Ask HN: I Want to Build a Simple API-Backed iOS App - React Native or Swift? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: I Want to Build a Simple API-Backed iOS App - React Native or Swift?

6 pointsdchuk6 comments

I'm a web developer by day with essentially zero mobile development experience. I am familiar with React but haven't used it in any meaningful projects. I have no experience with Swift or even x-code for that matter. I'm looking to build a simple api-backed app and I'm fine with it being only on iOS (not looking to debate that either).

I've stumbled on this site that looks like a good place to start learning Swift: http://www.hackingwithswift.com/

As for React-Native, I figured I could just dive into their tutorial and then start hacking.

The app I want to build should be pretty basic, no crazy animations or heavy asset rendering or anything. Also doesn't need any real-time support or push notifications or anything.

What path do you guys recommend I take? I feel like diving into Swift could be good just for learning a new language for myself. React Native just seems fun to build with. I'm torn at this point, help.

I recommend working with React-Native for the next month and then work on Swift the following month. Get something working. I think your chances are better starting with React-Native. I've dabbled a little with it. Layout is super easy compared to Swift+IB+Autolayout (although StackViews are nice).

Thanks for the reply. That's about where my mind is currently as well, I think Swift as a language looks awesome but I think the amount of time I need to spend on learning all of the tooling in xcode will slow me down quite a bit compared to tackling react native which has a relatively familiar toolchain compared to what I normally use daily.

I have done some iOS programming in ObjC and I'm looking at Swift 2.0 right now. The language is just too big for you to start with and the tooling is still bug-prone. I think you'll get more out of one month with React-Native. Hopefully you'll have created something at the end of it. That's really important. And in a month they'll release another version of XCode 7 and the iOS 9 SDK that's less buggy. A month goes by so quickly.

I've been messing with react-native a bit. The nice part is having a running app after 1 terminal commmand.

Really just hoping its momentum continues, and taking fb at their word that Android will actually get released.

Well, according to this reddit submission, they have a react native app on google play: https://www.reddit.com/r/reactnative/comments/3bmdiu/first_r...

I'm not sure how they know that, but I would assume it's an accurate statement. So it seems like it might be coming soon.

Have you thought about using Cordova? If you're a web developer you'd be able to get something out quickly as it's all just HTML + JavaScript.

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