Maximize Efficiency with React Native Faster Image!

How To Load Images Quickly With React Native Faster Image?

Quick Summary: Loading images quickly with React Native Faster Image is quite a simple process. Just follow the proper steps and get the best version for you. This one is an alternative available helpful in getting the images available from some other resources. One just needs to understand the steps that are important to follow to get it done. This article covers all the essential details for the image source react native so one can start with it effortlessly!

Introduction

Image loading is one of the most crucial elements for any app. Slow image loading can lead to a poor user experience, as users must wait for images to load before opening the app. React Native faster image is a library that can help you load pictures fast. It uses various techniques to speed up image loading, including caching, preloading, and lazy loading.

Working with React Native is fun. It includes many elements, which makes it the best choice. One such feature is its in-built image element. This feature is helpful for you to use images from a remote source in the application.

It works as image caching the same way web caching works. If I’m correct, you could have heard about it and wish to know more.

But before going through the same, be aware of React Native Faster Image. And for better results, contact the best React Native Solutions Provider.

It is an alternative available. We shall discuss this article’s essential aspects for you around here.

In React Native, what is image caching?

Caching is a beautiful approach to tackle image loading and re-rendering from remote destinations. Download an image to the app’s cache directory (or any other directory available) and load it from local storage the next time the picture loads. Image caching is all about downloading an image.

In React Native, there are a couple of different approaches to picture caching. If you’re designing a bare-bones React Native app, there’s a fantastic element called React Native FastImage that takes care of all your image caching without having to write any more code. You could even construct your image caching part from scratch using Expo or working on a more sophisticated project. It is possible to extract text from images using a React Native image to text converter, which is useful for several scenarios of image caching.

What is React Native FastImage?

React Native FastImage is a quick way to load faster images in React Native. FastImage caches all loaded pictures. You may add your own auth headers and preload pictures to your requests.

To start with React Native FastImage, first, add the FastImage component to your project:

require npm library

yarn add react-native-fast-image
or
npm install –save react-native-fast-image

After upgrading React Native 0.60, they included auto-linking, which means we no longer need to link the library but only need to install pods.

CocoaPods Installation

install pods
cd ios && pod install && cd ..

import FastImage from ‘react-native-fast-image’;

  • The FastImage component’s basic implementation is below:
<FastImage
            style={{ width: 100, height: 100 }}
            source={{uri: 'https://unsplash.it/400/400?image=1'}}
            />

Using the FastImage component example

<FastImage
            style={{ width: 100, height: 100 }}
            source={{
            uri: '...image...url...',
            headers: { Authorization: 'AuthToken' },
            priority: FastImage.priority.normal,
            }}
            resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.contain}
            />

As you can see, this example is very identical to the basic React Native image component, but with a few more features.

Let’s take a closer look at the code.

source the image, as well as its headers and other information.

URI the path to the image you want to load is represented.

headers are placeholders for any headers you might need (auth token in the example above)

priority of the images is indicated by priority  for example, if you need to load a specific image first, you can set the priority to FastImage.priority.high

React Native Cache Property

FastImage.cacheControl.immutable is the default property for the FastImage component. If the URI changes, the image just caches or updates.

FastImage.cacheControl.web allows you to set up the FastImage component to cache images in the same way that the browser does, by using headers and the standard caching mechanism.

FastImage.cacheControl.cacheOnly To force the FastImage component to only fetch images that cache images, rather than generating fresh network queries.

Example cache property

<FastImage
            style={{ width: 100, height: 100 }}
            source={{
            uri: 'https://unsplash.it/400/400?image=1',
            cache: FastImage.cacheControl.cacheOnly
            }}
            />

Different Properties of React Native FastImage

Simple FastImage with source + header

<FastImage
            style={{ height: 100, width: 100 }}
            source={{
            uri: '<image_url_here>',
            headers: { Authorization: 'token' },
            }}
            />

FastImage with different priority

<FastImage
            style={{ height: 100, width: 100 }}
            source={{
            uri: '<image_url_here>',
            headers: { Authorization: 'token' },
            priority: FastImage.priority.low,
            //priority: FastImage.priority.normal,
            //priority: FastImage.priority.high,
            }}
            />

It FastImage with different resizeMode

<FastImage
            style={{ height: 100, width: 100 }}
            source={{
            uri: ‘<image_url_here>',
            headers: { Authorization: 'token' },
            priority: FastImage.priority.normal,
            }}
            resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.contain}
            //resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.cover}
            //resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.stretch}
            //resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.center}
            />

The FastImage with different Cache

<FastImage
            style={{ height: 100, width: 100 }}
            source={{
            uri: '<image_url_here>',
            headers: { Authorization: 'token' },
            priority: FastImage.priority.normal,
            cache: FastImage.cacheControl.immutable,
            //cache: FastImage.cacheControl.web,
            //cache: FastImage.cacheControl.cacheOnly,
            }}
            resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.contain}
            />

