Creating and Debugging a Cross-Platform Desktop App with React Native for Windows

If you’re interested in developing a cross-platform desktop application using JavaScript, React Native for Windows has got you covered. In this guide, we will walk you through how to get started with creating a desktop application development in React Native for Windows, and how to debug these applications using Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code.

What’s React Native?

React Native is an open-source framework that allows developers to build cross-platform applications using JavaScript. It enables developers to use the same code for deployment on both Android and iOS devices, as well as Windows desktop machines.

Requirements for React Native for Windows

Before we dive into the installation process, ensure that your system meets the necessary requirements.

Installing React Native for Windows

To create your Windows desktop application, open a terminal and navigate to the directory where you want to create your project. Use the following syntax to create a new project:

npx react-native init <projectName>

If you wish to use a specific version of React Native, replace “X.XX.X” with your desired version:

npx react-native@X.XX.X init <projectName> --version X.XX.X

To install React Native for Windows packages, switch to the project directory and execute this command:

cd projectName npx react-native-windows-init --overwrite

To run the app, launch your web browser then run this command:

npx react-native run-windows

Debugging your Application with Visual Studio

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to debug your React Native applications using Visual Studio:

  1. Install Visual Studio 2019 and make sure to check ‘Universal Windows Platform development & Desktop development with C++’ in the ‘Workloads’ tab and ‘Development activities & Node.js development support’ under ‘Individual Components’.

  2. Open the solution file (.sln) provided in the application folder using Visual Studio.

  3. Choose the Debug configuration and the x64 platform located to the left of the Run button

  4. To start the debug session, press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I to open Developer Tools.

Debugging your Application with Visual Studio Code

For developers who prefer to use Visual Studio Code, follow these steps:

  1. Open your project’s folder in VS Code.

  2. Download and install the React Native Tools plugin for VS Code.

  3. Create a new .vscode/launch.json file in the project root directory and paste the following configuration:

{
    "version": "0.2.0", 
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Debug Windows", 
            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "type": "reactnative", 
            "request": "launch", 
            "platform": "windows"
        }
    ]
}
  1. Press F5 or navigate to the debug menu (alternatively press Ctrl+Shift+D), from the Debug dropdown, select “Debug Windows” and press the green arrow to run your application.

That’s it! You now have the basic knowledge on how to start building a desktop app using React Native for Windows and debug it using either Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code. Happy Coding!

Additional Resources

##Tags: React Native, Windows App Development, Debugging, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code_
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