React Native 0.79: Metro 0.82, native module registration, and faster Android app startup

The React Native team has released version 0.79 of their framework, which is used to create native apps for platforms like Android and iOS, using React. This update includes Metro 0.82, which employs deferred hashing to increase the speed of the initial yarn start by over three times, particularly benefiting larger projects and monorepos.

In an effort to streamline the API, the JavaScriptCore (JSC) engine is being transitioned to a community-maintained package, @react-native-community/javascriptcore. This change does not impact users utilizing Hermes, and the JSC version from React Native core remains available in 0.79, though its removal is anticipated soon.

Version 0.79 introduces Swift-compatible native module registration, allowing module registration through the package.json file and adding a new modulesProvider field in the ios property. Additionally, Android startup time has been improved by shipping the JavaScript Bundle uncompressed by default.

The release also removes Remote JS Debugging via Chrome, following its deprecation, and includes numerous other enhancements and bug fixes to boost performance and usability.