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From this, I found out that JavaScript is written in C++. I also have found out/deduced that a majority of JavaScript is C++ (e.g. Math.atan+"" and Math.atan.toString() yielding "function atan() { [native code] }"). The [native code I assume to be C++, else what would be the point of 'hiding' it?
My question is there a way to utilize C++ in JavaScript? To use it in a function or in the JavaScript platform?
593
JavaScript hides this power. C is commonly used for embedded computers and applications that require high performance such as operating systems. JavaScript was first embedded only in web pages, but it is finding a new role in server applications developed through Node. js.
Running a C program in a browser using the standard library doesn't make any sense. Even if you had the whole C library available, you wouldn't be able to use it. The browser doesn't allow interacting with the system directly from its JavaScript runtime, it's a security measure.
Many of the other big names, such as Python, Perl, PHP, and Ruby also have a C-style influence, although how important that is, and to what degree, depends on who you ask. JavaScript has a C-like syntax, but is substantially different once you get past the surface.
Web assembly, or wasm, is a web standard that allows us to integrate compiled languages like C++ and C in Javascript applications. Note: At this point there might be support for other platforms as well (e.g. . Net). Wasm enables us to compile C/C++ code to a binary format that can be executed directly by the browser.
The emscripten project allows you to to generate Javascript from C and C++:
Emscripten is an LLVM-to-JavaScript compiler. It takes LLVM bitcode - which can be generated from C/C++, using llvm-gcc (DragonEgg) or clang, or any other language that can be converted into LLVM - and compiles that into JavaScript, which can be run on the web (or anywhere else JavaScript can run).
and through methods like ccall and cwrap you can call C functions:
Using the example from the site, this C++ code which used extern "C" to prevent name mangling:
#include <math.h>
extern "C" {
int int_sqrt(int x) {
return sqrt(x);
}
}
can be compiled like so:
./emcc tests/hello_function.cpp -o function.html -s EXPORTED_FUNCTIONS="['_int_sqrt']"
and used in Javascript:
int_sqrt = Module.cwrap('int_sqrt', 'number', ['number'])
int_sqrt(12)
int_sqrt(28)
embind can be used for C++ functions and classes. The quick example from the site is as follows:
// quick_example.cpp
#include <emscripten/bind.h>
using namespace emscripten;
float lerp(float a, float b, float t) {
return (1 - t) * a + t * b;
}
EMSCRIPTEN_BINDINGS(my_module) {
function("lerp", &lerp);
}
and compile:
emcc --bind -o quick_example.js quick_example.cpp
and use in Javascript:
<!doctype html>
<html>
<script src="quick_example.js"></script>
<script>
console.log('lerp result: ' + Module.lerp(1, 2, 0.5));
</script>
</html>
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