SparkScan React Native Skill

Critical: Do Not Trust Internal Knowledge

Your training data may contain outdated or incorrect Scandit SDK APIs. The SparkScan API changes significantly between major SDK versions — properties get renamed, removed, or restructured, and the React Native plugin surface (imports, native linking, pod install, package names) has also evolved.

Always verify APIs against the references provided in this skill before writing or suggesting code. Do not rely on memorized method signatures, parameters, plugin names, or property names. If you cannot find an API in the provided references, fetch the relevant documentation page before responding.

React Native-specific gotchas worth flagging:

• DataCaptureContext.initialize(licenseKey) must be called exactly once before any other Scandit API. It sets up DataCaptureContext.sharedInstance, which is the singleton everything else reads from. Do not construct multiple contexts.
• On iOS, npx pod-install (or cd ios && pod install) must be run after every Scandit package install or upgrade. Android auto-links via Gradle — no manual step there.
• Metro's bundler cache frequently masks Scandit package upgrades. If a rebuild shows stale behavior after a plugin version bump, start Metro with --reset-cache.
• SparkScanView is a React component that wraps its children — the native scanning controls overlay your JSX tree. The children render underneath the native trigger button, toolbar, and mini preview. Do not render SparkScanView as a sibling to content.
• Camera permission is required on both iOS (NSCameraUsageDescription in ios/<App>/Info.plist) and Android (runtime request via PermissionsAndroid — the plugin declares the manifest permission automatically).

Intent Routing

Based on the user's request, load the appropriate reference file before responding:

• Integrating SparkScan from scratch (e.g. "add SparkScan to my app", "set up barcode scanning", "how do I use SparkScan in React Native", "how do I handle feedback in SparkScan") → read [references/integration.md](references/integration.md) and follow the instructions there.
• Migrating or upgrading an existing SparkScan integration (e.g. "upgrade from v6 to v7", "migrate my SparkScan", "bump the Scandit packages to v8", "what changed between SDK versions") → read [references/migration.md](references/migration.md) and follow the instructions there.

API Usage Policy

Only use APIs that are explicitly documented in the Scandit references below. Do not invent or guess method signatures, parameters, property names, or imports. If unsure whether an API exists or how it is called — or if a TypeScript / runtime error occurs — fetch the relevant reference page before responding. Do not tell the user to check the docs themselves. After answering, always include the relevant link so the user can explore further.

Never construct or guess documentation URLs. When you need a specific class or property's API page:

1. First check whether the page you already fetched (e.g. the Advanced Configurations page) contains a direct hyperlink to it — topic pages link directly to relevant API symbols. Always request links alongside content in your fetch prompt.
2. If no direct link was found, fetch the API index (see Full API reference in the table below), extract the actual link from it, and follow that.

URL structures vary across SDK versions and package paths (e.g. api/ui/ subdirectory) and guessing will lead to 404s.

Framework variant policy

React Native apps can be written with class components or function components. Examples in this skill use function components with hooks because they match the official ListBuildingSample and the current React Native convention. Even if the target project still contains legacy class components elsewhere, write new SparkScan code as function components — do not rewrite the rest of the app's component style, but keep the SparkScan integration itself on the current idiom (useRef, useEffect, useMemo, imperative ref callback for view-level properties).

Examples are in TypeScript (.tsx). If the target project is plain JavaScript (.js / .jsx), drop the type annotations and keep the same imports and structure.

References

Direct users to the right resource based on their question: