Facebook’s React Native for Android open-sourced for native development efficiency across major platforms: “Learn once, run anywhere”

By Staff Writer

Sep 15 2015, 02:18 AM EDT

Facebook decided to open-source React Native for Android to let developers build native apps efficiently across different platforms like the Web and iOS using the same code. React Native will allow faster app development and update releases between iOS and Android platforms.

"Learn once, run anywhere." React Native is a Javascript library created by Facebook intended for building user interfaces with one set of code across platforms. React was open-sourced in 2013 followed by React Native in March at the F8 conference.

SD Times reports that React Native uses a Javascript structure for native development. On its Github page, Facebook writes, "React Native enables you to build world-class application experiences on native platforms using a consistent developer experience based on JavaScript and React. The focus of React Native is on developer efficiency across all the platforms you care about."

React Native for Android gives developers declarative and self-contained UI components to speed up development while maintaining the feel and fidelity of native apps in the system. It cuts down on coding time by reusing the code across Web and iOS platforms. Other features include asynchronous execution, flexbox and styling, polyfills, and touch handling.

Through React Native for Android, engineers can develop on every main platform. The technology integrates standard platform components like Drawer for Android and UITabBar for iOS into the app using React components such as DrawerLayoutAndroid and TabBariOS according to InfoWorld.

Facebook shaved off half the time estimated to create an ad manager app for Android and iOS using React. Philipp von Weitershausen and Daniel Witte writes in a blog post: "Almost exactly a year ago, our team set out to develop the Ads Manager app. Our goal was to create a new app to let the millions of people who advertise on Facebook manage their accounts and create new ads on the go. It ended up being not only Facebook's first fully React Native app but also the first cross-platform one."

Tech Crunch reported that Facebook engineering manager Tom Occhino shared about why React Native for Android was open-sourced. It encourages development of the technology through community contributions, creates hiring opportunities for people who want to learn more about native building, and gives new Facebook engineers an understanding of the coding framework and tools used by the company.

React Native for Android is continuously undergoing improvements on stability, performance, and building tools. Now with Android support, React Native is expected to speed up mobile development across major platforms.