Is there a way to compile node.js source files? [d

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Is it possible to create desktop applications with node.js? [duplicate] (5 answers)

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Is there a way to compile a node.js application?

Answer 1

EncloseJS.

You get a fully functional binary without sources.

Native modules also supported. (must be placed in the same folder)

JavaScript code is transformed into native code at compile-time using V8 internal compiler. Hence, your sources are not required to execute the binary, and they are not packaged.

Perfectly optimized native code can be generated only at run-time based on the client's machine. Without that info EncloseJS can generate only "unoptimized" code. It runs about 2x slower than NodeJS.

Also, node.js runtime code is put inside the executable (along with your code) to support node API for your application at run-time.

Use cases:

• Make a commercial version of your application without sources.
• Make a demo/evaluation/trial version of your app without sources.
• Make some kind of self-extracting archive or installer.
• Make a closed source GUI application using node-thrust.
• No need to install node and npm to deploy the compiled application.
• No need to download hundreds of files via npm install to deploy your application. Deploy it as a single independent file.
• Put your assets inside the executable to make it even more portable. Test your app against new node version without installing it.

Answer 2

javascript does not not have a compiler like for example Java/C(You can compare it more to languages like PHP for example). If you want to write compiled code you should read the section about addons and learn C. Although this is rather complex and I don't think you need to do this but instead just write javascript.

Answer 3

You can use the Closure compiler to compile your javascript.

You can also use CoffeeScript to compile your coffeescript to javascript.

What do you want to achieve with compiling?

The task of compiling arbitrary non-blocking JavaScript down to say, C sounds very daunting.

There really isn't that much speed to be gained by compiling to C or ASM. If you want speed gain offload computation to a C program through a sub process.

Answer 4

Node.js runs on top of the V8 Javascript engine, which itself optimizes performance by compiling javascript code into native code... so no reason really for compiling then, is there?

https://developers.google.com/v8/design#mach_code

Answer 5

I maybe very late but you can use "nexe" module that compile nodejs + your script in one executable: https://github.com/crcn/nexe

Answer 6

There was an answer here: Secure distribution of NodeJS applications. Raynos said: V8 allows you to pre-compile JavaScript.