Why use TypeScript with React Native?

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**TypeScript** adds static typing to JavaScript, and it's widely used (and recommended) with React Native — catching errors at compile time, improving tooling, and making code more maintainable. Understanding its benefits for React Native is valuable. ## What TypeScript adds ```tsx // TypeScript adds types to JS — catching type errors before runtime interface User { name: string; age: number; } function UserCard({ user }: { user: User }) { // typed props return {user.name}, {user.age}; } // → if you pass the wrong type or misspell a prop, TypeScript flags it AT COMPILE TIME const [count, setCount] = useState(0); // typed state ``` TypeScript adds type annotations (for props, state, functions, data) that are checked at compile time — catching errors before the app runs. ## Benefits for React Native ```text ✓ CATCH ERRORS EARLY — type errors caught at compile time, not as runtime crashes (typos, wrong props, null issues, API shape mismatches) ✓ Better TOOLING — autocomplete, inline docs, safe refactoring, navigation (huge productivity boost in editors) ✓ TYPED PROPS/state → components are self-documenting and safer to use ✓ Easier MAINTENANCE — types document intent; refactoring is safer; better for teams ✓ Type API responses, navigation params (React Navigation has TS support), etc. ``` ## Why it matters ```text → TypeScript is now the DEFAULT/recommended for new React Native projects → Mobile apps benefit from catching errors at compile time (runtime crashes reach users) → The productivity and safety gains are significant, especially as apps/teams grow ``` ## Why it matters Understanding why to use TypeScript with React Native is valuable because **TypeScript is widely used and recommended for React Native**, improving code quality and developer experience, so it's useful modern knowledge. TypeScript adds **static typing** to JavaScript, with type annotations (for props, state, functions, and data) **checked at compile time** — and understanding its **benefits for React Native** is the key value. The main benefit is **catching errors early**: type errors (typos, wrong props, null issues, API shape mismatches) are caught at compile time rather than becoming **runtime crashes that reach users** — particularly valuable for mobile apps where crashes directly affect the user experience and are harder to hotfix. Understanding the **tooling benefits** (autocomplete, inline documentation, safe refactoring, and code navigation — a significant productivity boost in editors), **typed props/state** (making components self-documenting and safer to use), and **easier maintenance** (types documenting intent, safer refactoring, better team collaboration) conveys why TypeScript meaningfully improves React Native development. Knowing that TypeScript can type API responses and navigation params (with React Navigation's TypeScript support) reflects its practical integration. Understanding that **TypeScript is now the default/recommended for new React Native projects** is important context — it's increasingly the standard, so understanding its value is relevant for modern development. The safety (fewer runtime crashes) and productivity (better tooling, maintainability) gains are significant, especially as apps and teams grow. Since TypeScript is widely used and recommended for React Native (now often the default) and provides real benefits (catching errors before they crash for users, better tooling, safer maintenance), and since understanding its value for React Native is relevant for modern development, understanding why to use TypeScript with React Native is valuable, practically-relevant knowledge — reflecting the modern standard for React Native development and the real quality and productivity benefits of static typing, increasingly expected knowledge for React Native developers.