NAME

JavaScript::Duktape - Perl interface to Duktape embeddable javascript engine

SYNOPSIS

use JavaScript::Duktape;

## create new js context
my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new();

# set function to be used from javascript land
$js->set('write' => sub {
    print $_[0], "\n";
});

$js->eval(qq{
    (function(){
        for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++){
            write(i);
        }
    })();
});

DESCRIPTION

JavaScript::Duktape implements almost all duktape javascript engine api, the c code is just a thin layer that maps duktape api to perl, and all other functions implemented in perl it self, so maintaing and contributing to the base code should be easy.

JavaScript::Duktape->new(%options)

initiate JavaScript::Duktape with options

options

max_memory

Set maximum memory allowed for the excuted javascript code to consume, not setting this option is the default, which means no restricts on the maximum memory that can be consumed.

Minumum value to set for the max_memory option is 256 * 1024 = (256k) setting number below 256k will croak.

max_memory => 256 * 1024 * 2

You can resize the memory allowed to consume on different executions by calling resize_memory method, see "Sandboxing" section below.

timout

Set maximum time javascript code can run, this value represented in seconds and is not 100% guranteed that the javascript code will fail after the exact value passed, but it will eventually fail on first tick checking.

Not setting this option is the default, which means no timeout checking at all

timeout => 5

You can override this value later on another code evaluation by calling set_timeout method

$js->set_timeout(25);

See "Sandboxing" section below

methods

set('name', data);

Creates property 'name' and sets it's value to the given perl data

$js->set('something', {}); #set something
$js->set('something.name', 'Joe');
$js->set('number', 1234);
...

this method will die if you try to set a property on undfined base value

$js->set('notHere.name', 'Joe'); ## will die

## so first set "notHere"
$js->set('notHere', {});
$js->set('notHere.name', 'Joe'); ## good
get('name');

Gets property 'name' value from javascript and return it as perl data, this method will die if you try to get value of undefined base value

my $print_sub = $js->get('print');
eval('javascript');

Evaluates javascript string and return the results or croak if error

my $ret = $js->eval(q{
    var t = 1+2;
    t; // return value from eval
});

print $ret, "\n"; # 3
get_object('name');

Same as get method but instead of returning a raw value of the property name, it will return a JavaScript::Duktape::Object this method will die if you try to get a property that is not of type 'object'

$js->eval(q{
    function Person (name){
        this.name = name;
    }
});

my $personObject = $js->get('Person');

# $personObject is a blessed 'JavaScript::Duktape::Object' object
# so you can call internal

my $person = $personObject->new('Joe');
print $person->name, "\n"; # Joe

For more on how you can use JavaScript::Duktape::Object please see examples provided with this distribution

Sandboxing

As of version 2.2.0 JavaScript::Duktape integrated some of Duktape Engine Sandboxing methods, this will allow developers to restrict the running javascript code by restricting memory consumption and running time

DUK_USE_EXEC_TIMEOUT_CHECK flag is set by default to enable Bytecode execution timeout

# prevent javascript code to consume memory more
# than max_memory option

my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new( max_memory => 256 * 1024 );

# this will fail with "Error: alloc failed" message
# when running, because it will consume more memory
# than the allowed max_memory
$js->eval(q{
    var str = '';
    while(1){ str += 'XXXX' }
});

set_timout(t)

Enable/Disable timeout checking, to disable set the value to 0 this value is in seconds

my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new();

# throw 'time out' Error if executed
# js code does not finish after 5 seconds
$js->set_timeout(5);

eval {
    $js->eval(q{
        while(1){}
    });
};

print $@, "\n"; #RangeError: execution timeout

# disable timeout checking
$js->set_timeout(0);

# now will run infinitely
$js->eval(q{
    while(1){}
});

This method can be used with duktape VM instance too

my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new();
my $duk = $js->duk();

$duk->set_timeout(3);
$duk->peva_stringl(q{
    while (1){}
});

print $duk->safe_to_string(-1); # Error: execution 'time out'

resize_memory(m)

This method will have effect only if you intiated with max_memory option

my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new( max_memory => 1024 * 256 );


eval {
    $js->eval(q{
        var buf = Buffer(( 1024 * 256 ) + 1000 );
        print('does not reach');
    });
};

print $@, "\n"; # Error: 'alloc failed'

$js->resize_memory( 1024 * 256 * 2 );

# now it will not throw
$js->eval(q{
    var buf = Buffer(( 1024 * 256 ) + 1000 );
    print('ok');
});

VM API

vm api corresponds to Duktape Engine API see http://duktape.org/api.html To access vm create new context then call vm

my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new();
my $duk = $js->vm;

#now you can call Duktape API from perl

$duk->push_string('print');
$duk->eval();
$duk->push_string('hi');
$duk->call(1);
$duk->pop();

Also you may find it useful to use dump function regularly to get a better idea where you're in the stack, the following code is the same example above but with using dump function to get a glance of stack top

my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new();
my $duk = $js->duk;

#push "print" string
$duk->push_string('print');
$duk->dump(); #-> [ Duktape (top=1): print ]

#since print is a native function we need to evaluate it
$duk->eval();
$duk->dump(); #-> [ Duktape (top=1): function print() {/* native */} ]

