prepack VS joystick

Hello HN,

I'm considering the development of a new programming language, drawing inspiration from Rust's strengths, with a focus on compiling to JavaScript. Here what I'm considering are some key features:

Strict Type System

Algebraic Data Types

*Unsafe Mode for JS/TS Interaction*: Facilitate direct interaction with existing JavaScript and TypeScript code.

No Null Usage: Option/Result patterns to avoid null.

Trait Implementation

Backend Development Priority: Initially targeting server-side applications.

Efficient Compiler Design: Including features like dead-code elimination and partial evaluation, similar to the approach of Prepack[0] (by Facebook).

I believe this approach could bring significant benefits, especially with recent advancements like Uint8Array and worker threads.

Would this be of interest to the community? Looking forward to your insights and discussion.

[0] https://github.com/facebookarchive/prepack

You can still do optimisations based purely on Javascript semantics. This is similar to the first example you give with dead function elimination, and many minifiers do some amount of this already, but you can take it to some extremes. One example of this is the (no longer maintained) Prepack project from Facebook. The core idea is to evaluate as much Javascript as possible at compile time, with the expectation that the result will probably be smaller (albeit less human readable) than the initial code.

It's no longer maintained, but I think prepack is roughly what you're looking for.

i've had code where it intentionally relied on the wrong behavior (missing hook dependencies) and when I fixed it it caused an unintentional bug (hook fired too often or sometimes infinite rerendering). Yes it is more of a bug in the code rather than React hooks issue but it is also really hard to fix/rewrite. while i'd love to jump on the hype train projects like https://github.com/facebookarchive/prepack and how concurrent mode is still experimental after five+ years doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

Some real examples in JavaScript can be seen on Prepack[2]. Consequently it is natural to wonder whether we can AOT compile components of client side frameworks, to achieve a reduction in the final bundle size, but also to increase application execution speed.

Less or more it’s likely to happen, and could have been expected 2-3 years ago.

Especially with https://github.com/facebook/prepack. They want to eventually ship pre-compiled components rather than React.createElement() to end user

https://github.com/facebook/react/issues/7324

I also think this is why facebook had been investing in `prepack` - https://github.com/facebook/prepack

I think I've cracked this [1]. A lot of the popular frameworks just copy each other by using funky attributes, templating hacks, and compilers. You don't need that (yes, they have certain positives and negatives but you don't need them).

Instead, what's hinted at in this article (using a plain HTML string) works great. Add in a little abstraction for the sake of structure and simplicity and you've got a surprisingly robust UI framework without a ton of complexity.

[1] https://cheatcode.co/joystick (a full-stack JS framework that has its own components API)

This is wild. I'd love to use this to do a demo app for my JS framework, Joystick [1]. Would a collab be possible (happy to contribute the end result to the Scrimba library)?

[1] https://cheatcode.co/joystick

This is exactly why I'm building Joystick [1]. I got tired of the constant indecision and churn in JS frameworks, so I've built (and am actively building) a full-stack solution that features a simple component API that doesn't change, backed up by a batteries-included Node.js backend. All wired together so it's easy to use and fast to build your idea (for real, not just marketing fluff). Purposefully designed for people who are trying to build real businesses, not tinkering around to pad their resume.

The best part? I'm a tyrant about backwards compatibility, stability, and longevity (meaning, even if nobody else uses it, I'll be maintaining this for the long-haul).

For the cynics: for the love all that's holy, do not send me the XKCD cartoon about standards. I deeply care about solving this problem and this isn't "just another JS framework." It's a replacement for all of the "just do everything on the client" buffoonery and it works incredibly well.

[1] https://github.com/cheatcode/joystick

It's either VDOM or having to depend on a compiler to do everything (how Svelte works). The advantage to the former is it's relatively easy to debug, whereas with a compiler, I'm at the mercy of its developer and their whims.

VDOM may be "antiquated" (I mean it's a nested object or linked list which are standard paradigms) but slow depends on what you're doing. I did a linked list for my own full-stack framework's [1] component library and it's quite snappy.

[1] https://github.com/cheatcode/joystick

If you like this approach but want a full-stack JS solution, check out Joystick [1] (the philosophy [2] page echoes a lot of the same sentiments here).

[1] https://cheatcode.co/joystick

[2] https://docs.cheatcode.co/joystick/philosophy

Remote Work: Yes, only

Unicorn. I do branding [1], design, and full-stack JavaScript development. I built the Joystick JavaScript framework (full-stack [2]) and Push deployment service [3]. Recently shipped Parrot [4].

Looking to work with entrepreneurs and small teams (or VCs who need a sharp shooter who can deliver) who need help shipping product and features that work from day one, fast. 17+ years of experience running a small business/shipping software, so I don't need to be babysat—just set loose with a clear idea of what needs to be built and open lines of communication if/when I have questions. The catch: using freelance work to finance product ideas and have freedom to do work on my terms (i.e., I can be available to consult long-term but not looking to transition to a full-time position).

Average time to brand, design, and ship a full-stack app is 3-6 months but I can move faster if you're willing/able to delegate 100%.

Contact: [email protected]

[1] https://dribbble.com/rglover

[2] https://cheatcode.co/joystick

[3] https://cheatcode.co/push

[4] https://codewithparrot.com

I built a full-stack JS framework [1] that I thought would be a hit. As best as I can tell, because it lacks the complexity/word salad of existing solutions, it's mostly been ignored despite being (imo) an elegant solution to a long-standing problem.

[1] https://cheatcode.co/joystick