Learn CraftTS with Effect
This is the guided path for teams that already use Effect and want CraftTS to own the UI, reactivity and application graph.
If you are evaluating CraftTS from an existing Effect codebase, start with Effect users: start here. It explains what stays in Effect, what moves to Craft's UI model, and how to try the integration in fifteen minutes.
You start with a Craft component, then move the domain work into Effect programs: Layer provides services, Effect<A, E, R> carries success, typed failures and requirements, and Craft adapters expose those programs as reactive resources.
What you will build
| Step | What you add |
|---|---|
| 0. Effect users: start here | boundary, quickstart and adapter choice |
| 1. Start with a Craft component | craftComponent, templates, native Craft state |
| 2. Derive UI state | craftComputed, yield*, precise dependencies |
| 3. Put the domain in Effect | Effect, tagged errors, Context.Service, Layer, SyncOp |
| 4. Load data with Effect | queryEffect, typed errors and defects |
| 5. Write data with Effect | mutationEffect, asyncProcessEffect, reactive updates |
| 6. Provide Layers and route the app | app/route Layers, DI proofs, type-safe routes |
| 7. Build forms and validate boundaries | Effect Schema, forms, typed submit errors |
| 8. Test the graph | Effect service mocks, Craft registers, architecture tests |
| 9. Call server functions — POC | client/server boundary, serverFunction, executeEffect |
Before you start
You need a TypeScript application, Node.js 20.19+ (or 22.12+), and basic knowledge of generators. The guide uses Effect 4 RC and the beta CraftTS packages:
npm i @craft-ts/core@beta @craft-ts/component@beta @craft-ts/effect@beta
npm i effect@rc
npm i -D @craft-ts/dev-tools@betaKeep @craft-ts/core, @craft-ts/component and @craft-ts/effect on the same CraftTS version. @craft-ts/effect has effect as a peer dependency.
Experimental APIs
CraftTS and this Effect integration are still experimental. The Effect bridge, the server-function API and their types can change between beta releases. The server-function chapter is deliberately labelled proof of concept: use it to explore the model, not as a final production contract.
The central rule
Craft owns the reactive boundary. Effect owns domain programs and their dependencies. Do not create a stateEffect: use native Craft state for UI state, and use queryEffect, mutationEffect or asyncProcessEffect when an Effect program crosses into a Craft resource.