Tame the frontend with Elm

The video above was recorded at Fluent Conf 2017.

We’re excited about Elm at Test Double. Elm is a functional programming language that compiles to JavaScript and promises robust frontend web apps by preventing runtime exceptions. Elm’s type system helps you thoughtfully design applications, and its compiler guides you confidently through refactors with helpful error messages.

In this talk, I share the benefits of building applications with Elm while also diving into its syntax and functional programming concepts. In addition to no runtime exceptions, Elm touts:

• Being as fast as the big JavaScript frameworks such as React and Angular
• Safer null handling with the built-in Maybe type
• No JavaScript fatigue with one standard framework for building applications, the Elm Architecture
• Pure functions that are predictable and easy to test
• Immutable data types for data safety and consistency

Finally, I top off the talk by explaining how the Elm Architecture sanely organizes code and then demonstrating how to build applications and interact with HTTP APIs.

If this video piques your interest in Elm, check out Josh Greenwood’s level-headed assessment of Elm from his time on an Elm project. He offers great takeaways that include both pros and cons of Elm.

Overall, we’re delighted with Elm and look forward to using it more in the future! I am also writing a book on Elm, so follow me on Twitter for future updates about the book. If you’re attending Elm Conf, say hi to me there too!