On Adding React Native to Existing iOS and Android Apps

I write in defense of the beliefs I fear are least defensible. Everything else feels like homework.
- Sarah Manguso, 300 Arguments

No homework for me today. I woke up and integrated new React Native code into an existing Swift 3 iOS app.

I spent 5 hours getting the bare dependencies to compile React components into the existing app codebase, then 3 hours building an interface in React that would have taken a day in native iOS. I was also able to copy and paste our existing JavaScript business logic libraries with zero problem. It felt as if I spent all morning painfully biking up a mountain, after which I’m now coasting downhill.

Tomorrow is biking up the mountain to integrate React Native into our Android app. Luckily I have Nevzat to help with that.

I will write up all of this once a full release cycle is complete.

Update: This made its way into a full talk on bridging native apps with React Native.