A new way to build apps for all Windows 10 devices.
Facebook's React Native framework is a great tool for building cross-platform apps, and if you use it you'll know that it already features extensions and plugins enabling you to deploy your work to Windows. But now there's an improved way to do it, courtesy of Microsoft itself.
It's just released its own open-source project that enables developers to target any Windows 10 device using the Windows 10 SDK, so not only can you deploy on Windows PCs, you can also use it to create apps for tablets, Xbox and even mixed reality devices such as Microsoft's Hololens.
The new React Native for Windows is all about better performance; Microsoft is currently in the process of re-implementing it in C++ rather than C#, with a plan to provide a compatibility layer that will support existing apps written in C#.
React Native for Windows is available from GitHub
React Native for Windows is available now on GitHub; if you want to get up and running with it then there are a few system requirements you'll need to know about. To build and deploy apps you'll need a Pro or Enterprise version of Windows, and you'll also need Visual Studio 2017 Community or better.
To make things easier for you, Microsoft has provided a guide to help you get started, covering everything from installing React Native through to running apps either with or without Visual Studio.
And as an open-source project provided under the MIT Licence, React Native for Windows is open to extensions and contributions. To find out more, head for the React Native for Windows GitHub repository.
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Jim McCauley is a writer, performer and cat-wrangler who started writing professionally way back in 1995 on PC Format magazine, and has been covering technology-related subjects ever since, whether it's hardware, software or videogames. A chance call in 2005 led to Jim taking charge of Computer Arts' website and developing an interest in the world of graphic design, and eventually led to a move over to the freshly-launched Creative Bloq in 2012. Jim now works as a freelance writer for sites including Creative Bloq, T3 and PetsRadar, specialising in design, technology, wellness and cats, while doing the occasional pantomime and street performance in Bath and designing posters for a local drama group on the side.
