Koact

Facebook's React.js-like UI Development Framework for Roblox(Luau) and Kolloid Framework on Roblox

About

"Koact" stands for KO(lloid)(re)ACT It is a built-in library for the Kolloid framework and is included as a submodule. Koact also enables UI development in Roblox in a similar way to React.

Note

• This project was not developed using rojo (I just wanted to develop on Roblox Studio :D, And this makes it easy to insert as a submodule into the kolloid framework)
• I'm thinking about using wally package manager soon
• The autocomplete feature has only been tested in Roblox Studio's script editor. Sadly it may not work externally or on the Roblox LSP.
• I spent quite a bit of my time to open source this project in order to be of some help to someone. Please refrain from criticizing me and I would appreciate it if you could help me.

Warning

• This project is not yet complete and may contain errors or bugs.
• Not much testing has been done yet, and there may still be unknown issues remaining. (I would really appreciate it if you could report it to the issues. Or contact me through Discord jiwonz)
• Documentation is not yet complete. If you have any questions, please leave an issue or contact us on Discord jiwonz and i will gladly explain.

Features

• React-like development pattern and code styles
• Supports Roblox UI Classes
• Supports Full Auto completion (for Roblox Studio)
• Supports Helper types (for Roblox Studio)
• Supports React-like Hooks
• More snippets support
• Unlike react, there is Modifiers concept
• Unlike react, supports Localization
• Unlike react, supports 2D ParticleEmitter (thanks to @nuttolum)

Installation

Wally

Add into your wally.toml

Roblox Binary Model

Download .RBXM

Example Code

localization/default.lua

return Koact.newLocalizationTable{
	CounterText="you've clicked %s times!";
}

localization/tur.lua

local Default = require(script.Parent.default)
return {
	[Default.CounterText]="%s kez tıkladınız!";
}

number_counter.lua

local localizationTable = require(script.Parent.localization.default)

local function App()
	local count, setCount = Koact.useState(0)
	local localization = Koact.useLocalization(localizationTable)

	return Koact.TextButton{
		Position=UDim2.fromScale(0.5,0.5);
		AnchorPoint=Vector2.new(0.5,0.5);
		Size=UDim2.fromScale(0.5,0.5);
		Text=(localization.CounterText):format(count); --- if you're turkish, this text will be "{count} kez tıkladınız!"
		onClick=function()
			setCount(count+1)
		end
	}
end

Koact.render(
	Koact.ScreenGui{
		Koact[App]{}
	},LocalPlayer.PlayerGui
)

Getting Started

COMING SOON

Koact Reference

Introduction

Although there are some things missing or added to Koact, i recommend that you refer to React's reference. Additionally, Koact uses a virtual DOM(Koact elements) like React and its life cycle is almost identical to React. also full documentation for Koact will be released later. if you have a question or a problem, please leave a issue or a DM in my discord jiwonz

Helper Types

• You can type 'help' or 'HELP' in props table to watch all properties
• If there are any changes to the Roblox UI API, the helper must be updated for autocomplete to work to the latest version.

Koact

Roblox Elements

example

--- to create UI Elements
Koact["Roblox UI Class Name Here"]{} --- equal to Koact["Roblox UI Class Name Here"](), props can be nil if you want

--- TextLabel element
Koact.TextLabel{
	Text="Hello world";
}

--- event handling
Koact.ImageButton{
	ref=ref;
	onClick=function()
		print("clicked")
	end,
	onMouseDown=function()
		print("mouse button down")
	end,
	onMouseUp=function()
		print("mouse button up")
	end,
	onMouseEnter=function()
		print("mouse entered")
	end,
	onMouseLeave=function()
		print("mouse left")
	end,
	onRightClick=function()
		print("right mouse clicked")
	end,
	on={"Changed",function()
		print("you can also handle Instance's events manually too!")
	end},
	onChange={"Name",function(old,new)
		print("property Name has changed to",new,"from",old)
	end}
}

