With the help of the best mobile app development framework React Native, programmers may create cross-platform applications with JavaScript or TypeScript. There are a few essential differences between JavaScript and TypeScript that developers should consider when developing with React Native. This post will compare and contrast React Native JavaScript or TypeScript, analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of each approach.
React Native with JavaScript
Brendan Eich, employed at Netscape Communications Corporation in 1995, wrote the JavaScript language in just ten days. As per the 2023 Developer’s Survey by Stack Overflow, JavaScript remains the most frequently used programming language for the eleventh consecutive year in 2023.
The primary language used in React Native development is JavaScript. Users can more easily access products, services, and information from their mobile devices anywhere, at any time, with the help of mobile apps. Through notifications, real-time updates, and personalized experiences, mobile applications let businesses interact with their customers. Furthermore, JavaScript frameworks are conducive to creating mobile apps.
The following are some benefits and drawbacks of JavaScript use in React Native:
Pros:
- Faster development time and ease of learning: JavaScript is a dynamic and adaptable language that makes it possible for programmers to create applications rapidly, and its low learning curve also makes it a great option for novices.
- Strong community backing and more popular language: The abundance of online resources for learning and debugging JavaScript code facilitates resolving common issues.
- Flexible programming language that requires no compilation.
Cons:
- Weakly typed causes debugging issues: Compared to statically typed languages, JavaScript’s loose typing can make debugging more difficult. Type-related problems may be more difficult to find during development, and errors may only become visible during runtime.
- Security Risk: If JavaScript is not properly managed, it can be vulnerable to security risks like cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. To stop these vulnerabilities, developers must put security measures in place, like input validation and appropriate sanitization.
- Inadequate code quality can lead to code complexity: Since JavaScript is so simple to learn, many developers might need to be fully aware of best practices, which could result in badly written code as applications become more complex, it can be difficult to maintain code quality.
React Native with TypeScript
A superset of JavaScript is TypeScript. It has become more well-liked recently as a means of creating applications that are more reliable and manageable. There’s a reason Typescript came into existence: as JavaScript grew in popularity, the JS code became heavier and harder to read. It became particularly apparent when programmers began utilizing JavaScript for server-side technologies. Any environment that supports JavaScript can run it, and there is no specific environment needed to execute TypeScript.
The following are some benefits and drawbacks of TypeScript use in React Native:
Pros:
- Static Typing: Static typing, which TypeScript introduces to JavaScript, helps identify errors during compilation and guarantees more manageable code over time.
- Better documentation and simple debugging: When developers start writing various variables and functions in their code, it’s important to describe what kind of data these components should hold or work with. In TypeScript, they achieve this by specifying the types of data these components can handle directly in the code. This approach makes it easier for other developers who read the code to understand what’s going on and also simplifies the process of finding and fixing errors.
- IntelliSense: Along with improving the quality of the code, Typescript is also capable of increasing the development speed. Microsoft developed an instrument for code navigation called IntelliSense, which offers automatic code completion.
Cons:
- Time-consuming: Writing types for each object has many advantages, but it takes longer than writing plain JavaScript.
- An intense learning curve: Developers may need time to adapt to TypeScript’s syntax and features as it is more complex to grasp than JavaScript.
- Low community backing: Although TypeScript is becoming more and more popular, compared to JavaScript, its community is still small, which makes it harder to solve issues.
JavaScript or TypeScript?
As a newbie:
It is highly recommended that you begin by learning JavaScript. But once you have mastered the fundamentals, move on to TypeScript. The learning curve for TypeScript is the largest obstacle. In addition, TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript, so understanding JS is a prerequisite for learning its more complex roommate.
As a seasoned programmer:
JavaScript is fine if you are an experienced developer working in small teams on relatively small coding projects. But if you want to work on more complex and challenging projects, then it’s time to learn Typescript. However, Typescript becomes more desirable if you have ideas, knowledge, or a need for team development. Nous mobility consultants can help you develop mobile apps according to project size and other factors, and they can also assist you in delivering secure, scalable, customized, and reasonably priced Enterprise Mobility Solutions.
