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Node.js JavaScript runtime ✨🐢🚀✨
A modern runtime for JavaScript and TypeScript.
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A framework for building compiled Node.js add-ons in Rust via Node-API
Build smaller, faster, and more secure desktop and mobile applications with a web frontend.
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Quick Overview
Napa.js is a multi-threaded JavaScript runtime built on V8, designed to provide a simple way to write multi-threaded JavaScript code for Node.js applications. It aims to improve performance and resource utilization in Node.js applications by allowing developers to leverage multi-core processors more effectively.
Pros
- Enables true multi-threading in JavaScript, improving performance for CPU-intensive tasks
- Seamless integration with existing Node.js applications
- Provides a simple API for creating and managing worker threads
- Supports sharing of JavaScript objects between threads
Cons
- Project is no longer actively maintained (last commit was in 2018)
- Limited community support and ecosystem compared to other multi-threading solutions
- Potential learning curve for developers not familiar with multi-threaded programming concepts
- May introduce complexity in debugging and error handling
Code Examples
- Creating a worker and executing a function:
const napa = require('napajs');
// Create a worker zone with 4 workers
const zone = napa.zone.create('example', { workers: 4 });
// Define a function to be executed in the worker
function fibonacci(n) {
return n <= 1 ? n : fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2);
}
// Execute the function in a worker
zone.execute(fibonacci, [40])
.then((result) => console.log(result));
- Sharing data between workers:
const napa = require('napajs');
const zone = napa.zone.create('example', { workers: 2 });
// Create a shared object
const sharedObj = napa.store.create('sharedCounter');
sharedObj.set('count', 0);
// Function to increment the shared counter
function incrementCounter() {
const store = napa.store.get('sharedCounter');
store.set('count', store.get('count') + 1);
return store.get('count');
}
// Execute the function in multiple workers
Promise.all([
zone.execute(incrementCounter),
zone.execute(incrementCounter)
]).then((results) => console.log(results));
- Broadcasting a message to all workers:
const napa = require('napajs');
const zone = napa.zone.create('example', { workers: 4 });
// Function to be executed in each worker
function handleMessage(message) {
console.log(`Worker received: ${message}`);
}
// Broadcast a message to all workers
zone.broadcast(handleMessage, ['Hello from main thread'])
.then(() => console.log('Message broadcasted to all workers'));
Getting Started
To get started with Napa.js, follow these steps:
-
Install Napa.js in your project:
npm install napajs
-
Create a new JavaScript file (e.g.,
app.js
) and add the following code:const napa = require('napajs'); const zone = napa.zone.create('myzone', { workers: 2 }); function greet(name) { return `Hello, ${name}!`; } zone.execute(greet, ['World']) .then((result) => console.log(result));
-
Run the application:
node app.js
This example creates a worker zone with two workers and executes a simple greeting function in one of the workers.
Competitor Comparisons
Node.js JavaScript runtime ✨🐢🚀✨
Pros of Node.js
- Larger and more mature ecosystem with extensive package support via npm
- Wider adoption and community support, leading to better documentation and resources
- Better performance for single-threaded, I/O-bound applications
Cons of Node.js
- Limited built-in support for multi-threading and parallel processing
- Higher memory usage for CPU-intensive tasks compared to multi-threaded solutions
- Less efficient for compute-heavy workloads that benefit from parallelism
Code Comparison
Node.js (single-threaded):
const crypto = require('crypto');
function hash(data) {
return crypto.createHash('sha256').update(data).digest('hex');
}
// Process data sequentially
data.forEach(item => console.log(hash(item)));
Napa.js (multi-threaded):
const napa = require('napajs');
const zone = napa.zone.create('zone', { workers: 4 });
function hash(data) {
// Same hash function as above
}
// Process data in parallel
data.forEach(item => zone.execute(hash, [item]).then(console.log));
This comparison highlights the key differences between Node.js and Napa.js, focusing on their approach to handling concurrent operations and CPU-intensive tasks. Node.js excels in single-threaded scenarios, while Napa.js provides built-in support for multi-threading, potentially offering better performance for parallel workloads.
