Support native modules

[slavchev]

Provide support for native modules similar to Node.js addons. Regular JavaScript modules are loaded as follows

var myModule = require('./myModule.js');

Similarly, we can load native module as follows

var myModule = require('./libMyModule.so');

Native modules provide glue to C and C++ libraries. They are useful in performance sensitive scenarios because they avoid JavaScript-to-Java marshalling. Good examples are OpenGL libraries.

You can find sample implementation of native module here.

[x4080]

hi, I wondered how to call the sample code in JavaScript? after the require?

and how to provide different so for different architecture?

[slavchev]

There is a small example in this commit. Take a look at bece3ae#diff-c273f07649566e409bd510c972c40aa5R20

[x4080]

thanks for the tip, is this technique can only call nsmain? or we can call any function using Java call to jni?

[slavchev]

is this technique can only call nsmain?

Yes. {N} for Android does not provide means to for loading general purpose shared libraries. We look for NSMain export and call it. In my previous comment I showed you how to call add function. You can think of NSMain like a place to initialize your module. See how we export add function https://github.com/NativeScript/sample-native-module/blob/932235bfe818d4be025a747325b8d924c7310f6c/Android/CalcLib/jni/Calc.cpp#L35-L36

or we can call any function using Java call to jni

Currently {N} for Android doesn't provide such functionality. While implementing this functionality is technically possible (and relatively easy to implement), we haven't came across such scenario yet. If there is interest in it then we can add it to our task list.

[x4080]

OK I understand now. thanks