How native iOS developer picked up REACT NATIVE without learning React.js

Here am sharing my experience as a pure iOS developer with swift and Objective C knowledge and beginner to Javascript and css also a JSX syntax.

Yes 3 years back I decided to learn React Native as I was curious about developing the apps for Playstore/android too. The option to develop app for android is I have to learn Java or Kotlin which I was not interested because I wanted one code to work in both android and iOS hence which can save my time as well I can develop more apps and I can be a freelancer too.

Here am sharing my steps in learning the REACT NATIVE as a pure iOS Developer.

1. Learn JavaScript: As swift follows Javascript syntax like closures, map functions and most of the concepts like let and var so I have just read Javascript little bit, not into depth as a beginner.

2. Learn Styling: Went through CSS styling learnt about flex and styling a class.

3. React Native Documentation: Started reading about REACT NATIVE from there official documentation from here: http://reactnative.dev

4. Visual Studio Code usage: Installed Visual studio Code as a editor and learned about the plugins.

5. Start practising: Learned basic structure of the REACT NATIVE application which is something like this
   import React from 'react';
   

import { Text, View } from 'react-native';

const YourApp = () => {
  return (
    <View style={{ flex: 1, justifyContent: "center", alignItems: "center" }}>
      <Text>
        Hello World! 🎉
      </Text>
    </View>
  );
}

export default YourApp;

5 State & Props: Learned about the state and props

1. Custom Component: Learn about the the creation about the component and using it

2. 3rd party libraries from NPM: Learned to integrate 3rd party packages using NPM

3. Redux: Learned redux for data flow. As react is one way data binding and passing all values in a props is really makes app very complex and Redux comes into picture where redux manages app state entirely for the application. i.e. you can access the state in all the component.

4. Learn Hooks: Now this is very important. Because React Native is now mainly using hooks in latest version. Also react makes functional component to work just like a class component hence giving more control on functional components.

This is my steps where I am able to learn REACT NATIVE and understood in depth without prior knowledge of the Javascript, CSS & React.js
Happy if this increased your confidence in learning React Native. HAPPY CODING!

Comments

[Carmen Salvador]

How much time would you say it takes to feel comfortable writing React Native coming from pure iOS?

[Ganeshakumar K]

Depends upon the person. For me it took 2 months.