A modern runtime for JavaScript and TypeScript.
Pros of Deno
- Built-in TypeScript support without additional configuration
- Secure by default, with explicit permissions for file, network, and environment access
- Supports ES modules natively and has a built-in package manager
Cons of Deno
- Smaller ecosystem compared to Node.js, which Napa.js can leverage
- Limited compatibility with existing Node.js packages and modules
- Steeper learning curve for developers already familiar with Node.js
Code Comparison
Deno:
import { serve } from "https://deno.land/std@0.140.0/http/server.ts";
serve((req) => new Response("Hello, World!"));
Napa.js:
var napa = require('napajs');
var zone = napa.zone.create('zone', { workers: 4 });
zone.execute(() => 'Hello, World!')
.then((result) => console.log(result));
Key Differences
- Deno focuses on modern JavaScript/TypeScript development with built-in security features
- Napa.js emphasizes multi-threaded JavaScript execution within Node.js
- Deno has a more opinionated approach to module management and runtime behavior
- Napa.js provides a way to parallelize JavaScript workloads in existing Node.js applications
Both projects aim to improve JavaScript development, but with different approaches and target use cases.
A framework for building native applications using React
Pros of React Native
- Widely adopted and supported by a large community
- Enables cross-platform mobile app development with a single codebase
- Rich ecosystem of third-party libraries and components
Cons of React Native
- Steeper learning curve for developers new to React or mobile development
- Performance can be slower than native apps for complex applications
- Occasional compatibility issues with native modules and APIs
Code Comparison
React Native:
import React from 'react';
import { View, Text } from 'react-native';
const App = () => (
<View>
<Text>Hello, React Native!</Text>
</View>
);
Napajs:
const napa = require('napajs');
const zone = napa.zone.create('zone', { workers: 4 });
zone.execute(() => {
console.log('Hello, Napajs!');
});
Key Differences
- React Native focuses on mobile app development, while Napajs is designed for multi-threaded JavaScript applications
- React Native uses a declarative UI approach, whereas Napajs emphasizes parallel computing
- React Native has a larger community and ecosystem, while Napajs is more specialized for specific use cases
Use Cases
- React Native: Mobile app development, cross-platform applications
- Napajs: High-performance server-side applications, data processing, parallel computing tasks
A framework for building compiled Node.js add-ons in Rust via Node-API
Pros of napi-rs
- Active development with frequent updates and community support
- Supports a wider range of Node.js versions and platforms
- Offers better performance for certain use cases
Cons of napi-rs
- Steeper learning curve for developers new to Rust
- Limited documentation compared to Napajs
Code Comparison
napi-rs:
#[napi]
fn fibonacci(n: u32) -> u32 {
match n {
0 | 1 => 1,
_ => fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2),
}
}
Napajs:
function fibonacci(n) {
if (n <= 1) return 1;
return fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2);
}
Key Differences
- Language: napi-rs uses Rust, while Napajs uses C++
- API Approach: napi-rs focuses on Node-API bindings, Napajs provides a multi-threaded JavaScript runtime
- Performance: napi-rs may offer better performance for certain tasks due to Rust's efficiency
- Ecosystem: napi-rs has a growing community and ecosystem, while Napajs development has slowed
Use Cases
- napi-rs: Ideal for projects requiring high-performance Node.js native addons
- Napajs: Better suited for applications needing multi-threaded JavaScript execution within Node.js
Community and Support
- napi-rs: Active community, regular updates, and growing ecosystem
- Napajs: Less active development, but still maintained by Microsoft
Build smaller, faster, and more secure desktop and mobile applications with a web frontend.
