# Ignite Bowser - the hottest React Native boilerplate ## Infinite Red's latest and greatest React Native boilerplate Once you've installed [React Native](https://shift.infinite.red/painless-react-native-setup-for-mac-windows-linux-956c23d2abf9) and the [Ignite CLI](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite), you can get started with this boilerplate. This is the boilerplate that the [Infinite Red](https://infinite.red) team recommends and uses on a day-to-day basis. Prior art includes [Ignite Andross](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite-andross). Includes: - React Native - React Navigation - MobX State Tree [(Why MST?)](#About-The-Stack) - TypeScript - Reactotron (requires 2.x) - And more! To see it in action, check out the [Chain React 2019 Conference App](https://github.com/infinitered/ChainReactApp2019)! Or watch a [live coding demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb8MWkQ9GOc) at React Live Amsterdam where Jamon Holmgren codes an Ignite Bowser app in less than 30 minutes. ## Quick Start Prerequisite: [install the React Native CLI](https://facebook.github.io/react-native/docs/getting-started) -- choose React Native CLI, not Expo. First, install Ignite CLI globally: ``` npm install -g ignite-cli # or yarn global add ignite-cli ``` **Note:** Make sure you have [CocoaPods](https://guides.cocoapods.org/using/getting-started.html) installed because otherwise, React Native installation will fail. Then spin up a new Bowser-powered React Native app: ``` ignite new MyApp -b bowser ``` `cd` into your new app and run `react-native run-ios` or `react-native run-android` (note: in Android, you'll need an Android emulator running or an Android phone attached). You should see an app that looks like the screenshot above! Next step -- follow this tutorial to learn how to create a trivia app with Ignite Bowser: https://shift.infinite.red/creating-a-trivia-app-with-ignite-bowser-part-1-1987cc6e93a1 ## Generators The true gem of Ignite Bowser. Generators help you scaffold your app very quickly, be it for a proof-of-concept, a demo, or a production app. Generators are there to save you time, keep your code consistent, and help you with the basic structure of your app. ``` ignite generate ``` Will give you information of what generators are present. ### Component generator This is the generator you will be using most often. There are 2 flavors: - React.FunctionComponent (i.e. "hooks enabled component") - Stateless function (i.e. the "classic ignite-bowser component") ``` ignite generate component awesome-component ``` - Creates the component/function - Creates a style file - Creates a storybook test - Will make the required additions to configuration files. You can also bypass the choice by providing which component type you want to create: ``` ignite generate component awesome-component --function-component ``` Or ``` ignite generate component awesome-component --stateless-function ``` ### Screen generator Generates a "hooks enabled" screen. ``` ignite generate screen awesome-screen ``` - Creates the screen - Will make the required additions to configuration files. ### Navigator generator Helps you in a "wizard-style" create a new [react-navigation](https://reactnavigation.org/docs/en/getting-started.html) navigator. ``` ignite generate navigator awesome-navigator ``` - Creates the navigator - Will make the required additions to configuration files. ### Model generator Creates a Mobx-State-Tree model. ``` ignite generate model awesome-model ``` - Creates the model - Creates a unit test file - Will make the required additions to configuration files. ### Advanced The built in generators aren't enough? Fret not, you can create your own generators that suit your project/company. These generators can live with the default ignite-bowser generators. Please refer to the [documentation on how to create your own generators.](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite/blob/master/docs/advanced-guides/creating-generators.md) ## Explanation of folder structure The Ignite Bowser boilerplate project's structure will look similar to this: ``` ignite-project ├── app │   ├── components │   ├── i18n │   ├── models │   ├── navigation │   ├── screens │   ├── services │   ├── theme │   ├── utils │   ├── app.tsx │   ├── environment-variables.ts ├── storybook │   ├── views │   ├── index.ts │   ├── storybook-registry.ts │   ├── storybook.ts ├── test │   ├── __snapshots__ │   ├── storyshots.test.ts.snap │   ├── mock-i18n.ts │   ├── mock-reactotron.ts │   ├── setup.ts │   ├── storyshots.test.ts ├── README.md ├── android ├── ignite │   ├── ignite.json │   └── plugins ├── index.js ├── ios └── package.json ``` ### ./app directory Included in an Ignite boilerplate project is the `app` directory. This is a directory you would normally have to create when using vanilla React Native. The inside of