react-native-web-server

A cross platform component for serving static assets with React Native.

Getting started

$ npm install react-native-web-server --save

Installation

$ react-native link react-native-web-server

Usage

Declare the StaticServer with a port or use the default 0 to pick a random available port.

import StaticServer from 'react-native-web-server';

let server = new StaticServer(8080);

// Start the server
server.start().then((url) => {
  console.log("Serving at URL", url);
});

// Stop the server
server.stop();

// Check if native server running
const isRunning = await server.isRunning()
// isRunning - true/false

StaticServer serves from the document directory (default) or takes an optional absolute path to serve from.

For instance, using react-native-fs you can get the document directory and specify a directory from there.

Default (document directory)

import StaticServer from 'react-native-web-server';
import RNFS from 'react-native-fs';

// create a path you want to write to
let path = RNFS.DocumentDirectoryPath + '/www';

let server = new StaticServer(8080, path);

Custom folder (iOS)

Create the folder for static files

Create a folder in your project's top-level directory (usually next to your node_modules and index.js file), and put the files you want to access over http in there.

Add folder (static files) to XCode

This folder must be added to XCode so it gets bundled with the app.

In XCode, Project Navigator right click in the folder project → Add files to "<project>" → Select the static folder and clic options (Uncheck copy items if needed, Create folder references) so don't duplicate files → Clic Add.

When the app gets bundled, this folder will be next to the compiled app, so using MainBundlePath property from react-native-fs you can access to the directory.

import StaticServer from 'react-native-web-server';
import RNFS from 'react-native-fs';

// path where files will be served from (index.html here)
let path = RNFS.MainBundlePath + '/www';

let server = new StaticServer(8080, path);

If the server should only be accessible from within the app, set localOnly to true

import StaticServer from 'react-native-web-server';

// Just set options with defaults
let server = new StaticServer({localOnly : true });
// Or also valid are:
let server = new StaticServer(8080, {localOnly : true });
let server = new StaticServer(8080, path, {localOnly : true });

If the server should not pause when the app is in the background, set keepAlive to true

let server = new StaticServer({keepAlive : true });

Passing 0 as the port number will cause a random port to be assigned every time the server starts. It will reset to a new random port each time the server unpauses, so this should only be used with keepAlive.

let server = new StaticServer(0, {keepAlive : true });

Credits

• iOS server: GCDWebServer
• Android server: NanoHttpd Webserver

Thanks to CorHttpd and react-native-httpserver for the basis of this library.