--- style
local styles = Koact.newStylesheet({
	BlueBackground={
		BackgroundColor3=Color3.new(0,0,1);
	};
	[Koact.Frame]={
		BackgroundColor3=Color3.new(1,0,0);
	}
})

return function()
	Koact.useStylesheet(styles)

	return Koact.Frame{
		Name="Red Screen";
		Size=UDim2.fromScale(1,1);
		Koact.TextLabel{
			style=styles.BlueBackground;
			Size=UDim2.fromScale(0.5,0.5);
		}
	}
end

Functional Elements

Fragment

• Make child components render in the parent component

RouterProvider

• Provides path and navigate function to children components

Route

• If the router's current path matches, render the child component, otherwise not render it

LocalizationProvider

• Provides a localization table to child components, equivalent to localizationTable.Provider{}, which receives the localization prop

ParticleEmitter

• Creates a 2D particle emitter that receives ParticleEmitter and the Enabled and Emit properties.
• Special thanks to @nuttolum for providing the implementation of the 2D particle emitter

Modifier Elements

• Koact.Modifier[Element Name] Creates a modifier element whose parent element is affected by it

example

--- you can create roblox's modifiers such as UIGradient, UIStroke, UICorners and etc
--- Or you can use special custom modifiers whose references are listed below.
return Koact.Frame{
	Size=UDim2.fromOffset(300,300);
	Koact.Modifier.UIGradient{
		Color=ColorSequence.new(Color3.new(1,0,0),Color3.new(0,0,1));
		Rotation=45;
	}
}

Modifier.TextScale

• Modifies parent element's TextSize depends on this modifier's Scale prop
• This Scale prop is relative to the Y axis
• Example code is appeared in Function Components example code section

Modifier.Round

• Uses Image's slices to implement its round corners
• Must be parented to ImageLabel or ImageButton
• Special thanks to @qwreey75 for contributing the rounded corners feature of the Quad UI library.

Modifier.Blur

• Makes parent element's area blurry
• Uses DOF to create this blur effect
• Special thanks to @Fractality for providing the 2D blur effect module.

Modifier.ScreenBlur

• Makes whole screen blurry if the parent element is visible

Modifier.Shadow

• Creates shadow effect on the parent element
• It repeats every frame to maintain the position of the parent element.

Modifier.Dragger

• Requires prop Dragger argument which must be a Button
• Allows you to click on a Dragger element and drag the position of its parent element.

Modifier.Resizer

• Attaches resizers to parent elements

Function Components

example

local function MyButton(props)
	return Koact.ImageButton{
		Position=props.Position;
		Size=props.Size;
		Image=Koact.rbxassetid(12345678);
		Koact.TextLabel{
			Size=UDim2.fromScale(1,1);
			Text=props.Text:upper(); --- i want to make it upper case :D
			Koact.Modifier.TextScale{
				Scale=0.7;
			}; --- TextScale example!
		}
	}
end

Koact.render(
	Koact.ScreenGui{
		Koact[MyButton]{ --- this table is called 'props'
			Text="Hello Koact!"
			Size=UDim2.fromOffset(200,100);
			Position=UDim2.fromOffset(0,0);
		};
		Koact[MyButton]{
			Size=UDim2.fromOffset(200,100);
			Position=UDim2.fromOffset(0,100);
		};
		Koact[MyButton]{
			Size=UDim2.fromOffset(200,100);
			Position=UDim2.fromOffset(0,200);
		};
	},LocalPlayer.PlayerGui
)

Hooks

useContext

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useContext: (context: Context) -> (any?)

• Returns a value from the given context.

useState

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useState: (initialValue: any?) -> (any?, (value) -> ())

• Manages state in functional components.

useEffect

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useEffect: (callback: () -> (), ...any?) -> (() -> ())

• Runs an effect in functional components.

useReducer

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useReducer: (reducer: (state: any?, action: any?) -> (any?), initialArg: any?) -> (any?, (action: any?) -> ())

• Manages state using a reducer function.