the `app` directory looks similar to the following: ``` app │── components │── i18n ├── models ├── navigation ├── screens ├── services ├── theme ├── utils ├── app.tsx ``` **components** This is where your React dumb components will live. Each component will have a directory containing the `.tsx` file, along with a story file, and optionally `.presets`, and `.props` files for larger components. The app will come with some commonly used components like Button. **i18n** This is where your translations will live if you are using `react-native-i18n`. **models** This is where your app's models will live. Each model has a directory which will contain the `mobx-state-tree` model file, test file, and any other supporting files like actions, types, etc. There's also an extensions directory with useful shared extensions that you can include in your models like `.extend(withRootStore)` or `.extend(withEnvironment)` to access the root store or environment respectively. **navigation** This is where your `react-navigation` navigators will live. **screens** This is where your screen components will live. A screen is a React component which will take up the entire screen and be part of the navigation hierarchy. Each screen will have a directory containing the `.tsx` file, along with any assets or other helper files. **services** Any services that interface with the outside world will live here (think REST APIs, Push Notifications, etc.). **theme** Here lives the theme for your application, including spacing, colors, and typography. **utils** This is a great place to put miscellaneous helpers and utilities. Things like date helpers, formatters, etc. are often found here. However, it should only be used for things that are truely shared across your application. If a helper or utility is only used by a specific component or model, consider co-locating your helper with that component or model. **app.tsx** This is the entry point to your app. This is where you will find the main App component which renders the rest of the application. This is also where you will specify whether you want to run the app in storybook mode. ### ./ignite directory The `ignite` directory stores all things Ignite, including CLI and boilerplate items. Here you will find generators, plugins, and examples to help you get started with React Native. ### ./storybook directory This is where your stories will be registered and where the Storybook configs will live ### ./test directory This directory will hold your Jest configs and mocks, as well as your [storyshots](https://github.com/storybooks/storybook/tree/master/addons/storyshots) test file. This is a file that contains the snapshots of all your component storybooks. # About The Stack ## Why this stack? If you've used Ignite Andross (the first Ignite stack), you know we formerly used Redux for state management, as does much of the community. However, we encountered some pain points with Redux so went in search of a different solution to meet our needs and landed on `mobx-state-tree`. We find that it’s a great middle-ground between completely structured (like `redux`) and completely freestyle (like `mobx`). It brings more than just state-management to the table as well (such as dependency injection, serialization, and lifecycle events). ### Some Highlights of MST MST is... - Intuitive - With concepts like `props` and `actions`, it feels familiar for React developers - Updating your data means calling functions on objects, rather than dispatching actions. - Feels similar to relational databases, with concepts like `identifiers` (primary keys), `references` (foreign keys), and `views` (calculated fields) - Streamlined - No more `actionTypes`, `actionCreators`, or `reducers` - You don't have to declare your usage intentions with `mapStateToProps`; they are inferred - Side-effects are built-in; no need for 3rd party libraries like `redux-saga`, `redux-observable`, or `redux-thunk` - Immutability is built-in - no need for `immutable.js` or `seamless-immutable` - `types.compose` and `model.extend` allow for easy code-sharing of common patterns - More than state management - Lifecycle hooks like `afterCreate`, `preProcessSnapshot`, and `beforeDestroy` let you have control over your data at various points in its lifecycle - Dependency injection with `getEnv` allows you to reference your environment (like API or other services) - Performant - Round-trip store writes are much faster - Computed values (views) are only calculated when needed - `mobx-react-lite` makes React "MobX-aware" and only re-renders when absolutely necessary - Customizable - MST ships with pre-built middlewares, including one which allows for [Redux interoperability](https://github.com/mobxjs/mobx-state-tree/blob/master/packages/mst-middlewares/README.md#redux). These middlewares can also serve as examples to create your own! ### Downsides We also