fabiosantoscode / js2cpp

A toy js -> c++ compiler written in coffeescript. Uses escodegen to write c++ and tern to figure out types.
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What's this?

It's the product of the crazy idea of using the very excellent tern.js project to figure out the types of things and use them!

js2cpp doesn't have a garbage collector yet. But it is usable and can run some JavaScript code as is!

How can I use it?

Yeah, it actually does some things. This is how js2cpp handles strings:

$ echo '"lol" + "lel"' | bin/js2cpp
#include "js2c.h"
#include <string>

String("lol") + String("lel");

And here's console.log!

$ echo 'console.log(1, 2, "3")' | bin/js2cpp
#include "js2c.h"
#include <string>

console.log(1, 2, String("3"));

It works because there's a "console" instance of a "Console" class with a variadic "log" function.

Here is tern.js figuring out a couple of types.

$ echo 'var aNumber = 1; var aString = "1";' | bin/js2cpp
#include "js2c.h"
#include <string>

double aNumber = 1;
String aString = String("1");

How do I run this? (Usage)

 ~ ♥  bin/js2cpp -h
Usage: js2cpp --run (run javascript from stdin)
Usage: js2cpp --run filename.js
Usage: js2cpp (compile from stdin)
Usage: js2cpp filename.js (compile)

environment variables:
 ~ $ RUN_VALGRIND=1 js2cpp --run ...    - Run the compiled program with `valgrind`
 ~ $ GPP_BINARY=/path/to/g++ js2cpp ... - Select what g++ binary to use (defaults to `g++`)

Dumbjs

js2cpp is kind of a frontend to fabiosantoscode/dumbjs, a javascript simplifier. It turns javascript that looks like this:

function foo(x) {
    x++
    return function () { return x }
}
console.log(foo(0)())

Into something like this:

var _flatten_0 = function (_closure) {
    return _closure.x
}
var foo = function (x) {
    var _closure_0 = {}
    _closure_0.x = x
    _closure_0.x++
    return BIND(_flatten_0, _closure_0)
}
var main = function () {
    console.log(foo(0)())
}

(the BIND function must be defined elsewhere, in this case in js2cpp)

Its features are closure simulation, main-ification (put stuff in a main() function), function de-nesting, and more will come.

Since all of it is a much simpler form of javascript, it takes a huge weight off the shoulders of js2cpp and makes sure its code remains (somewhat) understandable by not mixing up concerns.

This also means that you can use dumbjs to transpile javascript to other languages. Most of its features are switchable, because not every transpilation target language will need you to do things like wrapping things in a main() function or simulating closures.

Roadmap

(unordered)

The main objective of this project is to implement at least 80% of the parts of javascript you use every day.

This means that, like a lot of npm modules which accidentally work in the browser when browserified, a lot of npm modules should accidentally work natively when js2cpp-ified.

All of the following features may be implemented in dumbjs, in this project, or in both at the same time, depending on whether they apply to each project.

Hey this is AMAZING I WANNA FORK IT SELL IT OR WHATEVER WHAT IS TEH LICENSSSS

Just have fun with it! WTFPL