example

local function counterReducer(state,action)
	if action.type == "INCREMENT" then
		return { count = state.count + 1 }
	elseif action.type == "DECREMENT" then
		return { count = state.count - 1 }
	else
		return state
	end
end

local function Counter()
	local state, dispatch = Koact.useReducer(counterReducer,{ count = 0 })

	return Koact.TextButton{
		Position=UDim2.fromScale(0.5,0.5);
		AnchorPoint=Vector2.new(0.5,0.5);
		Text=state.count;
		Size=UDim2.fromScale(0.5,0.5);
		onClick=function()
			dispatch({ type = "INCREMENT" })
		end,
		onRightClick=function()
			dispatch({ type = "DECREMENT" })
		end,
		Koact.Modifier.TextScale{
			Scale=0.7;
		}
	}
end

useRef

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useRef: (initialValue) -> (Ref)

• Creates a mutable object that persists across renders.

example

return function()
	local ref = Koact.useRef()
	Koact.useEffect(function()
		local viewportFrame = ref.current
		local camera = Instance.new("Camera",viewportFrame)
		viewportFrame.CurrentCamera = camera
		local sword = script.Parent.assets.Sword:Clone()
		sword.Parent = viewportFrame
	end,nil)
	return Koact.ViewportFrame{
		ref=ref;
	}
end

useCallback

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useCallback: (callback: () -> (), ...any?) -> (() -> ())

• Memoizes a callback function.

useMemo

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useMemo: (callback: () -> (), ...any?) -> (any?)

• Memoizes a value.

useChange

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useChange: (...any?) -> (boolean)

• Monitors changes and returns a boolean.

useNavigate

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useNavigate: () -> ()

• Navigates within the application.

useTween

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useTween: (initialValue: any) -> (Hooker, () -> ())

• When the initial value is set, tweening is not initially performed to that initial value position.
• The first returns a state value, and the second returns a function that can trigger the tween by changing the state value.

useLocalization

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useLocalization: (localizationTable: {}) -> ({})

• Returns current localization table

useLanguage

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useLanguage: () -> (Locale.Enums, (Locale.Enums) -> ())

• Returns current language using and a function that allows you to manually change the main language of the localization table that useLocalization will return.

useSound

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useSound: (sound: Sound) -> () -> ()

• This returns a function that has the same effect as SoundService:PlayLocal(sound)

useStylesheet

warning This function is only available in function component scope

useStylesheet: (stylesheet: {}) -> ()

• Applies a stylesheet to a component.

Functions

newContext

newContext: (initialValue: any?) -> (Context)

• Creates a new context.

newLocalizationTable

newLocalizationTable: (localizationTable: {}) -> ({Provider: LocalizationProvider})

• Creates a new localization table container and returns localizationTable + Provider
• Supports autocomplete for localization table

memo

memo: (component: Component) -> (Component)

• Memoizes a component. (COMING SOON)

render

render: (element: Element, rendererInstance: Instance) -> ()

• Renders an element.

rbxassetid

rbxassetid: (assetId: number | string) -> (string)

• Converts an asset ID number to a rbxasset string.

Asynchronous Functions

issues Bugs may occur if these functions are used with or after a function that yields a thread.

setTimeout

warning This function is only available in function component scope

setTimeout: (func: () -> (), seconds: number) -> ()

• Sets a timeout for a function.

setInterval

warning This function is only available in function component scope

setInterval: (func: () -> (), seconds: number) -> (number)

• Sets an interval for a function.

clearInterval

warning This function is only available in function component scope

clearInterval: (intervalId: number) -> ()

• Clears an interval.

async

warning This function is only available in function component scope

async: (func: () -> ()) -> (() -> ())

• Executes a function asynchronously.

await

warning This function is only available in function component scope

await: (func: () -> ()) -> (any)

• Awaits the result of an asynchronous function.

Known Issues

• Asynchronous functions may not work as expected or may produce errors or bugs.
• Function Koact.render() is little bit messy -> bugs can be seen.

TODO

• Koact.memo()
• More optimized performance
• More features for Koact.useSound()

Credits / Special Thanks

• @facebook for inspiration and solutions
• @qwreey75 for quad/round, UIDragger, UIReszier and for providing the necessary knowledge about React and providing a lot of help.
• @Fractality for UI Blur
• @nuttolum for UIParticle
• @roblox for roact/type, roact/symbol