pnpm add rescript is not enough to make @rescript/runtime resolvable from the app

[JonoPrest]

rescript declares @rescript/runtime, but with pnpm the runtime is only installed in the virtual store, not exposed as a direct app dependency.

Minimal repro:

mkdir repro-runtime
cd repro-runtime
pnpm init
pnpm add rescript
node -p "require('./node_modules/rescript/package.json').dependencies['@rescript/runtime']"
test -d node_modules/@rescript/runtime && echo present || echo missing
node -p "require.resolve('@rescript/runtime/package.json')"

Actual result:

• rescript declares @rescript/runtime
• node_modules/@rescript/runtime is missing
• require.resolve('@rescript/runtime/package.json') fails from the app root

But the package does exist in .pnpm, so it is installed transitively.

This means app-owned compiled JS importing @rescript/runtime/... fails unless the app also adds @rescript/runtime directly.

Question:

• Is this expected with pnpm?
• If yes, should the docs explicitly say ReScript apps using strict package isolation should add @rescript/runtime directly?

[fhammerschmidt]

Does that solve it?
https://forum.rescript-lang.org/t/rescript-runtime-dependency-problems/7033/26?u=fham

[JonoPrest]

Does that solve it? https://forum.rescript-lang.org/t/rescript-runtime-dependency-problems/7033/26?u=fham

Yes hoisting will solve it, but it seems like a workaround to require hoisting.

[jderochervlk]

I would add details to the docs for pnpm including installing the package or hoisting to resolve the issue.