Node.js in Rust: How to do it and what to expect from it

The main goal of this talk is to show that it is possible to embed Node.js runtime in your Rust project and to explain why it can be beneficial.I will guide you through all the crucial steps of embedding Node.js. We will look at the official Node.js C++ embedder API and what we can do with Rust’s FFI despite its lack of C++ support. Much of this is the result of the embedding experiments I did while helping build Orogene - a package manager for Node.js-compatible projects that is written in Rust.

Transcript

1. Node.js in Rust: how to do it and what to expect from it Kirill Vasiltcov @virtualkirill
2. in
3. Why?
4. in
5. in
6. Why Node.js?
7. Node.js gives us  Standard library (networking, file system access and so on)  Module resolution and more!
8. Why even bother?
9. Illustration by Icons 8 from Ouch! (https://icons8.com/illustrations/) Package managers benefit from Node.js APIs
11. use node_modules
12. use node_modules
14. node_modules
15. Many tools rely on Node.js APIs like require() require() relies on…node_modules!
16. Breaking node_modules breaks important tools
17. Breaking node_modules breaks important tools
18. Illustration by Icons 8 from Ouch! (https://icons8.com/illustrations/) Can we do better?
19. require() fs
20. require() fs
21. require() fs Content- addressable cache?
22. Why Rust?
25. * Not in active development
26. Medium-sized project installation memory usage ~300MB → ~30MB
27. git push CI
28. git push CI npm install tons-of-packages 💰 RAM CPU 💰
29. Embedding Node.js in orogene
30. • Run JavaScript without "shelling out“ • Shim module loading (and resolution) logic
31. • Run JavaScript without "shelling out“ • Shim module loading (and resolution) logic 🤔 🤔 Content- addressable cache?
34. Node.js has an embedder API
35. Node.js has an embedder API ...but in C++
36. FFI Foreign Function Interface
37. FFI
38. FFI Only for C!
39. Fortunately, • Node.js can be compiled as a library • Node.js embedder API example has an extremely simple call signature • It is easy to export C functions from C++
40. for rustc Building Node.js
42. Simple call signature = Easy C wrapper
43. Inside C++ code
44. Inside Rust code
45. Inside Rust code C-style string
46. Rust build.rs script
47. Rust build.rs script libnode.so.83
48. Use the C wrapper from Rust
49. Use the C wrapper from Rust
54. and type checker…?
55. https://github.com/jlkiri/nodeinrust
56. Special Thanks  Kat Marchán  Felipe Seré  Anna Henningsen and many others!
57. Thank you for watching!