How to install react-native cli packages with "pod install" vs "linking manually"

Question

I am new to react native. I uses the Cli version. I installed some packages e.g. react-navigation. After the installation I open the ios folder and run pod install. It works fine, but with react-native-vector-icons I have to link it manually like this: react-native link react-native-vector-icons. And I don't have to run pod install. But what if I want to install additional packages after that like sqlite? For this package i have to run pod install. Do I have to reinstall the vector icons after every other package installation? I am new to react-native and I don't now much about "pod install", "linking" and so on. So please give me a bit more details on how to work with adding new packages with this special task.

Many thanks Jens

Answer 1

Since react-native 0.60 linking is no longer required since it is managed by react-native itself, remember that react-native is something like a "controller" in javascript that sends commands to native code in iOS and Android, pod install is the way you install the iOS native components required by your react-native libraries, something like npm install but for iOS.

react-native-vector-icons has its own iOS libraries, so it requires to run pod install(you should run a pod install everytime you add a new library, eventually you'll understand when you need to run it and when not). There's no harm in running several times pod install so don't worry about it. Also for react-native-vector-icons if I'm not mistaken, you also have to modify info.plist in order to have all the typographies available (This is the "hard" part about this library, it has additional typographies that should be embeded in your project)