Building a Date Picker from Scratch: Weighing the Pros and Cons
When it comes to developing applications, programmers often live by the principle of not reinventing the wheel. This means that if a solution already exists and functions well, there’s no need to recreate it from scratch. However, there are cases where building a feature like a date picker from the ground up can be beneficial.
The Benefits of Building a Custom Date Picker
Building a date picker from scratch can offer valuable insights into calendar logic and user interaction principles. It also allows for customization to incorporate specific requirements that existing libraries may not meet. Furthermore, it provides a deeper understanding of how date pickers work, which can be invaluable when evaluating and utilizing existing libraries.
Key Features to Consider
When building a date picker from scratch, consider the following essential features:
- Single or multiple date selection
- Time selection
- Date range selection
- Calendar view
- Predefined ranges
- Customization options
Choosing the Right Library for Your React Native Date Picker
When working with React Native, it’s often necessary to use an external core library. To choose the correct one, consider the following criteria:
- GitHub stars: Ensure the package has a sufficient number of stars to indicate reliability and maintenance.
- Activity: Check the last commit date to ensure the package is actively maintained.
- Main maintainer: Determine who is responsible for maintaining the library.
- README: A well-written README file can make a good library even stronger.
Top React Native Date Pickers
After evaluating available options, we’ve narrowed down the field to four noteworthy date pickers:
- React Native DateTimePicker: Implemented in accordance with iOS and Android development guidelines, this package is actively maintained by the React Native community.
- React Native Date Picker: Allows for a consistent look across Android and iOS, with custom date picker components for Android that are identical to the native iOS date picker UI.
- react-native-paper-dates: A versatile cross-platform Material Design date picker that is actively maintained by Callstack, one of React Native’s core contributors.
- react-native-modal-datetime-picker: An open-source package that uses React Native DateTimePicker under the hood, supporting all of its props while enhancing the developer experience.
Other Date Picker Libraries to Consider
While the above libraries are popular choices, there are several other libraries in the ecosystem that are equally good but may have fewer stars and weekly npm downloads. These include:
- react-native-neat-date-picker: An easy-to-use React Native date picker with support for both Android and iOS devices and rich customization options.
- react-native-daterange-picker: Uses Moment.js internally to manage date and time functionalities, providing seamless handling of date-related operations.
- react-native-date-range-picker: A plugin designed specifically for integration with the react-native-calendars library, extending its capabilities by adding date picker functionality.
Comparison Table of React Native Date Pickers
Take a look at our comparison table to see all the React Native date pickers side-by-side, helping you make an informed decision for your project.
Summary
Among the date picker options described above, each has unique strengths and weaknesses. Your choice should be based on your app’s particular needs and goals. If you’re looking for an actively maintained and supported package that can help you achieve the look and feel of native iOS and Android apps, consider React Native DateTimePicker.