Develop Reference

How to call Rust from JS and back?

I'm trying to adapt the game of life tutorial to call user-defined JS (instead of alert) from Rust:
index.js:
import * as wasm from "testing-wasm";
export const jsfunc = () => {
console.log("jsfunc called");
};
// Call Rust from JS. This function will call `jsfunc`, declared above.
wasm.rustfunc();
lib.rs:
mod utils;
use wasm_bindgen::prelude::*;
// When the `wee_alloc` feature is enabled, use `wee_alloc` as the global
// allocator.
#[cfg(feature = "wee_alloc")]
#[global_allocator]
static ALLOC: wee_alloc::WeeAlloc = wee_alloc::WeeAlloc::INIT;
#[wasm_bindgen(module = "/www/index.js")]
extern "C" {
fn jsfunc();
}
#[wasm_bindgen]
pub fn rustfunc() {
// call JS
jsfunc();
}
wasm-pack build runs fine. But running the web project (npm run start) can't resolve the import anymore:
ERROR in ../pkg/snippets/testing-wasm-8ea926e8de57779d/www/index.js
Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'testing-wasm' in '/Users/ischuetz/dev/ct-an/testing-wasm/pkg/snippets/testing-wasm-8ea926e8de57779d/www'
# ../pkg/snippets/testing-wasm-8ea926e8de57779d/www/index.js 1:0-37 7:0-13
# ../pkg/testing_wasm_bg.wasm
# ../pkg/testing_wasm.js
# ./index.js
# ./bootstrap.js
It works before introducing the circular dependency.
Any ideas? I also found import_js in wasm-bindgen but there's no direct call to Rust from JS.

in your Cargo.toml file add this:
[lib]
# if you want to integrate your rust code with javascript we use cdylib
crate-type=["cdylib"]
since you are using wasm-bindgen and wee_alloc and I assume it is already in your .toml file:
[dependencies]
wasm-bindgen="0.2.63"
wee_alloc="0.4.5"
When you build your code, pkg folder is created which includes glue javascript code wasm code. Now you need to get this pkg folder into the node modules. To do so, you have to link it to your javascript project's package.json:
"dependencies": {
// your path to ../pkg might be different
"rust_project": "file:../pkg",
},
Then in your javascript project directory, npm install. You will see that rust_project module is in your node_modules directory.
In your javascript file:
import rustfunc from "rust_project";
Now you can call your function

Cannot call unknown function

I'm trying to compile a medium-size existing code base with emscripten. Everything currently compiles, but when I try to call it from javascript I'm getting the error:
Assertion failed: Cannot call unknown function InitHOG (perhaps LLVM optimizations or closure removed it?)
I've declared this as:
extern "C" {
void EMSCRIPTEN_KEEPALIVE InitHOG()
{ ... }
}
I'm linking the function from javascript with:
InitHog = Module.cwrap('InitHOG', 'void', []);
My code base is being compiled into libraries; the function call into the library is in my guihtml library, where the final linking command is:
emcc -o ../../../../html/debug/bidirnecessary.js ../../../../objs_html/bidirnecessary.js/debug/demos/bidirnecessary/Driver.o -lenvironments -lmapalgorithms -lalgorithms -lgraphalgorithms -lgraph -lutils -lguihtml -L../../../../html/debug -Lapps/libs -Ldemos/libs -lpthread -g
Any ideas on why it can't find my function from javascript?

While the EMSCRIPTEN_KEEPALIVE keyword works when you are compiling a single file to .js output, it doesn't work in my makefile system where I compile individual files, use emar to make a library, and then link everything together at the end.
Instead, you need to use the -s directive to specify which functions you want to export. So, something like this works.
emcc -o ../../../../html/debug/bidirnecessary.js ../../../../objs_html/bidirnecessary.js/debug/demos/bidirnecessary/Driver.o -lenvironments -lmapalgorithms -lalgorithms -lgraphalgorithms -lgraph -lutils -lguihtml -lgui -L../../../../html/debug -Lapps/libs -Ldemos/libs -lpthread -g -s EXPORTED_FUNCTIONS="['_InitHOG', '_DoFrame', '_MouseEvent']"

Run function in script from command line (Node JS)

I'm writing a web app in Node. If I've got some JS file db.js with a function init in it how could I call that function from the command line?