#push one argument to print function
$duk->push_string('hi');
$duk->dump(); #-> [ Duktape (top=2): function print() {/* native */} hi ]

#now call print function and pass "hi" as one argument
$duk->call(1);

#since print function doesn't return any value, it will push undefined to the stack
$duk->dump(); #-> [ Duktape (top=1): undefined ]

#pop to remove undefined from stack top
$duk->pop();

#Bingo
$duk->dump(); #-> [ Duktape (top=0): ]

VM methods

As a general rule all duktape api supported, but I haven't had the chance to test them all, so please report any missing or failure api call and I'll try to fix

For the list of duktape engine API please see http://duktape.org/api.html, and here is how you can translate duktape api to perl

my $js = JavaScript::Duktape->new();
my $duk = $js->duk;

# -- C example
# duk_push_c_function(func, 2);
# duk_push_int(ctx, 2);
# duk_push_int(ctx, 3);
# duk_call(ctx, 2);  /* [ ... func 2 3 ] -> [ 5 ] */
# printf("2+3=%ld\n", (long) duk_get_int(ctx, -1));
# duk_pop(ctx);

#and here is how we can implement it in JavaScript::Duktape

$duk->push_c_function(sub {
    my $num1 = $duk->get_int(0);
    my $num2 = $duk->get_int(1);

    my $total = $num1+$num2;
    $duk->push_number($total);
    return 1;
}, 2);

$duk->push_int(2);
$duk->push_int(3);
$duk->call(2);  # [ ... func 2 3 ] -> [ 5 ]
printf("2+3=%ld\n", $duk->get_int(-1));
$duk->pop();

As you can see all you need to do is replacing duk_ with $duk-> and remove ctx from the function call, this may sounds crazy but api tests have been generated by copying duktape tests and using search and replace tool :)

Besides duktape api, JavaScript::Duktape::Vm implements the following methods

push_function ( code_ref );

push perl sub into duktape stack, this is the same as push_perl_function except it will handle both passed arguments and return data for you

$duk->push_function(sub {
    my ($arg1, $arg2, ...) = @_;
    return $something;
});
push_perl_function ( code_ref, num_of_args );

an alias to push_c_function, same as push_perl_function except you will be responsible for extracting arguments and pushing returning data

$duk->push_perl_function(sub {
    my $arg1 = $duk->get_int(-1);
    my $somthing_to_return = "..";
    $duk->push_string($somthing_to_return);
    return 1;
});
push_perl( ... );

Push given perl data into the duktape stack.

to_perl(index);

Get the value at index and return it as perl data

to_perl_object(index);

Get object at index and return it as 'JavaScript::Duktape::Object', this function will die if javascript data at index is not of type object

reset_top

resets duktape stack top

EXPORTS

JavaScript::Duktape exports the following by default

true
false
null
_ (underscore)

This can be used to indicate that we are calling an object function without arguments, see "CAVEATS"

this

This can be called from pushed perl sub

$duk->push_perl_function(sub{
    my $this = this;
});

See examples/this.pl

DEAFULT JAVASCRIPT FUNCTIONS

JavaScript::Duktape has alert and print functions available as global functions to javascript, where alert prints to STDERR and print prints to STDOUT.

CAVEATS

VM methods

JavaScript::Duktape vm methods is a direct low level calls to duktape c library, so stepping outside of the stack will result in a program termination without a useful error message, so you need to be careful when using these methods and always check your stack with $duk->dump() method

JavaScript::Duktape::Object

JavaScript::Duktape::Object use overload and AUTOLOAD internally, so there is no way to guess if you're trying to get a property type of function or executing it, this is the same as javascript behaviour

# js
$js->eval(q{
    function test () {
        return 'Hi';
    }

    print(test); // function(){ ... }
    print(test()) // Hi
});

## same thing when we do it in perl
my $test = $js->get_object('test');

print $test, "\n"; #JavaScript::Duktape::Function=CODE(...)
print $test->(), "\n"; #Hi

This may sound ok with simple function calls but gets ugly not perlish when you're trying to call deep object properties

So JavaScript::Duktape exports a special variable underscore '_' by default this to indicate that we are calling the function with no arguments

$js->eval(q{
    function Person (name){
        this.name = name;
    }

    Person.prototype.getName = function(){
        print(this.name);
    };

    var me = new Person('Joe');
    print(me.getName); // function(){ ... }
    print(me.getName()); // Joe
});

# Now let's do it in perl
my $Person = $js->get_object('Person');
my $me = $Person->new('Joe');

print $me->getName, "\n"; #JavaScript::Duktape::Function=CODE(...)
print $me->getName(), "\n"; #JavaScript::Duktape::Function=CODE(...)
print $me->getName->(), "\n"; # Joe

#however if you pass any argument with the function it will work
print $me->getName(0), "\n"; #Joe

# or you can use special null argument _ which we export by default
print $me->getName(_), "\n"; #Joe

AUTHOR

Mamod Mehyar <mamod.mehyar@gmail.com>

CONTRIBUTORS

Thanks for everyone who contributed to this module, either by code, bug reports, API design or suggestions

APPRECIATION

Credits should go to Duktape Javascript embeddable engine and it's creator Sami Vaarala

LICENSE

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.