Welcome to Skeletor

Our small in-house react-native toolkit to make your life easier

Project setup

Since this is supposed to be as configurable as possible while still maintaining some form and structure with how things should be done, you'll have to set up a couple things first.

Initialize Skeletor

Add the SkeletorProvider component as the (or one of) top wrapper of your application. Example:

/// index.js
const App = () => {
  return (
    <SkeletorProvider>
      <StoreProvider>
        <RootNavigator />
      </StoreProvider>
    </SkeletorProvider>
  );
};

Configure the SkeletorProvider properties with whatever you desire. Here is the list of all configurable properties for the SkeletorProvider component:

interface SkeletorConfig {
  defaultFont: Font | undefined;
  defaultFontSize: [number, number] | number;
  defaultStatusBarType: "dark-content" | "light-content" | "default";
  defaultTextColor: string;
}

For Skeletor to detect the fonts you have added, you will have to create a type defintion file to override the existing Font type like in the following example:

/// @types/Font.d.ts
type Font = "Helvetica" | "Roboto" | "San Francisco";

Then you can configure the defaultFont property as follows:

<SkeletorProvider defaultFont="Helvetica">...</SkeletorProvider>

To get access to the skeletor styles in other components, you can use the provided useSkeletor hook that will return the entire Skeletor configuration object. For instance:

const skeletor = useSkeletor();
return <SomeComponent style={{ fontFamily: skeletor.defaultFont }} />;

Custom types legend

type Spacing = {
	/** All margin properties from ViewStyle */
	margins?: {...}
	/** All padding properties from ViewStyle */
	paddings?: {...}
	gap?: { row?: number; col?: number } | [number, number] | number;
}

type Alignment = {
	align?: ViewStyle["alignItems"];
  alignSelf?: ViewStyle["alignSelf"];
  justify?: ViewStyle["justifyContent"];
  flexDirection?: ViewStyle["flexDirection"];
}

type Border = {
	/** All border properties from ViewStyle */
	border: {...}
}

type Flex = {
	/** Either just a number or all flex properties from ViewStyle + gap, columnGap & rowGap for backwards compatibility */
	flex?: number | {...}
}

type Offsets =
  | [ViewStyle["top"]]
  | [ViewStyle["top"], ViewStyle["left"]]
  | [ViewStyle["top"], ViewStyle["left"], ViewStyle["bottom"]]
  | [
      ViewStyle["top"],
      ViewStyle["left"],
      ViewStyle["bottom"],
      ViewStyle["right"],
    ]
  | {
      top?: ViewStyle["top"];
      bottom?: ViewStyle["bottom"];
      left?: ViewStyle["left"];
      right?: ViewStyle["right"];
    };

type Position = {
  absolute?: boolean;
  zIndex?: number;
  offsets?: Offsets;
  overflow?: ViewStyle["overflow"];
}

type Size = {
	width?: DimensionValue;
  height?: DimensionValue;
  minHeight?: DimensionValue;
  minWidth?: DimensionValue;
  maxHeight?: DimensionValue;
  maxWidth?: DimensionValue;
}

Components

Screen

Use this as the top-level wrapper for every screen you navigate to. Is not intended as a wrapper for other components, as you may deduce from the name.

Props

/** Pass a specific background view (gradients, animated backgrounds etc) OR just a background color value. Custom components should be 100% height and width to span the full screen area. */
background?: JSX.Element | string;
hideTopSafeArea?: boolean;
hideBottomSafeArea?: boolean;
/** Set bottom safe area background color */
bottomSafeAreaColor?: string;
/** Set top safe area background color */
topSafeAreaColor?: string;
/** Set device status bar color type. */
statusBarType?: "default" | "light-content" | "dark-content";

Usage

function Component: React.FC = () => {
	return <Screen background={<GradientBackground />} statusBarType="dark-content">
	 ...
	</Screen>
}

Text

Will detect configured Font type, built with the ability to easily customize the font in use, font size, line height, letter spacing and other quick-access props so you do not have to create separate styles. Hint: Wrap Text components into Block components so they wrap correctly within a layout.

