React and React Native are two very different technologies, but they have some commonalities. The key differences between them lies in the way each is built, deployed, and used to create mobile apps. Let’s take a look at how these two frameworks differ from one another.
To start off with, React is primarily used for creating websites while React Native is specifically designed to build cross-platform mobile applications that run on both iOS and Android devices. This difference alone makes it obvious why learning React native can be more complex than just web development with React.
When building an app with either framework there are certain aspects where the two differ greatly; let’s explore those:
- Code Structure – With React you write your code within HTML files whereas when coding in React Native you use JavaScript components which resemble native UI elements of the platform being developed for.
- Platform Related Components – While using React you may make use of third-party libraries such as Material UI or BootStrap however this isn’t possible when working with React Native since all the components must be written manually by the developer keeping in mind specific requirements of each platform.
- StyleSheet Formatting – For styling purposes CSS rules apply when developing websites using Reacts while RN uses its own style format known as StyleSheets which work similarly to CSS yet has slight variations based on platform constraints.
Overall, although both technologies share some fundamental similarities their stark contrast in purpose will require developers to approach them differently if aiming to build successful mobile applications. It should also be noted that having prior experience with Javascript fundamentals will prove beneficial for anyone looking forward to mastering either technology faster.