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Add to SafariWhen comparing Cor vs Reason ML, the Slant community recommends Reason ML for most people. In the question“What are the best languages that compile to JavaScript? ” Reason ML is ranked 10th while Cor is ranked 42nd.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Easy to debug
Cor supports source-maps, allowing you the easy debugging in major browsers. However a line of Cor source is compiled to the exact line number in JavaScript for accurated debugging when developing in platforms that doesn't supports source-maps such as servers.
Pro Clean syntax
Cor enables you to write large applications by providing a clean syntax, classes and a modular architecture to keep organized code, enforcing the writing of readable source code based on conventions.
Pro Cross platform
Cor compiles to plain JavaScript, so, to run it in Node.js or in the browser is piece of cake.
Pro Support coroutines
Cor support coroutines which can be chained, stopped, and synchronized, fitting very well into the web asynchronous world.
Pro Hot reload
Cor provides a smooth front-end development by furnishing a builtin hot-loader which resolves dependences and compiles source code on the fly, with just reloading the Web page. You will only need to use CLI tools to deliver a production-ready version of the app.
Pro Concurrent and parallel
Cor allows to synchronize coroutines by passing messages through channels, and supports the execution of many tasks in parallel, all of that by writing sequential code.
Pro Uses the excellent Bucklescript Ocaml to Javascript transpiler
Pro Superior type inference
Ocaml type inference is so smart that you never have to repeat yourself and keep code very clean, type errors also are very pleasant.
Pro Aims to make the transition from Javascript easier
Despite being a completely different language Javascript programmer will find that the syntax of ReasonML has many familiarities with Javascript.
Pro Uses established compiler technology from Ocaml with a tweaked syntax that leans more towards Javascript
Pro Removes JavaScript "bad parts" but sticks to it's design philosophy
unlike other js-targetting languages that are thought as a way to have a language that pleases community X run in a browser, reason is really designed with JavaScript community in mind. it removes the bad parts but keeps its syntax and its best design principles (from Scheme): simplicity, minimalism, and functions as building block.
Pro Immutability with escape hatches
reason includes true immutability, but it has escape hatches to let you use mutations in exceptional cases.
Pro Compiles to JavaScript or assembly (ocaml)
The same reasonml code can compile to js (eg. run on browsers or node.js, use any lib in npm), or compile to assembly thru ocaml (unless of course you load js externals), running on any device, with C-comparable (or better) performance.
Pro JSX syntax natively supported
Reason was created by the creator of react, for developers already using JSX to template web or native UIs this results very familiar.
Cons
Con Work in progress
Cor is still a very much young project (as of November 2015) with just one contributor, few stars on GitHub and virtually no learning resources outside the official documentation.
Con A standard async syntax is pending
Async syntax is not standard across native/js projects and in both cases a bit awkward for non-ocaml devs. Currently this is reasonml most voted issue in their GitHub repo so hopefully, there's news soon.
Con Ecosystem is a mess
A wonderful language, but a user is required to use multiple different package managers for many things (esy, bsb, npm). Some standard templates from bsb (e.g. react-starter) are not installable out of the box.
