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Server-side Giraffe HTML with Fable sample

Introduction

This project shows how to create a "conventional" server-side-rendered HTML app with client-side JavaScript using F# for both server and client. This approach may fit for projects using technologies such as HTMX.

File structure

  • Client - Contains client-side specific F#.
  • Server - Contains ASP .NET server code using Giraffe + Saturn.
  • Shared - Contains shared F# to be used on both client and server.

Step-by-step guide

Infrastructure

  1. Add a package.json file and install to create the required package-lock.json file. This file contains Vite, as well as some configuration recommended in the official Vite docs for "library mode".
  2. Add the Fable tool (see dotnet-tools.json).

Client

This folder contains a standard F# console application with the following modifications:

  1. Add the following node to the fsproj file: 
    <DefineConstants>FABLE_COMPILER</DefineConstants>
  2. You can compile the project using: 
    dotnet fable --cwd src/client -s -o transpiled
    This will compile the project and put the raw JS outputs into the transpiled folder.
  3. Configure Vite using the appropriate configuration file. This file instructs vite to process the transpiled folder and put the bundled + minified outputs in the src/server/dist folder. You can run vite with: 
    cd src/client
npx vite build
  4. You can run both Fable and Vite together: 
    dotnet fable --cwd src/client -s -o transpiled --run npx vite build

Server

This folder contains a standard console application and uses Giraffe.ViewEngine to dynamically build HTML on the server. Key elements required for accessing the Fable-rendered JS are:

  1. Serve up Fable-rendered JS 
    use_static "dist"
  2. Import Fable-rendered JS 
    head [] [ script [ _type "module"; _src "app.js" ] [] ]

Putting it all together - dev mode

  1. Build client assets and store results in Server static files folder: 
    dotnet fable watch --cwd src/client -s -o transpiled --run npx vite build --watch

    Note the uses of watch and --watch, which will rebuild and rebundle the JS whenever client F# changes. You will still to reload the browser though!

  2. Run the server (ideally in a separate terminal): 
    dotnet watch run
  3. Your client-side F# will now be available in HTML rendered by Giraffe e.g. 
    document.getElementById("btnClick").onclick <- (fun _ -> window.alert (Shared.Say.hello "isaac"))