I created an npm package! Introducing React Native Social PostCard: A Key Component for Social Media Apps

Imagine you’re building a new social media app and you want to add a polished, customizable post component to enhance user engagement. This is where React Native Social PostCard comes into play, offering a sleek and interactive solution to showcase posts within your app.

The Birth of an Idea

The journey of React Native Social PostCard began with a simple problem. I was creating a social app and then I discovered that there isn’t any useable postcard package available in the npm library so I decide to make one. To my surprise, in less than a week of zero marketing or publicizing I had over a hundred downloads already. This simple idea will provide developers with an easy-to-use component that can seamlessly integrate into any social media application built with React Native. The goal was to encapsulate all the essential features of a social media post, from displaying the author’s information and post content to enabling user interactions like liking, commenting, and bookmarking.

Check out the documentation here

Here is a Demo of the Component :

Installation: Setting Up the Scene

Before diving into the features, let’s get the package set up in your project. Installation is straightforward with npm or yarn:

npm install react-native-vector-icons 
# or
yarn add react-native-vector-icons 

Next, install the React Native Social PostCard package:

npm install react-native-social-postcard
# or
npm install react-native-social-postcard

With these simple commands, you’re ready to start incorporating the PostCard component into your application.

A Closer Look at the PostCard Component

The PostCard component is the heart of this package, designed to display a complete social media post. It comes with several customizable props that give you control over its appearance and behavior.

- post (object): This prop is crucial as it holds the post details, such as the author’s name, timestamp, avatar, images, and the full text of the post. It also includes the number of likes.

- colors (object): Allows customization of the colors for like, comment, and bookmark icons, making it easy to match the component to your app’s theme.

- commentCount (number): Displays the number of comments on the post.

- onCommentPress (function): A function triggered when the comment button is pressed.

- onBookmarkPress (function):A function triggered when the bookmark icon is pressed.

- onPicturePress (function): A function triggered when an image in the post is pressed.

Each prop is designed to ensure that the component is both functional and flexible, fitting seamlessly into various use cases.

Unpacking the Post Object
The postobject is the backbone of the PostCard component. It has a specific structure:

{
  author: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
  timestamp: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
  avatar: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.string, PropTypes.object]).isRequired,
  images: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.string, PropTypes.object])).isRequired,
  fullText: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
  likeCount: PropTypes.number
}

This structure ensures that all necessary information about the post is provided, allowing the component to render it accurately.

Customizing Colors for Better UX

To align the PostCard with your app’s design, the colors object lets you specify the colors for various icons:

- likeOutlineColor: Color for the outline of the like icon (default: “#403C9A”).
- likeFilledColor: Color for the filled like icon (default: “#FF0000”).
- commentColor: Color for the comment icon (default: “#403C9A”).
- bookmarkOutlineColor: Color for the outline of the bookmark icon (default: “#403C9A”).
- bookmarkFilledColor: Color for the filled bookmark icon (default: “#0000FF”).

These settings ensure that the component not only functions well but also looks great within your app’s user interface.

Breaking Down the Components

The package includes several subcomponents, each designed to handle a specific part of the post:

1. PostHeader: Displays the author’s name, post timestamp, and avatar.
Props: author (string), timestamp (string), avatar (object)
**2. PostContent: **Renders the main content of the post, including text and images.
Props: fullText (string), images (array), onPicturePress (function)

3. PostActions: Manages the action buttons for liking, commenting, and bookmarking.
Props: liked (bool), likeCount (number), toogleLike (function), onCommentPress (function), handleBookMark (function), commentCount (number), bookmark (bool), colors (object)

These components work together to create a cohesive and interactive post experience for users.

The Road Ahead

React Native Social PostCard is more than just a component; it’s a tool designed to enhance user interaction and engagement within your social media app. By integrating this package, you can focus on building out other features while ensuring that your posts look and feel great.

In conclusion, the journey of creating a social media app involves many steps, and having reliable, customizable components like React Native Social PostCard can significantly ease the process. Whether you’re building a new app from scratch or enhancing an existing one, this package provides the versatility and functionality needed to create a compelling user experience.

Ready to give it a try? Install React Native Social PostCard today and take the first step towards a more interactive and engaging social media application.