Pros of Tauri
- Cross-platform desktop app development with web technologies
- Smaller app sizes and better performance due to native system bindings
- Active development and growing community support
Cons of Tauri
- Steeper learning curve for developers new to Rust
- Limited to desktop applications, unlike Napa.js which is for server-side Node.js
Code Comparison
Tauri (Rust):
#[tauri::command]
fn greet(name: &str) -> String {
format!("Hello, {}!", name)
}
Napa.js (JavaScript):
napa.zone.create('zone1', { workers: 4 });
napa.zone.get('zone1').execute(() => {
console.log('Hello from Napa.js!');
});
Key Differences
- Tauri focuses on desktop app development, while Napa.js targets multi-threaded Node.js applications
- Tauri uses Rust for backend logic, Napa.js extends JavaScript with multi-threading capabilities
- Tauri provides a complete framework for building apps, Napa.js is a library for enhancing existing Node.js applications
Use Cases
- Tauri: Cross-platform desktop applications with web-based UIs
- Napa.js: High-performance, multi-threaded server-side Node.js applications
Community and Support
- Tauri: Growing community, active development, good documentation
- Napa.js: Limited recent activity, smaller community, less comprehensive documentation
:electron: Build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
Pros of Electron
- Cross-platform desktop application development using web technologies
- Large and active community with extensive documentation and resources
- Seamless integration with Node.js and native APIs
Cons of Electron
- Larger application size due to bundled Chromium and Node.js
- Higher memory usage compared to native applications
- Potential security concerns due to full system access
Code Comparison
Electron (main process):
const { app, BrowserWindow } = require('electron')
function createWindow () {
const win = new BrowserWindow({ width: 800, height: 600 })
win.loadFile('index.html')
}
app.whenReady().then(createWindow)
Napajs:
const napa = require('napajs')
const zone = napa.zone.create('zone', { workers: 4 })
zone.execute(() => {
// Worker thread code
})
Key Differences
- Electron focuses on desktop application development, while Napajs is designed for multi-threaded JavaScript in Node.js
- Electron provides a complete framework for building applications, whereas Napajs is a runtime for parallel JavaScript execution
- Electron uses Chromium for rendering, while Napajs leverages V8 isolates for parallel execution
Use Cases
- Electron: Desktop applications with rich UI, cross-platform compatibility
- Napajs: High-performance server-side applications, data processing, parallel computations
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Napa.js
Napa.js is a multi-threaded JavaScript runtime built on V8, which was originally designed to develop highly iterative services with non-compromised performance in Bing. As it evolves, we find it useful to complement Node.js in CPU-bound tasks, with the capability of executing JavaScript in multiple V8 isolates and communicating between them. Napa.js is exposed as a Node.js module, while it can also be embedded in a host process without Node.js dependency.
Installation
Install the latest stable version:
npm install napajs
Other options can be found in Build Napa.js.
Quick Start
const napa = require('napajs');
const zone1 = napa.zone.create('zone1', { workers: 4 });
// Broadcast code to all 4 workers in 'zone1'.
zone1.broadcast('console.log("hello world");');
// Execute an anonymous function in any worker thread in 'zone1'.
zone1.execute(
(text) => text,
['hello napa'])
.then((result) => {
console.log(result.value);
});
More examples:
- Estimate PI in parallel
- Max sub-matrix of 1s with layered parallelism
- Parallel Quick Sort
- Recursive Fibonacci with multiple JavaScript threads
- Synchronized loading
Features
- Multi-threaded JavaScript runtime.
- Node.js compatible module architecture with NPM support.
- API for object transportation, object sharing and synchronization across JavaScript threads.
- API for pluggable logging, metric and memory allocator.
- Distributed as a Node.js module, as well as supporting embed scenarios.
Documentation
Contribute
You can contribute to Napa.js in following ways:
- Report issues and help us verify fixes as they are checked in.
- Review the source code changes.
- Contribute to core module compatibility with Node.
- Contribute bug fixes.
This project has adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct.
For more information see the Code of Conduct FAQ or contact opencode@microsoft.com with any additional questions or comments.
License
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Licensed under the MIT License.
Top Related Projects
Node.js JavaScript runtime ✨🐢🚀✨
A modern runtime for JavaScript and TypeScript.
A framework for building native applications using React
A framework for building compiled Node.js add-ons in Rust via Node-API
Build smaller, faster, and more secure desktop and mobile applications with a web frontend.
:electron: Build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
Convert
designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot