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   📖 Part II: Getting Started with Your First Project

🟢 Part II: Getting Started with Your First Project

This second part of the book transitions from theory to practice. Here, you’ll scaffold your very first React Native app using Expo, understand the project structure, and begin experimenting with styling through Tailwind (via NativeWind). By the end of this part, you’ll have a running mobile app on both your device and the web, along with a clear grasp of the development feedback loop.

Chapter 3: Scaffolding a React Native App

This chapter introduces create-expo-app, the official command-line tool for quickly bootstrapping a new project. You’ll learn how the project is generated, what each folder/file means, and how the setup compares to familiar web tooling like CRA or Vite. Finally, we’ll walk through adding Tailwind with NativeWind for rapid UI development.

Key points covered:

  • Using create-expo-app to bootstrap a project.
  • Explaining the generated project structure.
  • Adding TailwindCSS styling with NativeWind.

Chapter 4: Running Your App on Web and Device

Once your app is scaffolded, the next step is seeing it in action. This chapter explains how Expo’s development server enables fast iteration with Fast Refresh and Live Reload. You’ll run your app in the browser, test it on a physical device via Expo Go, and learn when it’s time to move to a custom Dev Client.

Key points covered:

  • Fast Refresh & Live Reload basics.
  • Running your app on a physical device with Expo Go.
  • Deciding when to switch to a Dev Client for testing.

By the end of Part II, readers will have gone from zero to a functioning React Native project. They’ll understand the project’s structure, have styling utilities in place, and be confident in running the app across devices. This foundation sets up the more advanced problem-solving lessons in Part III.