Navigation in PURE React Native

Let's learn Navigation in PURE React Native System!!

CHAPTER I: Root set up

Let's set up our core configurations for react native navigation

Step 1: Install "@react-navigation/native"

First of all, install the core package of react navigation

npm install @react-navigation/native

Now what?

Step 2: Install core utility packages

We will now install the core two utility packages for react native navigation. These are "react-native-screens" and "react-native-safe-area-context"

(If expo, install them using expo, if not, install them using npm)

npm install react-native-screens react-native-safe-area-context

Now for pure react native apps, "react-native-screens" package requires one additional configuration step to properly work on Android devices. This change is required to avoid crashes related to View state being not persisted consistently across Activity restarts. What and How?

---

(For PURE React Native)
Edit "MainActivity.java" file which is located in "android/app/src/main/java/{Your_package_name}/MainActivity.java". Add the following code to the body of the "MainActivity" class

@Override  
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {  
super.onCreate(null);  
}

And make sure to add an "import" statement at the top of this file

import android.os.Bundle;

---

Step 3: Wrapping our App in NavigationContainer

Finally, let's wrap our app in NavigationContainer

import React from 'react';
import { NavigationContainer } from '@react-navigation/native';
import HomeScreen from './NeiXin/screens/HomeScreen';

const App = () => {
  return (
    <NavigationContainer>
      <HomeScreen/>
    </NavigationContainer>
  );
};

export default App;

---

CHAPTER II: Utility set up

Let's learn how to set up drawer and/or stack navigator.

Step 1: Install utility packages

You need to install "react-native-gesture-handler" and "react-native-reanimated" utility packages. It's same for all (drawer, stack and tab) navigators! Let's install them
(If expo, install them using expo, if not, install them using npm)

npm install react-native-gesture-handler react-native-reanimated

Now for PURE React Native Apps, we need to put this following line at the extreme top of our entry file (for me it is App.tsx file). We have to make sure it's at the top and there's nothing else before it

import 'react-native-gesture-handler';

Great we finished the utility set up. Let's now install the core packages depending on our Navigators :)

Step 2: Reanimated 2 configuration

For PURE React Native app, you might get an error related to "Reanimated 2" . For this we need to configure it properly. How? Let's tag along!

(for more info check this one out reanimated 2 configuration)

Part 1:

In babel.config.js add this
(NOTE: Reanimated plugin has to be listed last)

  module.exports = {
      ...
      presets: [...],
      plugins: [
          ...
          'react-native-reanimated/plugin' //make sure this is always the last line
      ],
  };

Part 2: Turn on Hermes engine

Turn on Hermes engine by editing "android/app/build.gradle"

project.ext.react = [
  enableHermes: true  // <- here | clean and rebuild if changing
]

Part 3: Update MainApplication.java

Update the "android/app/main/java/{Your_package_name}/MainApplication.java"

  import com.facebook.react.bridge.JSIModulePackage; // <- add
  import com.swmansion.reanimated.ReanimatedJSIModulePackage; // <- add
  ...
  private final ReactNativeHost mReactNativeHost = new ReactNativeHost(this) {
  ...

      @Override //find these four lines, these already exist, we need to add the next 4 lines after these four lines
      protected String getJSMainModuleName() {
        return "index";
      }

      @Override //add these four lines after the above four lines
      protected JSIModulePackage getJSIModulePackage() {
        return new ReanimatedJSIModulePackage();
      }
    };
  ...

You can refer to this diff that presents the set of the above changes made to a fresh React Native project.

Part 4: Try running

Try running your app, if still get the error, remove the cache using this command

npx react-native start --reset-cache

It'll restart your app removing the cache. Now optionally you can stop it and restart your app with this command

npm run android

Hope it helps :)

---

CHAPTER III: Specific Navigators

Let's learn how to use Drawer, Stack and Tab navigators. We'll install our specific navigators with this command

(If Drawer Navigation)

npm install @react-navigation/drawer

(If Stack Navigation)

I prefer this because it is said to be significantly more customizable

npm install @react-navigation/stack

[OR]
I don't prefer it much because it is said to be inpractible to impossible to customize a lot of things

npm install @react-navigation/native-stack

(If Bottom Tab Navigation)

npm install @react-navigation/bottom-tabs

Drawer Navigation

const Drawer = createDrawerNavigator();
function RootDrawer() {
  return (
    <Drawer.Navigator>
      <Drawer.Screen name="Home Page" component={HomeScreen}/>
      <Drawer.Screen name="About Page" component={AboutScreen}/>
    </Drawer.Navigator>
  )
}

---

Stack Navigation

const Stack = createStackNavigator();
function RootStack() {
  return (
    <Stack.Navigator>
      <Stack.Screen name="Home Page" component={HomeScreen}/>
      <Stack.Screen name="About Page" component={AboutScreen}/>
    </Stack.Navigator>
  )
}

---

Bottom Tabs Navigation

const Tab = createBottomTabNavigator();
function RootBottomTab() {
  return (
    <Tab.Navigator>
      <Tab.Screen name="Home Page" component={HomeScreen}/>
      <Tab.Screen name="About Page" component={AboutScreen}/>
    </Tab.Navigator>
  )
}

---

What's NEXT?

1. Async Storage with Pure React Native

2. Project with Pure React Native

3. More on App Development

4. How to deploy to playstore

5. Insane stuff with JavaScript/TypeScript

6. Writing Automated Tests for any Server

7. How to create an Android APP with NO XP with Expo

(including apk generating)

Got any doubt?

Drop a comment or Feel free to reach out to me @SilveLEAF on Twitter or Linkedin

Wanna know more about me? Come here!
SilvenLEAF.github.io