Label Capture React Native Skill

Critical: Do Not Trust Internal Knowledge

Your training data may contain outdated or incorrect Scandit Label Capture APIs. Label Capture has evolved across recent SDK releases, and the React Native plugin surface (imports, native linking, pod install, package names) has its own conventions distinct from the web SDK.

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:

• Listener method names are iOS-style on React Native. The Validation Flow listener uses didCaptureLabelWithFields(fields) and didSubmitManualInputForField(field, oldValue, newValue) — NOT the web equivalents onValidationFlowLabelCaptured / onManualInput. If you see web-style listener names suggested, they are wrong on React Native.
• 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. (The official LabelCaptureSimpleSample uses the legacy DataCaptureContext.forLicenseKey(...) form — both work, but new integrations should use initialize for consistency with the rest of the v8 RN docs.)
• 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.
• 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.
• 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).
• Field definitions on RN are class-based, not builder-based: CustomBarcode.initWithNameAndSymbologies(name, [...]), new ExpiryDateText(name), field.optional = true, LabelCaptureSettings.settingsFromLabelDefinitions([...], {}). There is no LabelCaptureSettingsBuilder / LabelDefinitionBuilder and no v8.5 factory-function sugar — those are web-only.

Intent Routing

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

• Integrating Label Capture from scratch (e.g. "add Label Capture to my app", "scan a price tag with barcode and expiry date", "how do I use Smart Label Capture", "how do I enable the Validation Flow") → read references/integration.md and follow the instructions there.
• Migrating or upgrading an existing Label Capture integration (e.g. "upgrade my Label Capture to the latest SDK", "what changed between SDK versions for Label Capture") → read 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 LabelCaptureSimpleSample and the current React Native convention. Even if the target project still contains legacy class components elsewhere, write new Label Capture code as function components — do not rewrite the rest of the app's component style, but keep the Label Capture 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:

Topic	Resource
React Native integration	Get Started · Sample (LabelCaptureSimpleSample)
Label Definitions (fields, regex, presets)	Label Definitions
Advanced topics (Validation Flow customization, adaptive recognition, custom overlays)	Advanced Configurations
Full API reference	Label Capture API