable JavaScript. Flow also monitors errors in code via static typing annotations.
Redux
Redux is one of the highly recommended React Native tools among the developer’s community as it provides time-traveling debugger and live code editing. With the help of Redux, developers can create applications which can run on the different environments like native platform and front-end.
It also has a very small file size which is just 2KB and it works quite well with React.js and other libraries. Andrew Clark and Dan Abramov developed Redux.
Redux-ToolKit
Redux-Toolkit is an opinionated toolset for efficient Redux development created by the Redux team. It is the standard and recommended way to write Redux logic and manage state in your JavaScript applications.
Redux Persist
Redux Persist is used to store the data to AsyncStorage in an asynchronous, persistent, key-value storage system that is global to the entire app.
Redux Persist is a tool used to seamlessly save the application’s Redux state object to AsyncStorage. On Start app Redux Persist retrieves this persisted state from AsyncStorage and add it back to Redux.
ESLint
ESLint is also an open-source React Native tool that makes use of JSX and JavaScript languages. It also helps in error detection during the exploring and programming of existing source codes.
ESLint operates on Node.js and is known to support the development of various cross-platform applications such as Mac, Linux, and Windows. Furthermore, it also offers advantages like clear documentation, in-built and customized plugins, transparency, etc.
Firebase
Firebase is one of the most renowned React Native tools that is used for the application’s backend. Firebase is the best option when it comes to the database service of the application or if you want to add some additional features to the application.
One of the major advantages of Firebase BaaS for React Native applications is that it simplifies the entire development process.
XCode
Many times, developers don’t need tools just to offer a coding environment. Instead, you need it also for debugging the code efficiently along with adding few things to the code. If you’ve such a similar requirement, then XCode is the best option for you for React Native development of iOS applications.
It’s because XCode is the best development environment for macOS and iOS. This tool enables developers to create applications on custom configuration and along with offering easy install iOS packages to the applications.
Android Studio
As XCode is the best React Native tool for app development on the Apple environment, Android Studio is the best tool for developing apps on the Android platform. This tool uses different languages for application development which makes it easier for developers to create React Native applications with Android Studio.
Another major advantage with Android Studio is that it offers several options for debugging and testing applications with the assistance of a huge catalog of emulated mobile phones which are available on the platform.
Furthermore, Android Studio also helps the developers to know about the different versions of Android where their developed applications will work.
React Navigation
React Navigation has gained a lot of attention from React Native developers across the world because it enables the developers to establish navigation and routes in the native applications via navigators like Drawer and Stack, Tab, etc.
This tool is written in JavaScript and it helps to create components for both Android and iOS platforms. Furthermore, it also offers bespoke JavaScript and Extensible platforms.
React Native tools
React Native Tools is nothing but a Visual Studio Code extension. It provides a helpful environment for React Native app development projects. It also assists developers while they are debugging the codes. React Native tools are free and it runs the react-native command with the use of a command palette. This tool is developed by Microsoft.
Enzyme
Enzyme is a free JavaScript tool which is widely used for app testing. Developers use this tool as it is easy to traverse, manipulate, and asset the React Native components. Its APIs are flexible and intuitive. Airbnb released the Enzyme tool in 2015.
Conclusion
The ecosystem of React Native is really massive. Although we tried our best to mention all the developer tools, libraries, navigation, database, and many more. It could be possible that we might have missed out on a few since it’s such a huge ecosystem.
When it comes to proper utilization of all these developer tools and libraries, then Peerbits has top-notch React Native developers who possess the required skills and experienced to use all the libraries and tools mentioned here.
To know more in detail, you can contact Peerbits. Also, you can hire offshore React Native developers for your next project.
