feat(release-tests): prepare setup script for automated app builds by Loloekk · Pull Request #4474 · software-mansion/react-native-screens

Loloekk · 2026-08-06T06:56:24Z

Description

Adds a release_tests setup script that creates a fresh React Native app and builds it against a chosen React Native version and react-native-screens version. This makes release verification faster and more repeatable without manually wiring each playground app.

Usage

node release_tests/create_playground.js
node release_tests/create_playground.js -h   # full help

Setup options

React Native version (-r / --rn-version)
react-native-screens version (-s / --screens-version) — use the current worktree (current), or a branch, tag, or commit from the local/remote react-native-screens repository. By default the script take a local ref.
From-origin (-o / --from-origin) — take RNS from the remote repository
Example app (-e / --example-app) — one of the examples:
- tabsAndStack — Stack v5 (RNS 5.x)
- tabsAndStack4.x — legacy Stack v4 + Tabs
- empty — keep the default RN app
- user could add his own example, and use it to create a new app
app name (-a / --app-name) sets the name of the created app
Help (-h / --help) — explains all flags

Running the app

After setup, the script can build and launch the app with --run. Run-related flags are only allowed when --run is set.

Variant (-v) — debug or release
Platform (-p) — ios, android, or both
Device flags — same idea as yarn/RN CLI (--ios-simulator, --ios-device, --ios-udid, --android-device). At most one device can be selected per platform.

Notes

RNS depends on the kconv library. Older RN versions (e.g. around 0.84) don’t pull it in automatically. Ruby < 3.4 provides it via the stdlib; on Ruby 3.4+ with those RN versions, setup fails without it. The script detects this and adds the nkf gem (which includes kconv).
Before running, the script kills any Metro process on port 8081.
For Android, start the emulator first (or connect a device). --android-device expects an adb id from adb devices (e.g. emulator-5554), not the AVD name. If the emulator is not running, the build may still succeed but the app will not launch.
All screens versions other than current are cloned into a temporary folder and prepared there.
From the example app, only App.tsx and src/ (if present) are copied.
Project init uses:
npx @react-native-community/cli@latest init ${appName} --version ${rnVersion} --skip-install
Logs from running programs are written to setup.log.

Test plan

1. Conflicting / invalid flags

node release_tests/create_playground.js -s current -o
node release_tests/create_playground.js -v release
node release_tests/create_playground.js -p ios
node release_tests/create_playground.js --ios-simulator "iPhone 17"
node release_tests/create_playground.js --run --ios-simulator "iPhone 17" --ios-device "Karol"
node release_tests/create_playground.js --run -p ios --android-device "emulator-5554"
node release_tests/create_playground.js --run -p android --ios-simulator "iPhone 17"

2. Happy paths

Setup only (current worktree, default example):
```
node release_tests/create_playground.js -a SmokeCurrent
```
Check setup.log: init + copy tabsAndStack + pack/install current screens; no native build.

Setup + run both platforms:

node release_tests/create_playground.js -r 0.84.0 -s current -e tabsAndStack -a SmokeBoth --run -p both --android-device "emulator-5554" --ios-simulator "iPhone 17"

Check log: Metro 8081 freed, Android/iOS launch, Ruby 3.4 nkf handling if needed, navigation works.

Legacy 4.x + force-fetch:

node release_tests/create_playground.js -r 0.84.0 -s branch:4.26-stable -f -e tabsAndStack4.x -a SmokeLegacy --run -p ios --ios-simulator "iPhone 17"

Check log: remote clone (not current pack), app runs.

Commit + release:

node release_tests/create_playground.js -r 0.84.0 -s commit:886754c6e0387c9a486c8c6f601abf7957557763 -f -a SmokeGamma --run -v release -p ios --ios-simulator "iPhone 17" -e tabsAndStack4.x

Check log: --mode Release, app runs.