Props

/** Inferred from @types/Font.d.ts */
font?: Font;
/** Either define [fontSize, lineHeight] or just one size applied to both fontSize and lineHeight */
size?: [number, number] | number;
textTransform?: TextStyle["textTransform"];
letterSpacing?: TextStyle["letterSpacing"];
color?: string;
textAlign?: TextStyle["textAlign"];
opacity?: TextStyle["opacity"];
...Spacing,
...Size,
...Flex,
...Position,
animations?: Partial<ViewStyle>;

Usage

To use the Text component, simply import it and pass in the desired props.

import { Text } from "./Text";

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <Text font="Arial" size={[14, 18]} color="#333" textAlign="center">
      Hello World!
    </Text>
  );
}

Block

This is a flexible and customizable React Native component that can be used as either a View or a ScrollView. The Block component allows you to add paddings, margins, sizes, alignments, and borders to your layout. Can be turned into a ScrollView by passing in scrollable. ScrollView props can be updated through scrollProps.

Props

/** Determine if Block is scrollable or not.*/
scrollable?: boolean;
/** If scrollable, used to control ScrollView props. Some default props are applied, check JSDOC of component by hovering over it in your IDE. */
scrollProps?: ScrollViewProps
opacity?: ViewStyle["opacity"];
animations?: Partial<ViewStyle>;
background?: JSX.Element | string;
...Position,
...Alignment,
...Flex,
...Size,
...Spacing,
...Border,

Usage

Use cases are many, but simple. This component is intended to be used as a building block for your layout. One example is:

<Block
  maxHeight="75%"
  flexDirection="row"
  align="flex-start"
  justify="space-between"
>
  ... ...
</Block>

InputFocusScrollView - iOS ONLY

This scroll view will automatically scroll to an active input field rendered inside it, provided you attach the onInputFocus callback to the input onFocus prop. This is a lambda component, returning a callback which you attach to input fields rendered within it.

NOTE — This works on iOS only, Android does this by default with android:windowSoftInputMode

Some default props are applied, check JSDOC of component by hovering over it in your IDE.

Props

/** Decimal value of screen height percentage the input will be positioned at. */
/** Defaults to 0.3, just above the keyboard. */
focusPositionOffset?: number;
/** Is the scrollview 100% in height or automatic. Defaults to auto. */
height?: "full" | "auto";
/** Margins are applied to ScrollView style, paddings and gap to contentContainerStyle */
...Spacing,

Usage

<InputFocusScrollView  focusPositionOffset={0.1}>
	{(onInputFocus) => (
		...
		<Input
		keyboardType="email-address"
		returnKeyType="next"
		placeholder="Your e-mail address"
		label="E-mail Address"
		emptyMessage="You must enter an e-mail."
		errorMessage="E-mail is invalid."
		value={state.email}
		valid={validation.email}
		onFocus={onInputFocus}
		onChangeText={(text) =>  update("email", text)}
		onSubmitEditing={() =>  passwordRef.current?.focus()}
		/>
		...
	)}
</InputFocusScrollView>

Animations (>=v1.0.10)

New utilities have been created to reduce boilerplate when using animations Animated from react-native. The previous hook-based approach is still available.

Overview

The concept behind this approach is to:

1. Define element animations and how they are triggered via animateParallel, animateSequence or animateStagger.
2. Place compiled element animations on an animation timeline OR trigger element animations separately.

Defining element animations using animateParallel, animateStagger, animateSequence

Use these methods to construct element animations in a super simple way. Create these animations outside the component body to avoid unnecessary re-renders and other lifecycle related issues. All animations are done via native driver, except if the animation loops to avoid issues with the animation itself.

animateParallel will animate all of the defined element styles in parallel (meaning they will all start animating at the same time). In the example below, this means that opacity, translateY and translateX will all start animating at once. Additional configuration is possible as a second parameter, where you can define the animation duration, loop and easing. The default configuration is { duration = 400, easing = Easing.inOut(Easing.ease), loop = false, native = true, }.

Usage

const element1 = animateParallel({
  opacity: [0, 1],
  translateX: [20, 0],
  translateY: [20, 0],
});

animateSequence will animate all of the defined element styles in sequence (meaning every property will start animating only when the previous property has finished animating). In the example below, that means that opacity, translateY and translateX will animate in sequence as they are defined - opacity first, translateX second, translateY last. Additional configuration is possible as a second parameter, where you can define the animation duration, loop and easing. The default configuration is { duration = 400, easing = Easing.inOut(Easing.ease), loop = false, native = true, }.

