What you’ll learn in “Hotwire Native for Rails Developers”
A lot of folks have been asking me what exactly they’ll learn in my new book, Hotwire Native for Rails Developers. So here’s a quick chapter-by-chapter rundown of what’s inside.
The book guides you through building iOS and Android apps powered by your Rails server using Hotwire Native. The app we’ll build helps you track your favorite hikes, allowing you to add notes, tag locations, and upload photos. Each chapter adds new features to make the app feel more native while leveraging Swift and Kotlin APIs.
Ch 1 - Build your first Hotwire Native apps #
This chapter introduces Hotwire Native and helps you set up your local development environment. By the end, you’ll have basic hybrid apps running on iOS and Android, powered by your Rails backend.
You’ll also get a crash course in Swift and Kotlin, laying the groundwork for integrating more native features later.
Ch 2 - Control your apps with Rails #
Learn how to drive your mobile apps entirely through Rails code without touching native code. You’ll customize the native title bar, apply conditional styles, and keep users signed in seamlessly.
Notice how the duplicate “Hiking journal” titles from Chapter 1 are hidden, making the app feel more polished and native.
Ch 3 - Navigate gracefully with path configuration #
Path configuration is one of the most powerful—and sometimes confusing—features of Hotwire Native. This chapter demystifies it, showing you how to use it to present forms as modal screens (sliding in from the bottom), all while keeping business logic on the server.
Ch 4 - Add a native tab bar #
Tab bars are a staple of native apps. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to add them to your Hotwire Native apps, connecting each tab to its own web view instance. Plus, you’ll ensure your server isn’t overloaded when the app starts.
Chs 5 + 6 - Render native screens with SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose #
These chapters show you how to route, display, and populate fully native screens powered by SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll be able to integrate virtually any native experience into your Hotwire Native apps.
Chs 7 + 8 - Build bridge components with Swift and Kotlin #
Bridge components — previously called “Strada” — are tiny enhancements that blend web and native functionality. They’re perfect for adding native features without going all-in on native development. By the end of these chapters, you’ll know how to build dynamic, native components controlled by HTML and JavaScript.
What’s next? #
Two more chapters are still in the works:
- Deploy to physical devices with TestFlight and internal testing
- Send push notifications with APNS and FCM
You can grab your copy of the book today on The Pragmatic Bookshelf website. The last two chapters and updates will be delivered every two weeks until the final release later this year.