Empty example, Android only:

node release_tests/create_playground.js -e empty -s tag:4.27.0 -f -a SmokeEmpty --run -p android --android-device "emulator-5554"

Check log: no example copy, no iOS steps, Android launches.

Checklist

Included code example that can be used to test this change.
For visual changes, included screenshots / GIFs / recordings documenting the change.
For API changes, updated relevant public types.
Ensured that CI passes

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T10:41:56Z

+}
+
+// remove this helper when we drop support for 0.84.
+function canRequireKconv(appPath, { runCommand, logPath }) {


Suggested change

function canRequireKconv(appPath, { runCommand, logPath }) {

function isKconvAvailable(appPath, { runCommand, logPath }) {

Fixed in ad0ddf1

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T10:42:29Z

+  const gemfile = fs.readFileSync(gemfilePath, 'utf8');
+
+  if (gemfileHasGem(gemfile, 'nkf')) {
+    // if the gemfile has the gem name, return


this comment doesn't add any value, should be removed

Fixed in ad0ddf1

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T10:42:34Z

+  }
+
+  if (canRequireKconv(appPath, { runCommand, logPath })) {
+    // if the gem can require kconv, return


this comment doesn't add any value, should be removed

Fixed in ad0ddf1

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T10:46:00Z

+    `\n⚠️ Gemfile is missing 'nkf' (required to load kconv). Adding it...`,
+  );
+  runCommand('bundle', ['add', 'nkf'], appPath, logPath);
+  // `bundle add nkf` deafult make bundle install, so we don't need to run it again


I'd put it above the line it touches; in this form, it can cause some confusion about whether there was some content below that comment at some point

Fixed in ad0ddf1

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T10:49:39Z

+      ['exec', 'ruby', '-e', "require 'kconv'"],
+      appPath,
+      logPath,
+      true,


not sure about that, because it will produce an error in the output for which we make recovery internally. putting some log before that's indicating that this command might fail is good enough for me.

Fixed in 544ab1a

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T11:27:39Z

+    `\n⚠️ Gemfile is missing 'nkf' (required to load kconv). Adding it...`,
+  );
+  runCommand('bundle', ['add', 'nkf'], appPath, logPath);
+  // `bundle add nkf` deafult make bundle install, so we don't need to run it again


typo in 'default'

Fixed in ad0ddf1

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T11:43:36Z

+const METRO_PORT = 8081;
+
+function formatCommand(file, args = []) {
+  return [file, ...args].join(' ');


The formatting should include quoting

function formatCommand(file, args = []) { return [file, ...args].join(' '); } console.log(formatCommand("file", ["--flag", "some value with spaces"]))

when you'll have some value with spaces and just copy and paste the output to the console, some value with spaces will be treated by the shell as a list of subsequent arguments

Fixed in 2f467d3

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T11:44:57Z

+
+function isMetroRespondingOnPort(port) {
+  try {
+    const response = execSync(


execFileSync?

Fixed in b55c338.

t0maboro · 2026-08-17T11:46:20Z

+}
+
+function sleepSync(ms) {
+  Atomics.wait(new Int32Array(new SharedArrayBuffer(4)), 0, 0, ms);


these exceptions https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Atomics/wait#exceptions aren't problematic in our case, right?

Yes. It may throw if we use it incorrectly, or if the current thread cannot be blocked. In our case we use it correctly, and the thread our script runs on can always be blocked because it is run by Node.

Loloekk · 2026-08-18T12:32:18Z

I decided to force the user to use a reference type every time, instead of the current option. The script also does not try to fetch from origin if the target is absent locally. To fetch the target from origin, --force-fetch is required.

