React Native 0.59 is now out with React Hooks, updated JavaScriptCore, and more!

After releasing the RC0 version of React Native 0.59, the team announced its stable release yesterday. This release comes with some of the most awaited features including React Hooks, updated JavaScriptCore, and more.

Support for React Hooks

React Hooks were introduced to solve a wide variety of problems in React. It enables you to reuse stateful logic across components without having to restructure your components hierarchy. With React Hooks, you can split a component into smaller functions, based on what pieces are related rather than forcing a split based on lifecycle methods. It also lets you use more of React’s features without classes.

Updated JavaScriptCore

The JavaScriptCore (JSC) is an engine that allows Android developers to use JavaScript natively in their apps. React Native 0.59 comes with an updated JSC for Android, and hence supports a lot of modern JavaScript features. These features include 64-bit support, JavaScript support, and big performance improvements.

Improved app startup time with inline requires

Applications now load resources as and when required to prevent slowing down the app launch. This feature is known as “inline requires”, which delay the requiring of a module or file until that module or file is actually needed. Using inline requires can result in startup time improvements.

CLI improvements

Earlier, React Native CLI improvements had long-standing issues and lacked official support. The CLI tools are now moved to a new repository and come with exciting improvements. Now, logs are formatted better and commands run almost instantly.

Breaking changes

React Native 0.59 has been cleaned up following Google's latest recommendations, which could result in potential breakage of existing apps. You might experience a runtime crash and see a message like this, “You need to use a Theme.AppCompat theme (or descendant) with this activity."

Developers are recommended to update their project’s AndroidManifest.xml file to make sure that “android:theme” value is an AppCompat theme. Also, in this release, the “react-native-git-upgrade” command has been replaced with the newly improved “react-native upgrade” command.

To read the official announcement, check out React Native’s website.

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