No comment on why you want to do this, or what might be a more standard practice: here is a solution to your question.... Keep in mind that the type of quotes required by your command line may vary.
In your db.js, export the init function. There are many ways, but for example:
module.exports.init = function () {
console.log('hi');
};
Then call it like this, assuming your db.js is in the same directory as your command prompt:
node -e 'require("./db").init()'
If your db.js were a module db.mjs, use a dynamic import to load the module:
node -e 'import("./db.mjs").then( loadedModule => loadedModule.init() )'
To other readers, the OP's init function could have been called anything, it is not important, it is just the specific name used in the question.

Update 2020 - CLI
As #mix3d pointed out you can just run a command where file.js is your file and someFunction is your function optionally followed by parameters separated with spaces
npx run-func file.js someFunction "just some parameter"
That's it.
file.js called in the example above
const someFunction = (param) => console.log('Welcome, your param is', param)
// exporting is crucial
module.exports = { someFunction }
More detailed description
Run directly from CLI (global)
Install
npm i -g run-func
Usage i.e. run function "init", it must be exported, see the bottom
run-func db.js init
or
Run from package.json script (local)
Install
npm i -S run-func
Setup
"scripts": {
"init": "run-func db.js init"
}
Usage
npm run init
Params
Any following arguments will be passed as function parameters init(param1, param2)
run-func db.js init param1 param2
Important
the function (in this example init) must be exported in the file containing it
module.exports = { init };
or ES6 export
export { init };

As per the other answers, add the following to someFile.js
module.exports.someFunction = function () {
console.log('hi');
};
You can then add the following to package.json
"scripts": {
"myScript": "node -e 'require(\"./someFile\").someFunction()'"
}
From the terminal, you can then call
npm run myScript
I find this a much easier way to remember the commands and use them

Try make-runnable.
In db.js, add require('make-runnable'); to the end.
Now you can do:
node db.js init
Any further args would get passed to the init method, in the form of a list or key-value pairs.

Sometimes you want to run a function via CLI, sometimes you want to require it from another module. Here's how to do both.
// file to run
const runMe = () => {}
if (require.main === module) {
runMe()
}
module.exports = runMe

This one is dirty but works :)
I will be calling main() function from my script. Previously I just put calls to main at the end of script. However I did add some other functions and exported them from script (to use functions in some other parts of code) - but I dont want to execute main() function every time I import other functions in other scripts.
So I did this,
in my script i removed call to main(), and instead at the end of script I put this check:
if (process.argv.includes('main')) {
main();
}
So when I want to call that function in CLI: node src/myScript.js main

simple way:
let's say you have db.js file in a helpers directory in project structure.
now go inside helpers directory and go to node console
helpers $ node
2) require db.js file
> var db = require("./db")
3) call your function (in your case its init())
> db.init()
hope this helps

Updated for 2022 - If you've switched to ES Modules, you can't use the require tricks, you'd need to use dynamic imports:
node -e 'import("./db.js").then(dbMod => dbMod.init());'
or with the --experimental-specifier-resolution=node flag:
node --experimental-specifier-resolution=node -e 'import("./db").then(dbMod => dbMod.init());'

If you turn db.js into a module you can require it from db_init.js and just: node db_init.js.
db.js:
module.exports = {
method1: function () { ... },
method2: function () { ... }
}
db_init.js:
var db = require('./db');
db.method1();
db.method2();

I do a IIFE, something like that:
(() => init())();
this code will be executed immediately and invoke the init function.

