Is this library still being developed?

[joonhocho]

Hello,

I am searching for native-side navigation library.
Currently, this or wix/react-native-navigation seems to be the best options.
But, at a glance, this library is not being (actively) developed anymore.

I watched the video why airbnb created this library, and found it very interesting and appealing.
Could someone share any future plans?

[neilyoung]

#114

It's dead, Jim

[sneerin]

seriously, is it?

[MacKentoch]

So if I sum up the situation in React Native:

• Navigator is gone
• all navigators alternatives are dying in the same time
• react navigation (supposed to replace Navigator) is NOT stable (I used it for multiple projects) and not even seriously maintained as it should be as a CORE feature of mobile developpement.

Now I'm even wondering if I should not go back to pure native to feel insured not to face a wall, and more surprising to save time (I spent too much time upgrading for a long term application, rewriting because of core Navigation system changing from here and there...)?

I used React Native for mobile and not for VR or web.

It seems like directions are more like trying to make it universal: I personally don't care universallity. I just care simplicity, performance and time saving.

[joonhocho]

@MacKentoch I agree with you. It really is painful that the such basic, if not the most basic, thing in mobile development like navigation is not really solved yet in react native after two years.
I think it comes down to that too much efforts going into wrong directions.
I've seriously tried many JS based RN navigation libraries, NavigationExperimental, react-router-native, ex-navigation, react-navigation. In the end, I don't think JS based navigation is the right way to go.
It just feels too clunky and there are too many problems to be solved.
Apple and Android have put a lot of their time and efforts solving and optimizing navigation in their own platforms, and I don't think it's wise to completely ignore them and rewrite your own solution in js.
I am currently migrating to wix/react-native-navigation v2, and it will be my last try.
I will be actively contributing to it as I find lacking features.
I won't be going back to js based solution. It was too much time wasted only to realize js based solution is not going to be good enough to feel native.
I really wish Facebook realizes this and put navigation as the core feature for React Native.

[sneerin]

wix navigation is broken by design, if you look into how it's integrated it requires too much for integration e.g. Android MainApplication should be extending their class so that you can't be multidex for example. I recommend you contribute to this project since it's architecture is more clear. If it's still alive this is the future, unless something new and shining will appear.

[patrickkempff]

The lack of a viable navitation solution is really astounding to me. Based on all the different solutions I tried, I think this library has the most potential. I am willing to contribute on a regular basis but the lack project maintenance is preventing me from doing that.

@lelandrichardson Any updates on when you guys can give this project the attention it deserves? Or are you guys willing to add additional maintainers so this project can get up to speed again?

[joonhocho]

@sneerin If I am not wrong the last commit to this project is two months old. Even if I try to contribute, they won't be merging it. so.

[tpisto]

Dear all! I very much share your frustration about viable native navigation solution for React Native. And I also agree that this repository is the most promising solution to solve the React Native Navigation mayhem. As open source project author myself I also understand the burden of maintaining any OS project. Case is that many OS projects are just openly published part of some feature used commercially - and thus the development is paid by the employer or the customer. But as employer or customer focus shifts to other things, your resources to maintain the project changes a lot. I think this is the case in this project too.

The beauty of any OS project is that we can fork them and create new solution. So, we can gather a group of enthusiasts and fork this repo to "final-solution-to-native-navigation" and start marketing it. I can make beautiful website for it =) Also we can have a policy that anyone contributing to the project becomes a maintainer.

ps. As a sidenote I personally think that Swift is not a curse, it's a blessing =). So I think it would be nice to keep this project written in Swift and start exploring the XCode 9 Swift static linking of this.

[patrickkempff]

@tpisto I agree, thanks. I am are very interested in investing time and effort long term. Not sure how to gather. Any ideas?

[fforres]

I'd agree with @tpisto, would enjoy getting on board.
We've had out set of (Many) frustrations with react-navigation, both on the code and project roadmap react-navigation/react-navigation#2476 that we are surely in need for a viable solution.

PS: I'd call @fdiaz to work on this.

(Yapo weono fixea la güea)

[nitaliano]

I agree we need a solution that a community is in charge of and not a company. It needs to have a group of maintainers, this is something core to react-native being successful. I would be happy to invest time into a project like this with others so we can finally fix this navigation problem and have a true native solution.

[sneerin]

To develop this project we need :

1. One person with competence in Android,
2. One person with iOS/swift skills,
3. JS guru

I don't believe that all platform ninja guy could know all the possible platform issues.
wix tried but what they deliver is really limited from a native developer point of view
We should create a mail list and create slack channel. So that we can coordinate efforts and make a promotion among other developers.
Any other suggestions on tools to start?

Personally, I'll try to communicate and got the answer from original developers. It would be silly to start this project and after 1 month of work receive a new release here in case they are silently working hard 🙄. I don't belive in that but who knows...

[Andreyco]

I'd love to help with JS codebase if time allows me to do so!

@sneerin it is very good idea to get in touch with maintainers, please do so!
Is there someone willing to fork and/or manage channel/mailing list after we get some info from maintainers?

[nitaliano]

I would have no problem creating a fork and adding people as collaborators.

[sneerin]

Let's set a deadline until Friday, before we fork. So that airnb folks will have 2 days to answer.