React Native bundle injection

[jonathanj]

In React Native apps, the native build tends to change less frequently than the JS bundle. Tools like (now defunct) CodePush take advantage of this by downloading the bundle to app storage, and then writing to app preferences which bundle (current or previous) to use.

Perhaps Shopify wants Tophat to stay focused on native builds, but it would be quite convenient if the same tool used for managing native builds could inject JS bundles into native builds. I'm not sure whether it's possible to inject an entirely different bundle into the app resources, or if there needs to be some sort of app support (e.g. like CodePush does).

Maybe this is actually a request for additional functionality in TophatKit to be able to modify an installed app? I'd be keen to hear your thoughts, and if this had previously been dismissed for a reason I hadn't even though of.

[lfroms]

Hi @jonathanj, Tophat's main focus is to install apps to Android Emulators and Simulators for Apple platforms, primarily as a superpowered convenience to adb and simctl and devicectl. Modifying existing apps isn't really something Tophat is designed for, but interesting idea nonetheless.

Injecting JS feels like something that might be better suited as a build-time operation.