You can also run TypeScript with ts-node similar to #LeeGoddard answer.
In my case, I wanted to use app and init separately for testing purposes.
// app.ts
export const app = express();
export async function init(): Promise<void> {
// app init logic...
}
npx ts-node -e 'require("./src/app").init();'
npx ts-node -e 'import("./src/app").then(a => a.init());' // esmodule

maybe this method is not what you mean, but who knows it can help
index.js
const arg = process.argv.splice(2);
function printToCli(text){
console.log(text)
}
switch(arg[0]){
case "--run":
printToCli("how are you")
break;
default: console.log("use --run flag");
}
and run command node . --run
command line
probuss-MacBook-Air:fb_v8 probus$ node . --run
how are you
probuss-MacBook-Air:fb_v8 probus$
and you can add more arg[0] , arg[1], arg[2] ... and more
for node . --run -myarg1 -myarg2

If you want to include environment variables from your .env files, you can use env-cmd:
npx env-cmd node -e 'require("./db").init()'
If you want run a specific function in the file too, use run-func:
npx env-cmd npx run-func db.js init someArg
Or, to provide an argument for the accepted answer you'd have to do something like:
npx env-cmd node -e 'require("./db").init(someArg)'
Writing/updating an expression here is less explicit (so easier to miss when you're checking back, for example) than providing different arguments to the commands, so I recommend using env-cmd with run-func.
Note: I also usually add --experimental-modules on the end when necessary.

Inspired by https://github.com/DVLP/run-func/blob/master/index.js
I create https://github.com/JiangWeixian/esrua
if file index.ts
export const welcome = (msg: string) => {
console.log(`hello ${msg}`)
}
just run
esrua ./index.ts welcome -p world
will output hello world

If your file just contains your function, for example:
myFile.js:
function myMethod(someVariable) {
console.log(someVariable)
}
Calling it from the command line like this nothing will happen:
node myFile.js
But if you change your file:
myFile.js:
myMethod("Hello World");
function myMethod(someVariable) {
console.log(someVariable)
}
Now this will work from the command line:
node myFile.js

require node modules written in coffeescript

I have two files, one is a controller and another is a test for this controller, both are in coffeescript and are in the same folder:
The folder structure is:
-controller
--labels.controller.coffee
--labels.controller.spec.coffee
The labels.controller extract:
module.exports = {
getImages: getImages
}
I am trying to require it from labels.controller.spec to test it
I tried
labelsController = require('labels.controller')
and
labelsController = require('./labels.controller')
and
labelsController = require('/labels.controller')
But always there is an error like:
Error: Cannot find module '../labels.controller'
What I am doing wrong? Is any difference if you include a file written in coffeescript?

You need to compile it first with the coffee command. In your project source, run this command (assuming your project is written in coffeescript)
coffee -co output/ src/
Where src is your project folder. Then run the .js files in output with node.

How do I load my script into the node.js REPL?

I have a script foo.js that contains some functions I want to play with in the REPL.
Is there a way to have node execute my script and then jump into a REPL with all the declared globals, like I can with python -i foo.py or ghci foo.hs?

There is still nothing built-in to provide the exact functionality you describe. However, an alternative to using require it to use the .load command within the REPL, like such:
.load foo.js
It loads the file in line by line just as if you had typed it in the REPL. Unlike require this pollutes the REPL history with the commands you loaded. However, it has the advantage of being repeatable because it is not cached like require.
Which is better for you will depend on your use case.
Edit: It has limited applicability because it does not work in strict mode, but three years later I have learned that if your script does not have 'use strict', you can use eval to load your script without polluting the REPL history:
var fs = require('fs');
eval(fs.readFileSync('foo.js').toString())

i always use this command
node -i -e "$(< yourScript.js)"
works exactly as in Python without any packages.

I made Vorpal.js, which handles this problem by turning your node add into an interactive CLI. It supports a REPL extension, which drops you into a REPL within the context of your running app.
var vorpal = require('vorpal')();
var repl = require('vorpal-repl');
vorpal
.delimiter('myapp>')
.use(repl)
.show()
.parse(process.argv);
Then you can run the app and it will drop into a REPL.
$ node myapp.js repl
myapp> repl:

Another way is to define those functions as global.
global.helloWorld = function() { console.log("Hello World"); }
Then preload the file in the REPL as:
node -r ./file.js
Then the function helloWorld can be accessed directly in the REPL.

