JSJ 380: Expo for Web with Charlie Cheever

Sponsors

• Datadog

• Sentry– use the code “devchat” for $100 credit

Panel

• Charles Max Wood

With Special Guest: Charlie Cheever

Episode Summary

Guest Charlie Cheever joins the discussion on JavaScript Jabber today. He was previously on React Round Up episode 47. Charlie works on Expo, which is a way to make React apps on every platform. Right now, Expo supports IOS, Android, and Web, provides a standard library of features, and takes care of services like builds and updates over the air. There are also code generators and templates available in Expo. Expo is focused on use cases where you just need to use a little bit of React Native in your app. Charlie talks about the origins of Expo, which was born from increased access of websites from people’s phones and the desire for a cross-platform tool that was as easy as building on the web. One of the biggest benefits is that Expo gives you the peace of mind knowing your app will work across all phones and all platforms.

They discuss how to approach building your API’s for Expo so that it’s easy for people to use and have it consistent across all these different systems. Expo also has a voting board canny.expo.io where people can submit suggestions for new features. Expo is compatible with map view and React Native maps. Currently, Expo is missing bluetooth and things where the underlying platform wants to have a direct relationship with the developer, such as in-app purchases. Charlie talks about other components available in Expo, all of which can be modified. They discuss the influence of React on augmented reality and VR. Charlie talks about the updating feature of Expo. Charlie talks about the evolution of Expo and their goal to be a “developer first” company. He talks about the company, libraries, The Client, and services. He gives advice on how to get started with React Native development and using Expo. There is also Expo Web, which can be used to create a website, and if you create an app with Expo you get a website too. Expo hopes to be a stable, easy, coherent way of using all these tools across your entire experience of building your application so that you can relax a little bit. 

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Links

• Expo

• Flex

• Valve

• jQuery

• Expo voting board

• LottieFiles

• SQLite

• React Native Maps

• The Client app

• Snack.expo.io

• NPM

Follow DevChat on Facebook and Twitter

Picks

Charles Max Wood:

• Vdot02

• Zoom H6 Portable 6 track Recorder

• Shure SM58-LC Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone

• Chain React Conf

Charlie Cheever:

• Draft bit (still in beta)

• AWS Amplify

• Follow Charlie @ccheever