FastImage with Gif Support

<FastImage
            style={styles.image}
            source={{
            uri: 'https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*-CY5bU4OqiJRox7G00sftw.gif',
            headers: { Authorization: 'token' },
            priority: FastImage.priority.normal,
            cache: FastImage.cacheControl.immutable,
            }}
            resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.contain}
            />

Image Corner Radius Control

<FastImage
            style={{
            height: 100,
            backgroundColor: '#ddd',
            flex: 1,
            }}
            source={{
            uri: '<image_url_here>',
            headers: { Authorization: 'token' },
            priority: FastImage.priority.normal,
            cache: FastImage.cacheControl.immutable,
            }}
            resizeMode={FastImage.resizeMode.contain}
            />

FastImage with Callback

<FastImage
            style={{ height: 100, width: 100 }}
            source={{
            uri: '<image_url_here>',
            }}
            onLoadStart={e => console.log('Loading Start')}
            onProgress={e =>
            console.log('Loading Progress ' + e.nativeEvent.loaded / e.nativeEvent.total)
            }
            onLoad={e =>
            console.log('Loading Loaded ' + e.nativeEvent.width, e.nativeEvent.height)
            }
            onLoadEnd={e => console.log('Loading Ended')}
            />

Installing React Native Fast Image

The command that one can consider with NPM for installing react-native-fast-images is as follows:

npm install react-native-fast-image
Apart from it, if the project you are working with is using Yarn, the command that can be in consideration is as follows

Yarn add react-native-fast-image
If you wish to use the same package as iOS, you will need a configuration.. A user may also need to run pod install in the iOS directory:

cd ios && pod install

After following all these steps, you are all set to utilize React Native’s fast Image

Conclusion

We’ve discussed all you need to know about React Native’s image caching in this course, including building your image caching component from scratch and using react-native-fast-image in React Native.

You must follow all the steps with concentration and not compromise on any factor. If there is something that you cannot discuss with the professionals around you, they will help you with it. Additionally, regularly there is something new available to people working with React.

If something troubles you, join the React Native Community and discuss it with them!

FAQ

To reduce image loading time in React Native, consider optimizing images before use, choosing appropriate image formats (e.g., WebP), and resizing images to match display requirements. Utilize lazy loading techniques and implement image caching with tools like FastImage or React Native Image Cache. Additionally, leverage network optimization methods like content delivery networks (CDNs) and server-side compression. Minimizing the number of images, implementing progressive loading, and optimizing the app’s overall performance will enhance image loading speed and improve user experience.

The FastImage component in React Native contains different options for the “resize mode” prop that determine how the image should be resized and displayed within its container. The available options are “contain,” “cover,” “stretch,” “center,” and “repeat.” The “contain” mode scales the image to fit within the container while maintaining the aspect ratio, resulting in potential space.
It’s beneficial when you want the entire image visible. The “cover” mode scales the image to cover the container entirely, potentially cropping parts of the picture. “Stretch” stretches the image to fit the container without maintaining the aspect ratio. “Center” centers the image without resizing and “repeats” tiles the image to fill the container.
The “resize mode” prop in FastImage provides a range of options to control how images are displayed, allowing developers to tailor the visual presentation to suit their app’s design and requirements.

In React Native, the “resize mode” is a prop determining how an image should be adjusted and displayed within its designated container. This prop offers various options to control how the image is resized, scaled, and positioned. The available options include “cover,” which mounts the idea to cover the entire container while maintaining the aspect ratio; “contain,” which scales the image to fit within the container while also preserving the aspect ratio; “stretch,” which resizes the image to fill the entire container without regard for aspect ratio; “center,” which centers the image within the container without resizing; and “repeat,” which tiles the image to fill the container by repeating it. By selecting the appropriate “resize mode” option, developers can ensure images are displayed optimally and consistently across different devices and screen sizes.

To optimize image loading in React, you can use techniques like lazy loading, responsive images, and modern image formats like WebP. Use tools like Webpack’s image loader to compress and minimize image sizes. Implement image caching to reduce redundant downloads. Employ Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) for faster delivery. Prioritize critical images to improve perceived performance. Consider using libraries like “react-image” or “react-lazy-load” for efficient lazy loading. Strive to balance image quality and file size to enhance the user experience and page loading speed.

No, React Native’s FastImage is not compatible with Expo by default. FastImage relies on native code, which isn’t supported within Expo’s managed workflow. Expo provides its image component that handles image loading efficiently. If you’re using Expo, it’s recommended to use Expo’s built-in Image component, which offers similar optimizations for image loading. Suppose you have specific performance requirements that FastImage addresses. In that case, you might consider detaching from the Expo-managed workflow and using React Native’s FastImage library and a custom native module setup.