React-Native Server Components! Change Your Native UI From Your Server!

This podcast demonstrates how to utilize React Server Components (RSC) in React Native applications, specifically within the Expo framework. The tutorial showcases how to upload images, store them locally, and render a list of images using RSCs, ultimately enabling server-side rendering of UI components and improving application performance.

Image Upload with Server Functions

• 00:00:36 The demonstration begins by building a custom hook, 'useImages', which allows the user to select an image from their device. The selected image is then converted into a base64 encoded string along with the size and dimensions, and finally sent to a server function for processing and storage. This is a crucial aspect of the implementation, as it showcases how to interact with the server from the client side.

Server Function Creation and Deployment

• 00:01:14 Server functions are used to handle the backend logic associated with image upload and storage. These functions run on a server that is deployed in tandem with the React Native app. The podcast describes the setup of the 'images.tsx' file that includes the implementation of two server functions: one for posting images to the server and another for retrieving the list of images. These functions utilize the server-side file system for operations like file reading and writing.

React Server Components for UI Elements

• 00:07:00 The podcast shows how the RSC concept allows server-side generated react nodes to be sent to the client. This includes the ability to send entire routes rendered server-side. The example demonstrates a list of images being returned as a React node from a server function, which replaces the need for managing the UI state on the client side. The RSCs are referenced by an ID and instantiated on the client-side based on this ID.

Interactivity with Server-Rendered Components

• 00:10:52 Interactivity is added to the server-rendered components. The example highlights an image viewer that allows users to zoom in and out by toggling a flag. The component leverages the 'TouchableOpactiy' feature of React Native to achieve this interactivity. Although, interactive functionalities are constrained to client-side components referenced by an ID within a manifest shared between server and client.

Server-Side Rendering of React Native Routes

• 00:12:19 The podcast details how entire routes can be server-rendered in React Native using RSCs. The 'index' route is chosen as an example, where the entire UI is rendered server-side, and it handles loading states with 'Suspense' component. This approach enhances the efficiency of initial page load and demonstrates that server-rendered components can be mixed and matched with client-rendered components, providing flexibility in application design.