Usage

const element1 = animateSequence({
  opacity: [0, 1],
  translateX: [20, 0],
  translateY: [20, 0],
});

animateStagger will animate all of the defined elements in the order they are defined at a staggered pace defined in the configuration object (meaning every property will start animating after an X amount of miliseconds between animation starts, in the order they are defined in). In the example below, that means that opacity, translateY and translateX will animate in sequence with a 400ms delay between them. Additional configuration is possible as a second parameter, where you can define the animation duration, stagger, loop and easing. The default configuration is { duration = 400, stagger = 200, easing = Easing.inOut(Easing.ease), loop = false, native = true, }.

Usage

const element1 = animateStagger({
  opacity: [0, 1],
  translateX: [20, 0],
  translateY: [20, 0],
});

Defining element animation timeline

Once defined, the animations can be layed out on a timeline using the createAnimationTimeline function. The return value of the createAnimationTimeline is an Animated.CompositeAnimation wrapping all defined animations on the timeline, giving you a single start/stop function to trigger all animations wrapped in the timeline.

The configuration object is of type { [ms: number]: ElementAnimation<K>[]; }, with the key of the object representing the point-in-time in ms when the associated animation array will trigger. In the following example, this means that, once started, at 0ms (without delay) the element1 animation set will start, and at 2000ms the element2 animation will start.

Everything combined

Usage

const element1 = animateParallel({ opacity: [0, 1] }, { duration: 400 });
const element2 = animateStagger(
  {
    opacity: [0, 1],
    translateX: [20, 0],
    translateY: [20, 0],
  },
  { stagger: 1200, duration: 800 },
);

const timeline = createAnimationTimeline({
  0: [element1],
  2000: [element2],
});

export const Component: React.FC = () => {
	...
	useEffect(() => {
		if(startAnimation) {
			timeline.start();
		} else {
			timeline.reset();
		}
	}, [startAnimation])

	return <Block animations={element1.animations}>...</Block>
}

Reversing element animations.

Instead of just reseting the animation, which does not play the animation back in reverse, the utility also exposes a reverse function which will animate the element back to it's initial values. Instead of element.reset(), use element.reverse(). This can also be used on timelines.

Usage

const element = animateStagger(
  {
    opacity: [0, 1],
    translateX: [20, 0],
    translateY: [20, 0],
  },
  { stagger: 1200, duration: 800 },
);

...

useEffect(() => {
  if (startAnimation) {
    element.start();
  } else {
    element.reverse();
  }
}, [startAnimation]);

Hooks

useForm & useFormUtils

Read documentation about useForm here: https://github.com/prototypdigital/skeleform

LEGACY: useAnimation & useAnimationTimeline

This approach is not going to be maintained anymore starting from version 1.0.10. New utilities have been created that are more performant and more flexible, but the following hooks will still be available for the foreseeable future. For more information on the new approach, see Animations above.

useAnimation helps you quickly create simple animations and transitions using the default react-native animation toolkit. You can define as many animations as possible for a single element with a single invocation of the hook.

useAnimationTimeline is used to lay the defined animations out on a timeline and configure when and how each animation is triggered. Available methods are stagger, parallel, sequence, delay.

Usage

const inputs = useAnimation(...);
const heading = useAnimation(
	{opacity: [0, 1], translateY: [20, 0]},
	{duration: 400},
);

// Use this hook to lay the animations out in a specific schedule/timeline.
useAnimTimeline({
	stagger: {
		elements: [heading, inputs],
		stagger: 200,
		start: true,
	},
});

...

// Animations can be passed directly into the Block component without any particular modification
<Block animations={heading.animations}>...</Block>

// If not using Block, transformations (scale, rotate, translate) cannot be applied outside the transform style - translateY has to be passed in through the transform style prop.
<Animated.View
	style={{
		...heading.animations,
		transform: [{translateY: heading.animations.translateY}],
	}}
>
	...
</Animated.View>

useAndroidBackHandler

Handle how the android back button behaves through enabling / disabling the button or passing in a completely custom callback. External enabled control in order to be able to mount / unmount the back handler event based on outside integrations, such as checking if the current screen is focused or not with react-navigation. Will always be cleared on unmount.

Usage

const Component: React.FC = () => {
	useAndroidBackHandler({
		handlePress: () =>  setOpenCancelModal(true),
		enabled: !openCancelModal  &&  isFocused,
	});
	...
}

useAppState

Handle what happens when the application changes state between background and foreground. Note: Background states cannot be processed on Android, only foreground.

Usage

useAppState({ onForeground: () => Alert.alert("Foreground") });

Contributions

Suggestions and requests welcome, contributions appreciated but will be reviewed.