Hotwire Native: Turn Your Rails App into a Mobile App

In this presentation, Yaroslav Shmarov discusses how to convert a Ruby on Rails application into a mobile app using Hotwire Native, integrating elements from Turbo Native and Strada to create a more efficient and user-friendly mobile experience.

Key Points Discussed:

Introduction to Hotwire Native:
- Yaroslav shares his background and previous topics covered about Hotwire.
- He highlights the merging of Turbo Native and Strada into Hotwire Native, which simplifies the development process.
Setting Up a Rails App for Hotwire Native:
- He explains the importance of making web applications responsive as a first step before wrapping them for mobile use.
- Demonstrating through examples, he shows that web apps need to function well on smaller screens to ensure a good mobile experience.
Development Process:
- Developers serve their Rails applications inside a native framework using tools like Xcode for iOS.
- Emphasis on the minimal boilerplate code required compared to previously needed for Turbo Native and Strada.
User Interactions and Features:
- Discusses the navigation architecture in the app, with seamless transitions between pages that mirror native app behavior.
- Features like modal prompts and native payment integrations are covered, highlighting how they enhance user experience.
- Importance of correctly handling browser behaviors, such as history navigation and external link handling, to ensure native-like interactions.
App Review Challenges:
- Yaroslav shares his personal experiences with app reviews in the App Store, mentioning common pitfalls like payment systems and sign-in methods.
- He supports the idea of using the mobile app for user login while performing sensitive actions on the web to avoid complications during app reviews.
Case Studies:
- He highlights several existing applications built with Hotwire Native, demonstrating its practicality and effectiveness.
- Encourages interaction and support through the community channels for developers facing challenges with Hotwire Native.

Conclusion:

Hotwire Native presents a compelling option for developers looking to swiftly and efficiently transition Ruby on Rails web applications into mobile applications. By leveraging existing knowledge of web development and focusing on creating responsive designs, developers can save time and resources while providing users with a native experience. The approach is particularly favorable for teams lacking the resources for extensive native app development and maintenance. Yaroslav emphasizes that for web-focused applications, Hotwire Native offers the fastest path to a mobile presence without needing deep knowledge of mobile programming languages like Swift or Kotlin.

Keywords: Hotwire Native, Turbo Native, Strada, Ruby on Rails, mobile app development, app review process, responsive design, web applications, iOS development, seamless navigation.