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Wasp – A programming language that understands what a web app is

49 points by ed 5y ago

ivrrimum 5y ago
Meh.. For me the most important thing developing a webapp is scaffolding and generators. I have found that generating boilerplate content(components, controllers) is annoying and takes up a lot of time. Until you add scaffolding/generators the syntax update doesn't give that much value, in my opinion.
withinboredom 5y ago
Only a JavaScript thing would say “this is alpha quality” and then a few lines later say “you can deploy a production ready thing with it” But in all seriousness, this is pretty cool.
remram 5y ago
What is the advantage of an entirely new language, when you can use decorators or other DSL-like constructs like Rails' on top of existing general-purpose languages?
- blacktriangle 5y ago
  In this case based on them targeting node/express on the backend and react on the front, the advantage is that you can create a language that is easily-ish translateable into Javascript. The problem with using a Ruby or other language DSL is that since you're giving the developer full access to the programming language, you now have to also support translating the full scope of the programming language into Javascript. One might then say just make it a JS framework except that JS syntax doesn't lend itself to these kinds of DSLs the way Ruby and several other languages do.
  - cyanydeez 5y ago
    the detaios presented on the main page look like they are basically creating a dsl based around typescript, then exploding that into existing frameworks. its a code generator, which will feel nifty, but as soon as any idea you have needs real coding and the dsl isnt prepared for it, so long dsl or hello magical routines. somewherd in q0 years therely be a dev cursing these guys build script with limited documentation andmumbling to himself "it reads fine...it reads fine..."
    - blacktriangle 5y ago
      The value prop of this does seem really wierd. So you accept a limited DSL in return for eventually being able to target multiple web stacks...but the point of this is to abstract away all those web stacks? I really don't get it.
  - remram 5y ago
    > translateable into Javascript I didn't realize this was for web app frontend. This is not mentioned in the repo, in fact the README seem to indicate otherwise: > Concepts such as app, page, user, login, *frontend*, production, etc. are baked into the language
willio58 5y ago
The project page at https://wasp-lang.dev/ https://wasp-lang.dev/ is much more informative, I had no idea what wasp is trying to accomplish by reading the README.
enos_feedler 5y ago
What can a platform do when it understands a web app?
truthwhisperer 5y ago
yes this is what we need another language!
eyelovewe 5y ago
Are there more backend options than node?
mark_l_watson 5y ago
The implementation is in Haskell, which makes sense, but after looking at the code, I don’t think my Haskell skills are good enough to work on the implementation. I like that the generated code and assets are human readable, so if you decide to stop using Wasp, it looks like you could just maintain the generated code.
waynesonfire 5y ago
wasp.. white anglo-saxon protestant, good luck with that. i bet their main branch is 'master'. I'm not even going to check though.

49 points by ed 5y ago

Meh.. For me the most important thing developing a webapp is scaffolding and generators. I have found that generating boilerplate content(components, controllers) is annoying and takes up a lot of time. Until you add scaffolding/generators the syntax update doesn't give that much value, in my opinion.

withinboredom 5y ago

Only a JavaScript thing would say “this is alpha quality” and then a few lines later say “you can deploy a production ready thing with it” But in all seriousness, this is pretty cool.

remram 5y ago

What is the advantage of an entirely new language, when you can use decorators or other DSL-like constructs like Rails' on top of existing general-purpose languages?

blacktriangle 5y ago
In this case based on them targeting node/express on the backend and react on the front, the advantage is that you can create a language that is easily-ish translateable into Javascript. The problem with using a Ruby or other language DSL is that since you're giving the developer full access to the programming language, you now have to also support translating the full scope of the programming language into Javascript. One might then say just make it a JS framework except that JS syntax doesn't lend itself to these kinds of DSLs the way Ruby and several other languages do.
- cyanydeez 5y ago
  the detaios presented on the main page look like they are basically creating a dsl based around typescript, then exploding that into existing frameworks. its a code generator, which will feel nifty, but as soon as any idea you have needs real coding and the dsl isnt prepared for it, so long dsl or hello magical routines. somewherd in q0 years therely be a dev cursing these guys build script with limited documentation andmumbling to himself "it reads fine...it reads fine..."
  - blacktriangle 5y ago
    The value prop of this does seem really wierd. So you accept a limited DSL in return for eventually being able to target multiple web stacks...but the point of this is to abstract away all those web stacks? I really don't get it.
- remram 5y ago
  > translateable into Javascript I didn't realize this was for web app frontend. This is not mentioned in the repo, in fact the README seem to indicate otherwise: > Concepts such as app, page, user, login, *frontend*, production, etc. are baked into the language

willio58 5y ago

The project page at https://wasp-lang.dev/ https://wasp-lang.dev/ is much more informative, I had no idea what wasp is trying to accomplish by reading the README.

enos_feedler 5y ago

What can a platform do when it understands a web app?

truthwhisperer 5y ago

yes this is what we need another language!

eyelovewe 5y ago

Are there more backend options than node?

mark_l_watson 5y ago

The implementation is in Haskell, which makes sense, but after looking at the code, I don’t think my Haskell skills are good enough to work on the implementation. I like that the generated code and assets are human readable, so if you decide to stop using Wasp, it looks like you could just maintain the generated code.

waynesonfire 5y ago

wasp.. white anglo-saxon protestant, good luck with that. i bet their main branch is 'master'. I'm not even going to check though.