A Step-by-Step Guide for React Native Developers

Becoming a React developer is not a big challenge these days because roadmaps and tutorials are available everywhere to guide us through the journey. But today, we’re going to focus on becoming a React Native developer.

Let’s break down what React Native is, why we use it, and the problems it solves.

What is React Native?

React Native is a framework that allows you to build mobile applications using JavaScript and React. Instead of creating separate codebases for iOS and Android, you can use React Native to write a single codebase that works on both platforms.

Why do we use it?

It makes mobile app development faster and more efficient. You don’t need to learn platform-specific languages like Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android—React Native uses familiar web development concepts, making it easier for React developers to transition into mobile development.

What problems does it solve?

React Native simplifies cross-platform development by:

• Eliminating the need for two separate codebases.

• Saving time and resources by reusing most of your code across iOS and Android.

• Allowing developers to create apps with a native-like look and feel without diving deep into native programming.

In short, it bridges the gap between web and mobile development, making it easier to build mobile apps efficiently!

In this tutorial, we’ll give you an initial push to help you get started as a React Native developer and run your first project successfully.

Let’s try to understand React Native from a web vs mobile perspective to help you grasp how things work differently in each environment.

For instance, when you create your first JSX element on the web, it might look like a simple <div> with some text, like this:

import React from 'react';

const Home = () => {
    return (
        <div>
            Hello
        </div>
    );
};

export default Home;

This is standard JSX code that we commonly write in our daily coding routines. But now, let’s try to understand how we can write this same code in React Native. How would it look and work differently?