React Native

Cross-platform iOS/Android with React Native. Native components, platform code, navigation, and performance.

When to Use

Cross-platform mobile (iOS + Android)
Bare React Native (not Expo managed)
Platform-specific features and native module integration
Mobile performance optimization

Don’t use for:

Web apps (use react skill)
Expo-managed (use expo skill)
Native iOS/Android development only

Critical Patterns

✅ REQUIRED: Use FlatList for Lists

// ✅ CORRECT: Virtualized list
<FlatList
  data={items}
  keyExtractor={(item) => item.id}
  renderItem={({ item }) => <Item data={item} />}
/>

// ❌ WRONG: ScrollView with map (memory issues)
<ScrollView>
  {items.map(item => <Item key={item.id} data={item} />)}
</ScrollView>

✅ REQUIRED: Use Platform-Specific Code

// ✅ CORRECT: Platform.select or Platform.OS
import { Platform } from "react-native";

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    padding: Platform.select({ ios: 10, android: 8 }),
  },
});

// Or separate files: Component.ios.tsx, Component.android.tsx

✅ REQUIRED: Handle Safe Areas

// ✅ CORRECT: SafeAreaView
import { SafeAreaView } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';

<SafeAreaView>
  <App />
</SafeAreaView>

// ❌ WRONG: No safe area handling (notch issues)
<View>
  <App />
</View>

✅ REQUIRED: Optimize Images

// ✅ CORRECT: Specify dimensions, use FastImage for remote images
<Image
  source={{ uri: url }}
  style={{ width: 200, height: 200 }}
  resizeMode="cover"
/>

// ❌ WRONG: No dimensions (layout thrashing)
<Image source={{ uri: url }} />

Conventions

React Native Specific

Platform-specific code when needed
FlatList virtualization
Proper safe area handling
Image/asset optimization
Hermes engine for performance
Apply accessibility best practices: accessibilityLabel, accessibilityRole, screen reader support

Decision Tree

Long list?
  → FlatList with keyExtractor and getItemLayout — see performance-rn.md for FlatList optimization

Platform-specific styling?
  → Platform.select() or Platform.OS === 'ios' — see platform-specific.md for platform patterns

Navigation?
  → React Navigation library — see navigation-patterns.md for Stack/Tab/Drawer setup

Gestures/Animations?
  → Gesture Handler + Reanimated — see gestures-animations.md for gesture and animation patterns

Forms?
  → Controlled components; consider react-hook-form for complex forms

State management?
  → Context for simple, Redux/Zustand for complex

Native feature needed?
  → Check if React Native API exists, otherwise use native module or library — see native-modules.md for native integration

Performance issue?
  → Enable Hermes, use React.memo(), avoid inline functions in renders, profile with Flipper — see performance-rn.md for optimization strategies

Testing?
  → Jest + React Native Testing Library, test on real devices

Example

import { View, Text, FlatList, Platform } from 'react-native';

const MyList = ({ items }) => (
  <FlatList
    data={items}
    keyExtractor={(item) => item.id}
    renderItem={({ item }) => (
      <View style={{ padding: Platform.OS === 'ios' ? 10 : 8 }}>
        <Text>{item.name}</Text>
      </View>
    )}
  />
);

Advanced Architecture Integration

⚠️ Context Check: Same as React. Mobile apps with business logic benefit.

When to Apply

AGENTS.md specifies architecture (Clean/SOLID/DDD)
Enterprise apps (banking, healthcare, fintech, ERP)
Complex logic (auth, payments, offline sync)
Large teams (>10 devs)

When NOT to Apply

Simple apps (content, basic forms)
Prototypes/MVPs
No AGENTS.md mention

Architecture Integration

React Native uses same patterns as React:

SOLID Principles → Service classes, custom hooks, components
Clean Architecture → domain/, application/, infrastructure/, mobile/ (presentation)
Result Pattern → Async operations, API calls, local storage
DIP → Abstract services (API, storage, permissions) with adapters

Mobile-specific architecture:

// domain/entities/User.ts (same as web)
export class User {
  constructor(
    public readonly id: string,
    public readonly email: string
  ) {}
}

// infrastructure/services/SecureStorageService.ts (mobile adapter)
export class SecureStorageService implements IStorageService {
  async save(key: string, value: string): Promise<Result<void>> {
    try {
      await SecureStore.setItemAsync(key, value); // Expo SecureStore
      return Result.ok(undefined);
    } catch (error) {
      return Result.fail('Storage error');
    }
  }
}

// mobile/screens/LoginScreen.tsx (presentation)
const LoginScreen = () => {
  const { execute, result } = useLoginUser(); // Clean Architecture use case

  return (
    <View>
      <TextInput onChangeText={setEmail} />
      <Button onPress={() => execute(email, password)} title="Login" />
      {result && !result.isSuccess && <Text>{result.error}</Text>}
    </View>
  );
};

Complete Guide

See frontend-integration.md - same patterns as React.

See architecture-patterns SKILL.md for selection.

Edge Cases

Keyboard: Use KeyboardAvoidingView or keyboard-aware scroll.

Android back: Handle with BackHandler, especially modals.

Permissions: Request runtime (Android 6+), handle denial.

Deep linking: Configure URL schemes (iOS/Android), handle app states.

Offline: Use NetInfo, queue operations offline.

Bundle size: Hermes, ProGuard (Android), Metro analysis.

Debugging: Flipper (network/Redux), React DevTools, Chrome.