React Native Unveils New Architecture in Latest Update
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React Native Rolls Out Its Latest Version on New Architecture
React Native, the popular framework for building cross-platform mobile applications, has announced the release of its latest version, React Native 0.82. This significant update marks a pivotal moment in the framework's evolution, as it fully transitions to a new architecture that promises to enhance performance and developer experience. The announcement from the React Native team emphasizes that this release is the beginning of a new era for the platform.
The new architecture, which was introduced approximately a year ago, leverages a JavaScript Interface (JSI) to replace the traditional asynchronous bridge that connected JavaScript with native components. According to the team, “JSI is an interface that allows JavaScript to hold a reference to a C++ object and vice versa.” This advancement enables developers to invoke methods directly without the overhead of serialization costs, which significantly boosts performance.
Main Features of React Native 0.82
The integration of JSI allows for more efficient data handling, particularly in applications requiring real-time processing. For instance, the VisionCamera library can now process frames in real-time with significantly reduced data handling overhead. The React Native team elaborated, “Typical frame buffers are [about] 30 MB, which amounts to roughly 2 GB of data per second, depending on the frame rate. In comparison with the serialization costs of the bridge, JSI handles that amount of interfacing data with ease.”
Moreover, JSI's capabilities extend beyond just performance improvements. It can expose complex instance-based types, including databases, images, and audio samples, which broadens the scope of functionalities available to developers. The announcement stated, “JSI removes that class of serialization work from all native-JavaScript interop, including initializing and re-rendering native core components like View and Text.”
Migration and Backward Compatibility
As part of the update, the React Native team has provided detailed instructions for developers on how to migrate to the new architecture. Importantly, the legacy architecture's APIs are not being removed in this release, allowing developers to maintain backward compatibility. However, the team has indicated that the removal of legacy APIs will begin with the next version, which they believe will significantly reduce the overall bundle size of applications.
- Improved performance through the use of JSI
- Real-time processing capabilities for libraries like VisionCamera
- Support for complex instance-based types
- Migration guidance for developers
- Backward compatibility maintained until the next version
Introduction of Hermes V1
In addition to the new architecture, React Native 0.82 introduces Hermes V1 as an experimental feature. This version includes enhancements to both the compiler and the virtual machine, promising improved performance metrics. The team noted, “From initial tests and benchmarks, Hermes V1 outperforms current Hermes in various scenarios.” This introduction signifies the ongoing commitment of the React Native team to refine and optimize the development environment for users.
Impact and Implications
The rollout of React Native 0.82 on the new architecture is expected to have far-reaching implications for developers and the mobile application landscape. By reducing serialization costs and allowing for direct method invocation, applications built with this framework can achieve higher performance and responsiveness, especially in data-intensive scenarios.
Moreover, the introduction of JSI and improvements in Hermes may encourage more developers to adopt React Native for their projects, as the framework becomes increasingly capable of handling complex, resource-heavy applications. The React Native team’s commitment to maintaining backward compatibility ensures that existing applications will continue to function seamlessly while providing a clear path forward for those looking to leverage the latest advancements.
As the mobile development ecosystem continues to evolve, the enhancements brought by React Native 0.82 are likely to position it as a leading choice for cross-platform development, catering to both performance demands and developer needs. As stated in the release announcement, “This is a milestone release for React Native and we believe it’s the start of a new era.” For more information on the release and migration details, visit React Native's official site.
Fuente:
The New Stack