React Native Introduces Latest Version 0.60

React Native is a big success at the part of Facebook initiatives to provide an awesome and highly functional cross-platform framework instead of overemphasizing on HTML 5. The latest version 0.60 is coming with innovative features and functionality. Let’s learn some those here.

Introduction

After three months of dedication and hard work of hundreds of developers, Facebook finally introduced React Native’s latest version 0.60. React Native is an open-source framework introduced by Facebook for cross-platform mobile app development.

Its functions can remain active in the background redefining the ways developers have written the JavaScript. With the newly launched version, the creators have fixed numerous complications of the earlier version and introduced some new features for seamless practical experiences to all users.

The mobile app developers could be excited to check out every function of the latest version of React Native. Here are some highlights of what’s new in React Native 0.60.

Improved Accessibility in React Native 0.60

For React Native developers, convenience is the complex science, but the creators have managed to offer much-improved accessibility APIs. Accessibility comes with the capability of APIs to merge platform-specific APIs with native-support technologies. Some advances at the accessibility front are:

• Assistance in accessibility flags and cutting motion for iOS apps. Thus, iOS developers can deliver cross-platform iOS apps with precision and short deadlines.
• Different elements in the previous framework were missing a lot of roles to make efficient use of it according to requirements. Now, the latest version includes most of it.
• Click call back, and the clickable prop is helping in implore actions using keyboard navigation, which is now available here.
• The availability of the latest accessibility states API can enhance web assistance in the near future in the latest release of native react.
• Developers can add call-backs to manage the accessibility of user-specific functions by maximizing accessibility actions.

By enabling occasioning elements, including announce-For-Accessibility,flags and roles, and action support advancements.

New Start Screen in React Native 0.60 Framework

Better user experience is in focus in the latest 0.60 version of React Native. You can get the most sought after feature here, a new app screen, which claims to be more user-friendly.

The new screen shows useful instructions like

• Editing App.js
• Document links
• How to start with the debug menu
• How to align with the upcoming website redesign

Thus, the new user interface of "Hello World" can introduce the mobile app developers to the React Native ecosystem in the best way.

Better Migration with AndroidX Support in React Native

With the new release, the React Native migrates to the AndriodX (Android Extension library) which will have significant implications for all those looking to develop cross-platform apps for Android.

The developers need to migrate the native codes and dependencies of React Native as well. This kind of shift demands the React native apps to use AndroidX library mandatorily.

To address this issue, the Facebook developers launched Jetifier, which is an AndroidX transition tool compatible with Reactive Native for a smooth migration. For all the Android Extension library users,this update is necessary and using jetifer tool along with the latest React Native 0.60 will help them to launch a new AndroidX version. This tool is also beneficial to find errors in AndroidX.

Default CocoaPods in React Native Framework

CocoaPods is an application-level dependencies manager designed for Objective-C and Swift CocoaPods projects.React Native now comes with CocoaPods in iOS by default.

• The developers are requested to open the iOS platform code by using "xcworkspace"file.
• The pod specifications for the internal packages also get an update so that they are now compatible with the Xcode projects.
• It even helps the developers to quickly debug and troubleshoot any issues with the iOS app development.

Lean Core Removal in React Native 0.60

For bringing the React Native repository to favorable condition, Facebook has begun the Lean Core project to improve React Native further. Now, Facebook admits that overemphasis on HTML 5 technologies was a big mistake, and with Lean Core project, it is correcting the same.

As a part of the project, WebView and NetInfo go into the individual repositories. The developers at Facebook also have removed the Geo location of those removed repositories from React native.It had done it based on the reviews and feedbacks of new Apple Store rules. So,with the latest React Native 0.60, Facebook has completed its migration out of the React Native repository.

Auto Linked Native Modules in React Native 0.60 Framework

The Facebook is performing on the React Native Command Line Interface (CLI) has introduced primary enhancements to the native module named as ‘Autolinking.’ Now, in most of the cases, there is no need to utilize the react-nativelink any longer. On the other hand, Facebook also updated the linking, ensuring the react-native to unlink everypre-existing dependency. This new mechanism enables your projects to discover and then use that code.

A Final Note

In addition to all these updates, the React Native supporters including @lucasbento, @pvinis, @kelset, and @watadarkstarhave also launched a new tool named as Upgrade Helper to provide a seamless experience for the upgrade process. If you are planning to switch to this latest version, you need to check out the updated upgrading docs and try it out today for your upgrade path!

It is safe to conclude that React Native 0.60 has made up a better open-source platform for the mobile app development. This technology will be soaring in the near future due to its increasing demand and user-centric approach. The user-friendly interface and smooth functionality in the latest update will make a way to build better mobile applications which will stay equivalent across all the platforms.