Hotwire Native for Rails Developers, now in beta. Buy the book.
Joe Masilotti

Two new chapters and recent podcast appearances

Hey folks! I have a lot of exciting updates, so let’s dive right in.

I finished the first draft of my book!

I’ve been working tirelessly on this for almost two years now, and it feels amazing to finally have all the content completed.

There’s still plenty of editing ahead before it heads to the printer, but the next chapter will be available in the upcoming beta release (more on that below).

Speaking of which — a huge thank you to everyone who has shown support and already bought the book. Thanks to you, it’s been on the Pragmatic Bookshelf bestseller list since launch week.

New chapters #

Since my last email, two new chapters have been added to the book.

Chapter 7, Build iOS Bridge Components with Swift, teaches you how to add native sprinkles to your app using bridge components — think Stimulus controllers but for native code. You’ll learn how to implement a native button to submit forms and navigate pages.

Chapter 8, Build Android Bridge Components with Kotlin, covers the same concepts but tailored for Android.

After these chapters, you’ll be able to build dynamic, server-driven bridge components, configure them directly in HTML, and extend them to utilize any native API.

Upcoming chapters #

Chapter 9, Deploy to Physical Devices with TestFlight and Internal Testing, will take your app from the simulator and into your hands. Literally. You’ll learn how to deploy to both iOS and Android devices and submit your app to the app stores.

The final chapter might be my favorite. Chapter 10, Send Push Notifications with APNS and FCM, ties everything together. You’ll build bridge components, send authenticated API requests, and write plenty of native code for push notifications. With minimal server updates — and zero native code changes — you’ll be able to send new types of notifications and deep link directly into your app.

Grab your copy of the book today to get instant access to the first eight chapters. You’ll also get notified as soon as the last two chapters are available.

Recent podcasts #

I’ve recently appeared on several podcasts to talk more about the book:

  • I finally met Elise on The Ruby on Rails podcast, where we dove deep into the technical side of Hotwire Native. Start here for a great overview of what Hotwire Native is — and isn’t.
  • Then, I chatted with Chris and Andrew on Remote Ruby, discussing the business advantages of rapidly building mobile apps with Hotwire Native, especially using the iOS and Android versions of Jumpstart Pro.
  • Lastly, I returned to Indie Rails with Jeremy and Jess for one of the most open conversations I’ve ever had publicly. We covered burnout, solopreneurship, postpartum — nothing was off-limits.

Any podcasts you think I should be on next? Let me know!

Hotwire Native around the web #

I love seeing other developers write about their experiences with Hotwire Native. Here are a couple recent favorites:

  • William Kennedy wrapped up his Up and Running with Hotwire Native Android series with a great article on bridge components. He also has a four-part iOS series on native screens and custom keyboards.
  • Leon Vogt shared practical tips on switching environments using bridge components — perfect for testing between development, staging, and production. He also detailed how to implement native camera access, upgrading from the basic HTML <input> tag.

What’s Next? #

It’s been an exciting month, and there’s plenty more to come. For March, I’m focusing on the feedback from the new chapters and finishing converting the Hotwire Native demo site to Ruby on Rails.

What are you working on this month? I’d love to know!