External Stdlib

Since 9.0

Your ReScript project depends on the rescript package as a devDependency, which includes our compiler, build system and runtime like Belt. However, you had to move it to dependency in package.json if you publish your code:

• To Docker or other low-storage deployment devices.

• For pure JS/TS consumers who probably won't install bs-platform in their own project.

In these cases, the size or mere presence of bs-platform can be troublesome, since it includes not just our necessary runtime like Belt, but also our compiler and build system.

To solve that, we now publish our runtime as a standalone package at @rescript/std, whose versions mirror bs-platform's. Now you can keep bs-platform as a devDependency and have only @rescript/std as your runtime dependency.

This is an advanced feature. Please only use it in the aforementioned scenarios. If you already use a JS bundler with dead code elimination, you might not need this feature.

Configuration

Say you want to publish a JS-only ReScript 9.0 library. Install the packages like this:

SH
npm install bs-platform@9.0.0 --save-dev
npm install @rescript/std@9.0.0

Then add this to rescript.json:

JSON
{
  // ...
  "external-stdlib" : "@rescript/std"
}

Now the compiled JS code will import using the path defined by external-stdlib. Check the JS output tab:

Array.forEach([1, 2, 3], num => Js.log(num))

Make sure the version number of bs-platform and @rescript/std match in your package.json to avoid running into runtime issues due to mismatching stdlib assumptions.