Is there a scripting language like LUA for javascript? - node.js

I'm building an MMO using Node.js, and I'd like some scripters from my team to create scripts (duh) for bosses and other scripted objects. My first thought was to have a folder on the server where people can upload javascript files and let node.js automatically read and parse every script in the directory, but I don't want them to be able to execute process.exit() for example, or other hazardous stuff.
Is there a solution that lets me control what functions the scripters are able to call?

You can control what functions are they unable to call with vm module.
For example,
vm.runInNewContext(userCode, {
require: null,
process: null,
someFunc: function (x) { return x+1 },
someData: { abc: 'def' }
});

Will javascript work as scripting language. I guess it should.
so, I think vm.runInNewContext is might be all you need.
Have a look at http://nodejs.org/docs/latest/api/vm.html

Related

Managing multiple processes within a NodeJS application

Let's say I'd want to control (start/stop) several other NodeJS scripts from within one "main" NodeJS app. However, not necessarly NodeJS Scripts exclusively, but also simple bash scripts.
I'm looking into the following solution, using execa
// simplified
const managedProcesses = [];
async function Start (pkg) {
const runningProcess = await execa(pkg.run_command, {
cwd : pkg.path
});
return runningProcess;
}
async function Stop (pkg) {
// somehow stop the child process
return
}
const someProcess = await Start({
run_command : 'node app.js',
path : './path/to/my/script/'
});
// Keep Reference of process
managedProcesses.push(someProcess);
I first thought pm2 would be a viable solution, but I guess this would only fit for NodeJS-only scripts.
What Problems could I run into using the approach above ?
Should I consider moving forward with this idea ?
For node.js subprocesses there is the cluster module and I strongly recommend using this. For general subprocesses (e.g. bash scripts as you mentioned) you have to use child_process (-> execa). Communication between processes may then be accomplished via grpc. Your approach is fine, so you can consider moving forward with it.
I decided to go full with pm2 for the time being, as they have an excellent programmatic API - also (which I only just learned about) you can specify different interpreters to run your script. So not only node apps are possible but also bash, python, php and so on - which is exactly what I am looking for.

How should I do using multiple different two languages in NodeJs?

Can someone help me and can explain about this matter?
Currently, I'm just building a blog which I used which nodejs. In my projects, I want to use and display the two different languages which my local language and English.
As I showed up above like that website when I click change languages without showing like this example.com/mm. I'm just want to display like example.com without /mm or /en.
Example url: https://www.mmbusticket.com/
I'm not familiar with PHP. I'm the big fun of Nodejs.
How I have to do so for this case and which packages should I use for nodejs?
Thanks.
An option for you is the i18n module, and you can find similar options in many frontend frameworks as well. (You'll see this concept in app development too.)
The idea is that you have a directory with "locales" (the languages), each in a JSON file. The keys are the same in all locales. Like:
locales/en.json
{
"hello": "hello",
"greeting": "hey there, {{name}}"
}
locales/mm.json (used google translate, forgive me : )
{
"hello": "ဟယ်လို",
"greeting": "ဟေ့ဒီမှာ {{name}}"
}
In your app you'd do something like i18n.localize("hello") and depending on your current language setting (maybe passed in a cookie to the server if server-rendering, or set on the frontend page for client-side) you'll get the response.
Variables can be done above like i18n.localize(['greeting', {name: "clay"}]) and that will fill in the passed parameter name into the string defined at greeting. You can typically do nesting and other cool things, depending on the library used.
Just note that you end up using these special "key strings" everywhere, so the code is a little messier to read. Name those keys wisely : ) And if you want to translate the entire contents of your blog, that's a different service entirely.

How to add async callbacks in node to a function call?

Question is too broad / unclear. Anyone interested in this answer would be better served by visiting: Creating Callbacks for required modules in node.js
Basically I have included a CLI package in my node application. I need the CLI to spin up a new project (this entails creating a folder for the project). After the project folder is created, I need to create some files in the folder (using fs writeFile). The problem is right now, my writeFile function executes BEFORE the folder is created by the CLI package (This is detected by my console.log. This brings me to main main question.
Can I add an async callback function to the CLI.new without modifying the package I included?
FoundationCLI.new(null, {
framework: 'sites', // 'apps' or 'emails' also
template: 'basic', // 'advanced' also
name: projectName,
directory: $scope.settings.path.join("")
});
try{
if (!fs.existsSync(path)){
console.log("DIRECTORY NOT THERE!!!!!");
}
fs.writeFileSync(correctedPath, JSON.stringify(project) , 'utf-8');
} catch(err) {
throw err;
}
It uses foundation-cli. The new command executes the following async series. I'd love to add a callback to the package - still not quite sure how.
async.series(tasks, finish);
Anyone interested in this can probably get mileage out of:
Creating Callbacks for required modules in node.js
The code for the new command seem to be available on https://github.com/zurb/foundation-cli/blob/master/lib/commands/new.js
this code was not written to allow programmatic usage of the new command (it uses console.log everywhere) and does not call any callback when the work is finished.
so no there is no way to use this package to do what you are looking for. Either patch the package or find another way to do what you want to achieve.

