Button and Pressable in React Native - Mini App: Build & Ship

Build: Button and Pressable Demo

This screen shows two buttons: one using the built-in Button component and one using Pressable. Each button shows a message when pressed.

Target UI

-------------------------
| Button and Pressable   |
|                       |
| [Click Me Button]      |
|                       |
| [Press Me Pressable]   |
|                       |
-------------------------

Add a Button with label 'Click Me Button' that shows an alert 'Button pressed!' when tapped.

Add a Pressable with text 'Press Me Pressable' that changes background color when pressed and shows an alert 'Pressable pressed!' when tapped.

Use React Native Alert API for showing messages.

Style Pressable with padding and border radius.

Starter Code

React Native

import React from 'react';
import { View, Button, Pressable, Text, Alert, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';

export default function ButtonPressableDemo() {
  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      {/* TODO: Add Button here */}

      {/* TODO: Add Pressable here */}
    </View>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    justifyContent: 'center',
    alignItems: 'center',
    padding: 20
  }
});

Task 1

Task 2

Solution

React Native

import React from 'react';
import { View, Button, Pressable, Text, Alert, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';

export default function ButtonPressableDemo() {
  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <Button
        title="Click Me Button"
        onPress={() => Alert.alert('Button pressed!')}
      />

      <Pressable
        onPress={() => Alert.alert('Pressable pressed!')}
        style={({ pressed }) => [
          styles.pressable,
          { backgroundColor: pressed ? '#ddd' : '#eee' }
        ]}
        android_ripple={{ color: '#aaa' }}
        accessibilityRole="button"
        accessibilityLabel="Press Me Pressable"
      >
        <Text style={styles.pressableText}>Press Me Pressable</Text>
      </Pressable>
    </View>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    justifyContent: 'center',
    alignItems: 'center',
    padding: 20
  },
  pressable: {
    marginTop: 20,
    paddingVertical: 10,
    paddingHorizontal: 20,
    borderRadius: 8
  },
  pressableText: {
    fontSize: 16,
    color: '#000'
  }
});

We use the built-in Button component for a simple clickable button that shows an alert on press.

For the Pressable, we add a Text inside and style it with padding and rounded corners. The style prop uses a function to change background color when pressed, giving visual feedback.

We also add android_ripple for ripple effect on Android and accessibility props for screen readers.

This shows how to use both components for clickable UI elements with feedback.

Final Result

Completed Screen

-------------------------
| Button and Pressable   |
|                       |
| [Click Me Button]      |
|                       |
| [Press Me Pressable]   |
|                       |
-------------------------

Tapping 'Click Me Button' shows an alert with message 'Button pressed!'

Tapping 'Press Me Pressable' changes its background color briefly and shows alert 'Pressable pressed!'

Stretch Goal

Add a long press handler to the Pressable that shows an alert 'Long pressed!'

💡 Hint

Use the onLongPress prop on Pressable to detect long presses and show an alert.

Practice

1. Which React Native component is best for a simple clickable button with default styling?

easy

A. Button

B. Pressable

C. View

D. TextInput

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of Button

   Button is designed for simple clickable buttons with default styles provided by React Native.

2. Step 2: Compare with other components

   Pressable is for custom touchable areas, View is a container, and TextInput is for text input, so they are not suitable for simple buttons.

3. Final Answer:

   Button -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Simple clickable button = Button [OK]

Hint: Simple buttons use Button, custom ones use Pressable [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Pressable for simple buttons
• Confusing View with clickable components
• Using TextInput for buttons

2. Which of the following is the correct way to import Pressable in a React Native file?

easy

A. import { Pressable } from 'react-native';

B. import Pressable from 'react-native';

C. import { Pressable } from 'react-native-pressable';

D. import Pressable from 'react-native-pressable';

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall React Native import syntax

   React Native exports components like Pressable as named exports, so we use curly braces in import.

2. Step 2: Verify package name

   The correct package is react-native, not react-native-pressable.

3. Final Answer:

   import { Pressable } from 'react-native'; -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Named import from 'react-native' = import { Pressable } from 'react-native'; [OK]

Hint: Use curly braces for named imports from 'react-native' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using default import instead of named import
• Importing from wrong package
• Omitting curly braces

3. What will happen when you press this React Native code snippet?

import React from 'react';
import { Pressable, Text, Alert } from 'react-native';

export default function App() {
  return (
     Alert.alert('Pressed!')}>
      Click me
    
  );
}

medium

A. The text changes color automatically on press.

B. Nothing happens when pressing the text.

C. The app crashes due to missing Button component.

D. An alert with message 'Pressed!' appears when pressing the text.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Pressable behavior

   Pressable wraps the Text and triggers onPress callback when pressed.

2. Step 2: Check the onPress action

   The onPress calls Alert.alert('Pressed!'), so an alert box will appear on press.

3. Final Answer:

   An alert with message 'Pressed!' appears when pressing the text. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Pressable triggers alert on press = An alert with message 'Pressed!' appears when pressing the text. [OK]

Hint: Pressable triggers onPress alert if defined [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking nothing happens on press
• Expecting automatic color change without style
• Confusing Button with Pressable behavior

4. Identify the error in this React Native code using Pressable:

import React from 'react';
import { Pressable, Text } from 'react-native';

export default function App() {
  return (
     console.log('Pressed')}>Click me
  );
}

medium

A. The onPress callback is missing parentheses.

B. You cannot put text directly inside Pressable without a Text component.

C. The import statement is incorrect.

D. The function component must return a single View.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check children of Pressable

   In React Native, text must be wrapped inside a Text component; raw strings are not allowed as direct children.

2. Step 2: Verify other parts

   onPress is correctly defined, imports are correct, and returning a single component is valid.

3. Final Answer:

   Text must be wrapped in a Text component inside Pressable. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Text inside Pressable needs Text wrapper [OK]

Hint: Always wrap text in Text inside Pressable [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Placing raw text directly inside Pressable
• Missing parentheses in onPress (not true here)
• Incorrect imports

5. You want a button that changes its background color to gray while pressed and shows the text "Tap me". Which code snippet correctly uses Pressable to achieve this?

hard

A. import { Pressable, Text } from 'react-native';

alert('Tapped')}>
Tap me

B. import { Button } from 'react-native';

({ backgroundColor: pressed ? 'gray' : 'white' })} />

C. import { Pressable, Text } from 'react-native';

[{ backgroundColor: pressed ? 'gray' : 'white' }]}>
Tap me

D. import { Pressable, Text } from 'react-native';

Tap me

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dynamic styling with Pressable

   Pressable accepts a style function with a pressed boolean to change styles when pressed.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   import { Pressable, Text } from 'react-native';
   
    [{ backgroundColor: pressed ? 'gray' : 'white' }]}> 
     Tap me
   

   uses the style function correctly to change background color on press.

   import { Button } from 'react-native';
   
    ({ backgroundColor: pressed ? 'gray' : 'white' })} /> 

   incorrectly tries to style Button with a function.

   import { Pressable, Text } from 'react-native';
   
    alert('Tapped')}>
     Tap me
   

   lacks style change.

   import { Pressable, Text } from 'react-native';
   
   
     Tap me
   

   sets static gray background without press effect.

3. Final Answer:

   Pressable with style={({ pressed }) => [{ backgroundColor: pressed ? 'gray' : 'white' }]} -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use style function with pressed for dynamic press styles [OK]

Hint: Use style={({pressed}) => ...} for press feedback in Pressable [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to style Button with style function
• Not wrapping text in Text component
• Using static styles without press state