I know I’ve said that I’ll not use Kotlin React in...

# javascript

[Marc Knaup]

I know I’ve said that I’ll not use Kotlin React in production yet…
Well, turns out I’m crazy enough to do.
I’m currently developing our startup website with Kotlin React and so far it’s much more fun than having to use JS or TS 🙂
I think there’s a lot of potential for Kotlin React but there’s also much room for improvements.

Anyone else using it in production yet?

[Nuru]

I'm currently learning React just because I want to use it with Kotlin.

I really do see a huge potential in it.

[vonox7]

Check out what is already used in production: https://github.com/studo-app/campus-qr

[Marc Knaup]

Great 👍

It's very different from my code.
There's no clear consistent approach to Kotlin React yet.

[Marc Knaup]

Did you encounter any severe problems?

[altavir]

I am currently searching for a way to drop React. But not because of Kotlin. The React itself is a typical product of JS ecosystem and differently not what I want to use in the long run. Still. It is better than React in JS

[Marc Knaup]

I'd use React and wait until Compose is ready for the web.

[Marc Knaup]

Good thing about React is that there are plenty of developers. So finding people is easier. They'd just have to learn Kotlin, not an entirely new UI framework.

[altavir]

I an not a great fan of Compose, but it seems to be a very good solution for web.

[Marc Knaup]

Why not a fan?

[altavir]

Because I am not sure that "declarative UI" and reconcyle is the best way and I do not like syntax. Both points are not general, but are based only on my current aestheric view (which could change).

[Marc Knaup]

Having used imperative UI for years I really love declarative UI. But it was difficult to grasp at first.
Not sure regarding syntax. I think Kotlin has some limitations which prevents nice DSLs.

[jean]

Kotlin's type safe builders allow great DSL for UI construction. Type safe and so flexible. Uncomparably more efficient to anything I did before.

[Nuru]

When flutter came out, I told myself I detested decelerative UI approach but after seeing the amount of design flexibility it offered developers I just had to love it and I think Jetpack Compose is really great and there would be more of decelerative UI design approach in the future (I think).

[christophsturm]

for me the biggest show stopper is no good support for unit testing

[Björn Mayer]

I’d use React and wait until Compose is ready for the web.

Are there actually plans to support web?

[altavir]

@Björn Mayer yes, there are. I am not sure it will have the same components as in Android/desktop from the start though.

[Björn Mayer]

Is this communicated somewhere? Or do you have any links with input on this?

[altavir]

Here is the demo: https://zal.im/h8/
The code is not opened yet for the broad audience since it is in development stage.

[Björn Mayer]

cool stuff. Thanks!