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React Native Radio

RNR 316 - Debugging the Debugger with Cedric van Putten and Alex Hunt

Dec 9, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Cedric van Putten, who contributes to Expo’s customer success and SDK maintenance, and Alex Hunt, a software engineer at Meta focused on React Native developer tools, dive into the future of debugging in React Native. They explore the new React Native DevTools, emphasizing the superiority of debuggers over console.log. The conversation highlights the power of Chrome DevTools Protocol and the importance of enhanced features like breakpoints and network inspectors, aiming to make debugging more accessible for developers across platforms.
44:34

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The evolution of React Native debugging tools is aimed at creating a unified experience that enhances productivity across platforms.
  • Using breakpoints significantly improves debugging efficiency by allowing real-time inspection of app states, unlike traditional console logging methods.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Debugging Tools in React Native

The podcast discusses the evolution of debugging tools within React Native, highlighting the historical challenges that developers faced as the framework evolved. Originally, developers had to navigate various debugging systems tied to the JavaScript engines used at different times, such as JavaScriptCore and JSC. As complexity increased, the need for a unified, reliable debugging solution became evident, leading to a re-architecture of the debugging experience. The focus shifted towards integrating more powerful tools, like the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP), to enhance developer productivity and streamline the debugging process.

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