Here's a bash function version of
George's answer:
noderepl() {
FILE_CONTENTS="$(< $1 )"
node -i -e "$FILE_CONTENTS"
}
If you put this in your ~/.bash_profile you can use it like an alias, i.e.:
noderepl foo.js

I created replpad since I got tired of reloading the script repeatedly.
Simply install it via: npm install -g replpad
Then use it by running: replpad
If you want it to watch all files in the current and all subdirectories and pipe them into the repl when they change do: replpad .
Check out the videos on the site to get a better idea of how it works and learn about some other nice features that it has like these:
access core module docs in the repl via the dox() function that is added to every core function, i.e. fs.readdir.dox()
access user module readmes in the repl via the dox() function that is added to every module installed via npm,
i.e. marked.dox()
access function's highlighted source code, info on where function was defined (file, linenumber) and function
comments and/or jsdocs where possible via the src property that is added to every function, i.e. express.logger.src
scriptie-talkie support (see .talk command)
adds commands and keyboard shortcuts
vim key bindings
key map support
parens matching via match token plugin
appends code entered in repl back to file via keyboard shortcut or .append command
See: https://github.com/thlorenz/replpad

Why not load the file into an interactive node repl?
node -h
-e, --eval script evaluate script
-i, --interactive always enter the REPL even if stdin
node -e 'var client = require("./build/main/index.js"); console.log("Use `client` in repl")' -i
Then you can add to package.json scripts
"repl": "node -e 'var client = require(\"./build/main/index.js\"); console.log(\"Use `client` in repl\")' -i",
tested using node v8.1.2

Currently you can't do that directly, but you can mylib = require('./foo.js') in the REPL. Remember methods are exported, not declared as globals.

replpad is cool, but for a quick and easy way to load a file into node, import its variables and start a repl, you can add the following code to the end of your .js file
if (require.main === module){
(function() {
var _context = require('repl').start({prompt: '$> '}).context;
var scope = require('lexical-scope')(require('fs').readFileSync(__filename));
for (var name in scope.locals[''] )
_context[scope.locals[''][name]] = eval(scope.locals[''][name]);
for (name in scope.globals.exported)
_context[scope.globals.exported[name]] = eval(scope.globals.exported[name]);
})();
}
Now if your file is src.js, running node src.js will start node, load the file, start a REPL, and copy all the objects declared as var at the top level as well as any exported globals.
The if (require.main === module) ensures that this code will not be executed if src.js is included through a require statement. I fact, you can add any code you want to be excuted when you are running src.js standalone for debugging purposes inside the if statement.

Another suggestion that I do not see here: try this little bit of code
#!/usr/bin/env node
'use strict';
const repl = require('repl');
const cli = repl.start({ replMode: repl.REPL_MODE_STRICT });
cli.context.foo = require('./foo'); // injects it into the repl
Then you can simply run this script and it will include foo as a variable

Old answer
type test.js|node -i
Will open the node REPL and type in all lines from test.js into REPL, but for some reason node will quit after file ends
Another problem is, that functions will not be hoisted.
Better answer
node -e require('repl').start({useGlobal:true}); -r ./test2.js
Then all globals declared without var within test2.js will be available in the REPL
not sure why var a in global scope will not be available

There is an Official Node.js REPL that supports also async methods
console.js
const repl = require('repl')
const mongoose = require('mongoose')
const run = async () => {
await mongoose.connect(process.env.DB_URL, {
useNewUrlParser: true,
useUnifiedTopology: true
})
const r = repl.start(`(${process.env.NODE_EN}) ⚡️ `)
r.context.User = require('./src/models/user.model')
r.context.mongoose = mongoose
console.log(`Ready 🚀`);
}
run()
Start the console:
NODE_OPTIONS=--experimental-repl-await node console.js
User model its exposed to console
await User.find({})
source