C++ and Node.js Integration

About this book Who is this book for? About the author Acknowledgments Chapter 1 - Introduction Why build a C++ addon? What is a Node.js Module? What is a Node.js Addon? Node.js and the V8 Engine Hello World - Returning data from C++ to JavaScript From the bottom up - registering the module The Isolate object, Locals, and FunctionCallbackInfo Building Addons with node-gyp Pre-requisites for building Configuring the build Calling your Addon from JavaScript Passing Parameters from JavaScript to C++ Inspecting the arguments before using them Calling JavaScript functions from C++ Calling callbacks with parameters Take-aways and what's coming next… Chapter 2 - Understanding the V8 API JavaScript memory allocation Isolates Contexts JavaScript variables, C++ Handles HandleScope V8 Data Types Primitives - Strings, Numbers, and Booleans Objects Arrays Other data types Passing Local Handles and using Escapable Handles Persistent Handles Chapter 3 - Basic Integration Patterns Node Versions Integration Pattern: Data transferring Rainfall Data Example Organizing the source code Rainfall C++ data models Thinking about JavaScript Creating the Rainfall Addon Building the C++ addon Mapping JavaScript objects to C++ classes Completed Node.js File - Average Rainfall Returning Objects - a collection of statistics Building the JavaScript object and returning it Calling from JavaScript Receiving and Returning Arrays of Rainfall Data Registering the callable addon function Extracting the Array in C++ Building an Array to return back from C++ About efficiency Chapter 4 - Asynchronous Addons V8 Function API Synchronous addons with a Callback Moving to Asynchronous with Worker Threads Asynchronous Memory Headaches The C++ addon code The worker thread When the worker completes… Understanding V8 Memory and Worker Threads Handles - Local and Persistent Bring on the worker threads! Understanding V8 Locker objects What about Unlocker? Why typical async addons work Workarounds and Compromises Chapter 5 - Object Wrapping Example: Polynomial Class Adding methods Adding properties (accessor/mutators) Completed Wrapped Polynomial class Wrapping existing objects Wrapped Objects as Arguments Chapter 6 - Native Abstractions for Node (NAN) Basic Functionality Build setup Creating functions Working with Primitives Maybe types and ToLocalChecked Working with Strings Working with Objects Working with Arrays Callbacks and Asynchronous Patterns Sending Progress Updates from async addons ObjectWrap Nan - conclusions Chapter 7 - Streaming between Node and C++ Emitting events from C++ Building the C++ addon Building the JS adapter Generalizing Event-based Addons Emitting JSON from C++ Streaming C++ output Stopping a streaming addon Emitting events to C++ Streaming input to C++ Summary Chapter 8 - Publishing Addons Review of node-gyp basics Publishing to npm Distributing addons that use NAN Distributing addons that use C++11 C++11 example Building on Linux Building on OS X Building on Windows Including multiple C++ files Pre-compiled Addons Node-gyp Alternative: cmake-js Appendix A - Alternatives to Addons C++ and Node.js - your options How to choose Option 1 - Automation Option 2 - Shared Library / DLL Option 3 - Node.js Addon A running example - Prime Numbers Getting Started - a simple Node.js Web app Automating a C++ program from a Node.js Web app Prime Sieve C/C++ implementation The Node.js Child Process API Scenario 1: C++ Program with input from command-line arguments Scenario 2: C++ Program that gets input from user (stdin) Scenario 3: Automating a file-based C++ program Calling Native C++ from Node.js as a DLL Preparing the C++ as a Shared Library Building the Shared Library with gyp Calling primelib with FFI Putting it all together Building an Asynchronous C++ Addon for Node.js using Nan Addon Code - blocking Addon Code - non-blocking Putting it all together… Appendix B - Buffers Example: PNG and BMP Image Processing Setting up the addon Passing buffers to an addon Returning buffers from addon Buffers as a solution to the worker thread copying problem Closing