Fetch only if -f is used: e78b08e
Force using the target type: be5e38c
I also refactored the errors: 638691b

Loloekk added 10 commits August 5, 2026 09:01

feat: develop script

06c6b69

feat: support installing screens from branch, tag, or commit

4882a07

feat: support choosing example app

7aeca9c

fix: small fixes

3aab651

fix: retry pod install with nkf on Ruby 3.4 kconv error

f572617

chore: add more examples with description

21bb444

feat: support gamma mode

1ea0b5b

chore: change logs

d06f5c1

fix: update example description

6786bc0

refactor:split setup_app into modular setup package

9a6f620

Loloekk self-assigned this Aug 6, 2026

Loloekk added type:feature New feature or request type:test Actions related to test maintenance and development, especially manual. labels Aug 6, 2026

Loloekk added 17 commits August 6, 2026 10:34

fix: handle Xcode 26.4 fmt consteval error in release test setup

c145147

fix: raise execSync maxBuffer for xcodebuld output capture

32e2494

feat: support choseing platform to build in release test setup

0609a13

feat: support choosing app name

a492486

choreL clarify RNS source logs in setup

c9d6025

fix: resolve screens version from local repo before cloning

af88e34

feat: allow branch:/tag:/commit: prefixes for -s

3e77d05

feat: support fetch typed commit SHAs from remote

965983b

refactor: rename screens-version local to current

b146e41

chore: include ref type in remote clone failure logs

249f3ab

refactor: extract screens clone logic from setupScreens

91d0763

refactor: change move inseted of copy screens pack form tmp

0fce2b2

chore: format copyExample

f698d2a

feat: support runing app

9731947

feat: suppoer only setup without building

2b1d945

refactor: extract iOS fmt retry and run pods with iOS build

0936310

fix: run metro only on debug mode

4e63c83

Loloekk added 13 commits August 12, 2026 12:37

refactor: drop tabsAndStackExperimental example and gamma flag

abf16a6

feat: skip git init for init App

d9b6c23

refactor: extract rn verion from config

1418c49

fix: change comment for empty example app

a0cf8d9

refactor: polish functions names

a2b1218

refactor: split isBranchOrTag, rename cloneBranch to cloneBranchOrTag

d7f9cbf

refactor: extract createing playground directory form cleaning task

b2b69a6

chore: handle remote missing error

701325b

feat: print error message after task failed

4ab7813

refactor: try to checkout without fetch in checkoutCommit

cb968d4

refactr: use execFileSync instead of execSync except freePort

daa9602

feat: update freePort

43fc5ed

refactor: use npm pack json insted of output heuristicks

298e395

Loloekk requested a review from t0maboro August 13, 2026 07:04

t0maboro reviewed Aug 17, 2026

View reviewed changes

refactor: rename function, change comments

ad0ddf1

Loloekk force-pushed the @Loloekk/setup-tests-builds-on-fresh-applications branch from cff6821 to 6b004a5 Compare August 18, 2026 08:16

chore: clarify expected failure in kconv availability check

544ab1a

Loloekk force-pushed the @Loloekk/setup-tests-builds-on-fresh-applications branch from 6b004a5 to 544ab1a Compare August 18, 2026 08:18

Loloekk added 4 commits August 18, 2026 10:46

chore: add a command about creating an yarn.lock

7c14e0d

refactor: use only local repo without -f

e78b08e

refactor: force to use ref type

be5e38c

refactor: print errors with fatal function

638691b

Loloekk added 4 commits August 18, 2026 14:47

refactor: extract empty and current to constants

21d184f

refactor: use execFileSync instead of execSync

b55c338

feat: include quoting in formatCommand function

2f467d3

refactor: rename --force-fetch flag to --from-origin

d1921f5

Loloekk requested a review from t0maboro August 18, 2026 14:38

Loloekk removed their assignment Aug 19, 2026

	function canRequireKconv(appPath, { runCommand, logPath }) {
	function isKconvAvailable(appPath, { runCommand, logPath }) {

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Loloekk commented Aug 6, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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Description

Setup options

Running the app

Notes

Test plan

1. Conflicting / invalid flags

2. Happy paths

Checklist

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Loloekk Aug 18, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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Loloekk commented Aug 18, 2026

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Loloekk commented Aug 6, 2026 •

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Loloekk Aug 18, 2026 •

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