recognize no state management solution is perfect. MST has some known downfalls: - Integration with TypeScript is clunky at times. MST's own typing system is sometimes at odds with what TypeScript wants - `mobx` and `mobx-state-tree` both seem to have "magic" or "sorcery" that makes issues less straightforward to debug because you don't always have a clear picture of what's happening (but using [Reactotron](https://github.com/infinitered/reactotron), which has `mobx-state-tree` support built-in, helps a lot). The [MobX docs](https://mobx.js.org/) can also help illumitate some of the magic. - The user base is small, so finding help on GitHub or Stack overflow is less convenient (however, the [Infinite Red Slack Community](http://community.infinite.red), as well as the [MobX State Tree Spectrum channel](https://spectrum.chat/mobx-state-tree) are both very helpful) - Fatal errors are sometimes too-easily triggered and error messages can be verbose and hard to grok - The API has a large surface area and the docs tend to be technical and unfriendly ## Learning MobX State Tree MobX and MobX State Tree can be a lot to learn if you're coming from Redux, so here are a few of our favorite resources to learn the basics: - Be sure to check out the official [Getting Started](https://mobx-state-tree.js.org/intro/getting-started) guide for MobX State Tree. - There is also a free [egghead.io course](https://egghead.io/courses/manage-application-state-with-mobx-state-tree). - For a great explanation and walkthrough of the basics, check out [State Management with MobX State Tree](https://medium.com/react-native-training/state-management-with-mobx-state-tree-373f9f2dc68a) by React Native Training. - And for more in-depth reading, the [official documentation](https://github.com/mobxjs/mobx-state-tree/blob/master/README.md) is a great resource. - The official docs for [MobX](https://mobx.js.org/) are another important resource, since MST is built on MobX. - For help from real people in the community, make sure to check out the [Infinite Red Community Slack](https://community.infinite.red) as well as the [MobX State Tree spectrum channel](https://spectrum.chat/mobx-state-tree). - To see example code bases using Bowser (and MST), check out these repositories: - https://github.com/jamonholmgren/PlayerPopularity (simple implementation) - https://github.com/jamonholmgren/TrailBlazers (simple implementation with hooks) - https://github.com/infinitered/ChainReactApp2019 (more in-depth implementation) ## Upgrade To keep your React Native app updated: - [React Native Upgrade Helper](https://react-native-community.github.io/upgrade-helper/) great web based tool - [rn-diff-purge](https://github.com/react-native-community/rn-diff-purge) To keep your Ignite Bowser based app updated: - [ignite-bowser-diff-purge](https://github.com/nirre7/ignite-bowser-diff-purge) To help you see the diffs between versions ## TypeScript In addition to `redux` --> `mobx-state-tree`, we've also transitioned to using `TypeScript` vs plain `JavaScript`. We find that TypeScript streamlines the developer experience by catching errors _before_ you hit refresh on that simulator, and prevents costly bugs by enforcing type safety. In Bowser, TypeScript is fully set up, so if you know TS, all you need to do is start coding! ### Resources If you are new to TypeScript, here are some of our favorite resources: - [TypeScript in 5 minutes](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/typescript-in-5-minutes.html) for a quick read - [TypeScript in 50 minutes](https://youtu.be/WBPrJSw7yQA) for a longer watch - [Execute Program -- TypeScript course](https://www.executeprogram.com/course/typescript) -- free course by Gary Bernhardt - [TypeScript and VSCode](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/typescript/typescript-tutorial) for awesome developer tools - [Official Docs](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/home.html) ## Previous Boilerplates - [2017 aka Andross](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite-andross) - [2016 aka Ignite 1.0](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite-ir-boilerplate-2016) ## Premium Support [Ignite CLI](https://infinite.red/ignite), [Ignite Andross](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite-andross), and [Ignite Bowser](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite-bowser), as open source projects, are free to use and always will be. [Infinite Red](https://infinite.red/) offers premium Ignite CLI support and general mobile app design/development services. Email us at [hello@infinite.red](mailto:hello@infinite.red) to get in touch with us for more details. ## Contribute #### [Contribute to Ignite Bowser](https://github.com/infinitered/ignite-bowser/blob/master/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md) - Getting up and running for your first pull request