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Show HN: ReactNativeAutoUpdater – support dynamic updates for React Native apps

68 points by yurisagalov 11y ago

marvel_boy 11y ago
This is great, I guess that Apple is now deciding what to do with your app.
- harperlee 11y ago
  From the link: > Does Apple permit this? > Yes! Section 3.3.2 of the iOS Developer Program allows it "provided that such scripts and code do not change the primary purpose of the Application by providing features or functionality that are inconsistent with the intended and advertised purpose of the Application."
potomushto 11y ago
There are also two alternatives: https://apphub.io/ https://apphub.io/ and https://microsoft.github.io/code-push/ https://microsoft.github.io/code-push/. Works for me in the real app very well, even in a synchronous mode in some cases.
- yurisagalov 11y ago
  One difference between this library and the two you linked to is that ours is fully self-contained -- no accounts/3rd party hosting required :)
  - arbesfeld 11y ago
    The AppHub client is also open source [1] and can be configured to point to any backend [2]. We also support asset updates, and the client has been tested in many production apps. With CodePush, AppHub, and this, it would be nice to have the community converge on a shared auto-updating client. Perhaps down the road we could see this functionality integrated into React Native itself. [1] https://github.com/AppHubPlatform/apphub-ios https://github.com/AppHubPlatform/apphub-ios [2] http://docs.apphub.io/docs/self-hosting http://docs.apphub.io/docs/self-hosting Disclosure: I created AppHub
- AlwaysBCoding 11y ago
  There's another one I came across recently also https://getsiphon.com/ https://getsiphon.com/
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
joneil 11y ago
As somebody building my first react-native app at the moment, and planning to submit to the app store this week - thank you! 2 questions: 1. If you don't ask the user to update immediately after it is downloaded, when will the update apply? The next time the app is opened? 2. Is it possible to handle events around the update process from from Javascript? (For example an `onBeforeUpdate` or `onAfterUpdate` event.)
arasmussen 11y ago
The most interesting part is that Apple seems to be cool with this: > Does Apple permit this? > Yes! Section 3.3.2 of the iOS Developer Program allows it "provided that such scripts and code do not change the primary purpose of the Application by providing features or functionality that are inconsistent with the intended and advertised purpose of the Application." I really, really hope this doesn't go away.
- maz-dev 11y ago
  I use this feature with a Meteor app and it's really nice. Just be sure to not load a corrupted or crashing bundle, else your user will need to reinstall the app. Apple is allowing this because JS is sandboxed, so I guess it's here to stay.
  - martinald 11y ago
    I wouldn't be so sure. If this starts getting real traction then it is a huge leap over the native development process. Which ironically is all Apple's fault for it taking so long for them to approve updates. Having said that Apple seems slightly more chilled now Cook's in charge. Also, this is react native, so it is only sandboxed in the way any other app is. The JS->ObjC bridge can do pretty much anything a native app can do so I don't think the JS thing makes much difference. I think really it's in there so people can update webviews of content without having to resubmit the whole app. I don't think this is the spirit of that rule. Would be pleasantly surprised if not though.
morenoh149 11y ago
Android support ? :(
- pmalynin 11y ago
  Use meteor
- andy_ppp 11y ago
  Seems like codepush supports react-native android at least. https://github.com/Microsoft/react-native-code-push/blob/master/README.md#android-setup https://github.com/Microsoft/react-native-code-push/blob/mas...
  - lostintangent 11y ago
    Yep we do! We don't support updating assets on Android yet but we will as soon as the necessary platform support is released (should hopefully be in RN 0.19.0)
urvader 11y ago
Just use a webserver with correct 304 handling (like s3) and publish your bundle there. It works both for React Native and Cordova.

68 points by yurisagalov 11y ago

marvel_boy 11y ago

This is great, I guess that Apple is now deciding what to do with your app.

harperlee 11y ago
From the link: > Does Apple permit this? > Yes! Section 3.3.2 of the iOS Developer Program allows it "provided that such scripts and code do not change the primary purpose of the Application by providing features or functionality that are inconsistent with the intended and advertised purpose of the Application."

potomushto 11y ago

There are also two alternatives: https://apphub.io/ https://apphub.io/ and https://microsoft.github.io/code-push/ https://microsoft.github.io/code-push/. Works for me in the real app very well, even in a synchronous mode in some cases.

yurisagalov 11y ago
One difference between this library and the two you linked to is that ours is fully self-contained -- no accounts/3rd party hosting required :)
- arbesfeld 11y ago
  The AppHub client is also open source [1] and can be configured to point to any backend [2]. We also support asset updates, and the client has been tested in many production apps. With CodePush, AppHub, and this, it would be nice to have the community converge on a shared auto-updating client. Perhaps down the road we could see this functionality integrated into React Native itself. [1] https://github.com/AppHubPlatform/apphub-ios https://github.com/AppHubPlatform/apphub-ios [2] http://docs.apphub.io/docs/self-hosting http://docs.apphub.io/docs/self-hosting Disclosure: I created AppHub
AlwaysBCoding 11y ago
There's another one I came across recently also https://getsiphon.com/ https://getsiphon.com/

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

joneil 11y ago

As somebody building my first react-native app at the moment, and planning to submit to the app store this week - thank you! 2 questions: 1. If you don't ask the user to update immediately after it is downloaded, when will the update apply? The next time the app is opened? 2. Is it possible to handle events around the update process from from Javascript? (For example an `onBeforeUpdate` or `onAfterUpdate` event.)

arasmussen 11y ago

The most interesting part is that Apple seems to be cool with this: > Does Apple permit this? > Yes! Section 3.3.2 of the iOS Developer Program allows it "provided that such scripts and code do not change the primary purpose of the Application by providing features or functionality that are inconsistent with the intended and advertised purpose of the Application." I really, really hope this doesn't go away.

maz-dev 11y ago
I use this feature with a Meteor app and it's really nice. Just be sure to not load a corrupted or crashing bundle, else your user will need to reinstall the app. Apple is allowing this because JS is sandboxed, so I guess it's here to stay.
- martinald 11y ago
  I wouldn't be so sure. If this starts getting real traction then it is a huge leap over the native development process. Which ironically is all Apple's fault for it taking so long for them to approve updates. Having said that Apple seems slightly more chilled now Cook's in charge. Also, this is react native, so it is only sandboxed in the way any other app is. The JS->ObjC bridge can do pretty much anything a native app can do so I don't think the JS thing makes much difference. I think really it's in there so people can update webviews of content without having to resubmit the whole app. I don't think this is the spirit of that rule. Would be pleasantly surprised if not though.

morenoh149 11y ago

Android support ? :(

pmalynin 11y ago
Use meteor
andy_ppp 11y ago
Seems like codepush supports react-native android at least. https://github.com/Microsoft/react-native-code-push/blob/master/README.md#android-setup https://github.com/Microsoft/react-native-code-push/blob/mas...
- lostintangent 11y ago
  Yep we do! We don't support updating assets on Android yet but we will as soon as the necessary platform support is released (should hopefully be in RN 0.19.0)

urvader 11y ago

Just use a webserver with correct 304 handling (like s3) and publish your bundle there. It works both for React Native and Cordova.