Sails.js with React.js, how to do it correctly?

Question

I want to integrate React.js + browserify in my Sails.js-application.

For this I use a grunt-plugin grunt-react .

I created a file /tasks/config/browserify.js

module.exports = function(grunt) {

  grunt.config.set('browserify', {
    //dev: {
      options:      {
        transform:  [ require('grunt-react').browserify ],
        extension: 'jsx'
      },
      app:          {
        src:        'assets/jsx/app.jsx',
        dest:       '.tmp/public/js/app.js'
      }
    //}
  });

  grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-browserify');
};

Then I added a line in compileAssets.js and syncAssets.js :

// compileAssets.js

module.exports = function (grunt) {
    grunt.registerTask('compileAssets', [
        'clean:dev',
        'stylus:dev',
        'browserify',   // <<< this added
        'copy:dev'
    ]);
};

and

// syncAssets.js

module.exports = function (grunt) {
    grunt.registerTask('syncAssets', [
        'stylus:dev',
        'browserify',   // <<< this added
        'sync:dev'
    ]);
};

Then i modified a line in copy.js .

// copy.js

module.exports = function(grunt) {

    grunt.config.set('copy', {
        dev: {
            files: [{
                expand: true,
                cwd: './assets',
                src: ['**/*.!(styl|jsx)'],   /// <<< this modified
                dest: '.tmp/public'
            }]
        },
        build: {
            files: [{
                expand: true,
                cwd: '.tmp/public',
                src: ['**/*'],
                dest: 'www'
            }]
        }
    });

    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-copy');
};

And it worked!

But I think I did not do it quite right.

If i uncommented line dev: { and } in /tasks/config/browserify.js like this:

module.exports = function(grunt) {

  grunt.config.set('browserify', {
    dev: {                           /// <<< this uncommented
      options:      {
        transform:  [ require('grunt-react').browserify ],
        extension: 'jsx'
      },
      app:          {
        src:        'assets/jsx/app.jsx',
        dest:       '.tmp/public/js/app.js'
      }
    }                           /// <<< this uncommented
  });

  grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-browserify');
};

And if I make changes in compileAssets.js and syncAssets.js :

// compileAssets.js

module.exports = function (grunt) {
    grunt.registerTask('compileAssets', [
        'clean:dev',
        'stylus:dev',
        'browserify:dev',   // <<< this added :dev
        'copy:dev'
    ]);
};

and

// syncAssets.js

module.exports = function (grunt) {
    grunt.registerTask('syncAssets', [
        'stylus:dev',
        'browserify:dev',   // <<< this added :dev
        'sync:dev'
    ]);
};

it does not work!

Is it worth worrying about it?

And why is it not working when I add browserify: dev in compileAssets.js and syncAssets.js files?

Answer 1

I found the right solution.

UPD: Now, we can use https://github.com/erikschlegel/sails-generate-reactjs

Answer 2

I have created grunt-reactify to allow you to have a bundle file for a JSX file, in order to make it easier to work with modular React components. All what you have to do is to specify a parent destination folder and the source files:

 grunt.initConfig({ reactify: { 'tmp': 'test/**/*.jsx' }, })

In Sails, Go to the tasks/config folder and create a new file "reactify.js" and Insert the following code:

 module.exports = function (grunt) { grunt.config.set('reactify', { '[Destination folder]': '[folder containing React Components]/**/*.jsx' }); grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-reactify'); };

Then go to the file tasks/register/compileAssets.js and add reactify:

 module.exports = function (grunt) { grunt.registerTask('compileAssets', [ 'clean:dev', 'jst:dev', 'less:dev', 'copy:dev', 'coffee:dev', 'reactify' ]); };

and that's it !