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.
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Debugging Tools
- Use debuggers over
console.logfor complex debugging. - Debuggers offer more comprehensive inspection and manipulation than logging.
Past Debugging Challenges
- React Native's debugging tools were historically fragmented due to the platform's evolving nature.
- This fragmentation led to reliability issues and hindered the development of unified debugging tools.
CDP's Origins in React Native
- The idea of using Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) for React Native debugging originated years ago, potentially after Flipper's launch.
- Early attempts to utilize CDP faced challenges due to the existing architecture's limitations.