Interacting with app code in the node REPL

One of the pleasures of frameworks like Rails is being able to interact with models on the command line. Being very new to node.js, I often find myself pasting chunks of app code into the REPL to play with objects. It's dirty.
Is there a magic bullet that more experienced node developers use to get access to their app specific stuff from within the node prompt? Would a solution be to package up the whole app, or parts of the app, into modules to be require()d? I'm still living in one-big-ol'-file land, so pulling everything out is, while inevitable, a little daunting.
Thanks in advance for any helpful hints you can offer!
One-big-ol'-file land is actually a good place to be in for what you want to do. Nodejs can also require it's REPL in the code itself, which will save you copy and pasting.
Here is a simple example from one of my projects. Near the top of your file do something similar to this:
function _cb() {
console.log(arguments)
}
var repl = require("repl");
var context = repl.start("$ ").context;
context.cb = _cb;
Now just add to the context throughout your code. The _cb is a dummy callback to play with function calls that require one (and see what they'll return).
Seems like the REPL API has changed quite a bit, this code works for me:
var replServer = repl.start({
prompt: "node > ",
input: process.stdin,
output: process.stdout,
useGlobal: true
});
replServer.on('exit', function() {
console.log("REPL DONE");
});
You can also take a look at this answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/27536499/1936097. This code will automatically load a REPL if the file is run directly from node AND add all your declared methods and variables to the context automatically.

node.js - eval'ing to a live process

Did anyone set up something like this for himself using the existing
node.js REPL? I didn't think of a quick way to do it.
The way I do it today is using emacs and this:
https://github.com/ivan4th/swank-js
This module is composed of:
A SLIME-js addon to emacs which, in combination with js2-mode, lets
you simply issue a C-M-x somewhere in the body of a function def - and
off goes the function's string to the ..
Swank-js server (yes, you could eval from your local-machine
directly to a remote process) written in Node.js - It receives the
string of the function you eval'ed and actually evals it
A whole part that lets you connect to another port on that server
with your BROWSER and then lets you manipulate the DOM on that browser
(which is pretty amazing but not relevant)
My solution uses SLIME-js on the emacs side AND I require('swank-
js') on my app.js file
Now.. I have several issues and questions regarding my solution or
other possible ones:
Q1: Is this overdoing it? Does someone have a secret way to eval stuff
from nano into his live process?
Q2: I had to change the way swank-js is EVALing.. it used some
kind of black magic like this:
var Script = process.binding('evals').Script;
var evalcx = Script.runInContext;
....
this.context = Script.createContext();
for (var i in global) this.context[i] = global[i];
this.context.module = module;
this.context.require = require;
...
r = evalcx("CODECODE", this.context, "repl");
which, as far I understand, just copies the global variables to the
new context, and upon eval, doesn't change the original function
definitions - SOOO.. I am just using plain "eval" and IT
WORKS.
Do you have any comments regarding this?
Q3: In order to re-eval a function, it needs to be a GLOBAL function -
Is it bad practice to have all function definitions as global (clojure-like) ? Do you think there is another way to do this?
Actually, swank.js is getting much better, and it is now much easier to set up swank js with your project using NPM. I'm in the process of writing the documentation right now, but the functionality is there!
Check this out http://nodejs.org/api/vm.html
var util = require('util'),
vm = require('vm'),
sandbox = {
animal: 'cat',
count: 2
};
vm.runInNewContext('count += 1; name = "kitty"', sandbox, 'myfile.vm');
console.log(util.inspect(sandbox));
// { animal: 'cat', count: 3, name: 'kitty' }
Should help you a lot, all of the sandbox things for node uses it :) but you can use it directly :)
You might take a look at jsapp.us, which runs JS in a sandbox, and then exposes that to the world as a quick little test server. Here's the jsapp.us github repo.
Also, stop into #node.js and ask questions for a quicker response :)

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