Can React Native be used for Web?

Starting a new project? Your first crucial choice is the tech stack. Whether for web or mobile app development, choosing the right platform, where your audience engages, is key. Scalability matters too; an adaptive tech stack is vital for future audience expansion. React Native for the web provides this flexibility. Developers favor it for building high-end, scalable web applications. Leveraging React Native APIs, empowers developers to craft superior web apps. 

With over 37% of developers opting for React Native in cross-platform mobile app development, its robust framework is gaining traction. 

This post digs deeper into the concepts of React Native for web, exploring its benefits, limitations, fundamentals, and more. Stay tuned for insights!

You might wonder, why use React Native for web app development when React is designed for the web? Well, the trick lies in the different foundations of mobile and web app development.

React relies on React DOM renderer and standard browser DOM APIs for web apps to create layouts with basic HTML5 elements. On the flip side, React Native uses mobile OS APIs and its renderer to handle platform-specific components for mobile apps.

So, to bridge this gap and have a true cross-platform framework, developers explore React Native for web. This allows them to use a single codebase to create mobile apps for various platforms and web apps, making development more efficient and versatile.

Fundamentals of React Native for Web

As we begin with knowing the core of React Native for Web development, you should be acquainted with the basics first:

• Modern Web

React Native app development framework utilizes native DOM APIs to implement specific functionalities, evolving in sync with the Web platform. Although some project APIs remain unchanged, the shift to new, widely adopted DOM APIs enhances speed and accessibility in browsers.

• Modern React

React Native for Web uses Modern React APIs, like functional components and hooks, making it compatible with React DOM apps. Since the React Native app development framework is accepted by major players like Flipkart and Twitter, it aligns with React's evolution, ensuring substantial compliance with emerging APIs.

• Components of React Native for Web

React Native for Web provides crucial components like View, Image, Text, TextInput, and ScrollView, enhancing interaction with features like the advanced gesture responder system. Documentation includes editable examples for practical use.

• Styles

When it comes to styling, React Native for Web utilizes JavaScript to define styles, converting them into Native CSS. This innovative approach prevents common issues associated with extensive CSS usage, providing a practical and efficient CSS without the need for specialized styling languages or additional parsing tooling.

• Tested and Trustworthy

React Native for Web has been thoroughly tested in both unit and production environments. To ensure smooth progress and gather valuable partner feedback, significant enhancements are initially released as canary versions. The adjustments made to the compressed file size of each library module are carefully monitored through pull requests.

What are the benefits of React Native for web?

1. Accessibility of Tools

React Native for Web provides valuable tools like accessibilityRole and accessibilityLabel, offering developers the same benefits for building accessible applications as React Native.

2. Execution Aware of Platforms

Developers prefer React Native for the Web for its ability to execute platform-specific web code, ensuring 100% compatibility with the existing platform.

3. Support for Server Rendering

The use of App Registry in React Native web apps allows developers to hard-code HTML document strings, enabling server rendering support.

4. Leveraging the Expo Web Advantage

Utilize Expo Web for React Native Web to launch a single project across iOS, Web, desktop, and Android, supported by progressive web applications through Electron extensions.

5. Efficiency in Time and Effort

React Native for web development seamlessly adds desktop and mobile support with minimal time and effort compared to React, which requires code rewriting.

6. Productivity and Supportiveness

React Native for Web supports CSS in JS, providing a productive styling option for small-scale applications without needing a separate UI kit. Compatible with React Native UI kits, enhancing productivity and support.

What are the limitations of React Native web?

1. Limited Web API Support

When using React Native for Web, you might face challenges as it lacks access to all APIs available in React Native. For instance, operations like the Image Editor may need re-implementation or may not be supported online due to browser limitations.

2. Compatibility Issues

React Native for Web falls short of fully supporting popular React Native libraries, like React Native Google Autocomplete, leading to compatibility issues and potential workarounds.

3. Essential Elements Absent

Essential React Native components, such as RefreshControl, are missing in React Native Web. Users might resort to third-party web-based alternatives, like the React Native Web Refresh Control.

4. Styling Challenges

Styling issues persist in React Native app development services for Web, inheriting the drawbacks of React Native. Limitations include styling child components and selecting sibling elements, posing challenges for web development.

Who Can Use React Native for Web?

The key question is: Who can benefit from React Native for web? The answer is straightforward. If you aim to transform a native app into a web app, React Native for web is your solution. Similarly, if you want a mobile and web app with similar features, choose React Native for web development. However, if you plan to introduce unique features uncommon in native mobile apps, consider other options.

Conclusion

There are endless opportunities with React Native for the Web, enabling advanced, adaptable, and native-feeling web app development using the React Native framework. The development process is efficient, saving time and speeding up the journey from app development to market launch.

It is advisable to hire React Native developers from an esteemed React Native app development company for optimal results in developing web and mobile apps with React Native.

Article Source: https://medium.com/@marketing_96275/can-we-develop-web-applications-using-react-native-98e9d9fe59f8