UPDATE:
ReasonML + BuckleScript is now Rescript.
As the ecosystem has changed around those tools, this blog post is not accurate anymore.
The last few days, I’ve spent a lot of time learning ReasonReact. It has been a frustrating experience so far.
Even simple tasks like creating forms prove to be quite hard for me.
I’m quite familiar with React. Of course, I’m no expert by far. But I can use the new Hooks API, useReducer, useContext, etc.
With ReasonReact, even easy tasks get more complicated.
You have to learn how to use the type system with the ReasonReact API. Unfortunately, the ReasonReact Docs could use more beginner-friendly examples.
I often stumbled over type errors because I used incorrect type definitions.
I’m guessing that it’s easier if you’ve already developed an enterprise-level React/TypeScript application. Some of my difficulties probably stem from being accustomed to dynamic languages.
So, for me, there was a lot of trial and error, trying to read the source code, trying to find answers on StackOverflow, etc.
The community is quite small, and it’s hard to find material on the internet.
Luckily, there are some good third-party tutorials (see below), where you can try to find some answers.
I’ve also bought two books (which I haven’t read yet) that might help me out on my learning journey.
Further Reading
- ReasonReact Official Website
- A First Reason React app for Javascript developers by James Friend
- A ReasonReact Tutorial by Jared Forsythe
- ReasonML for production React Apps? by Seif Ghezala