NAME

Pode - javascript server side for the perl community

DESCRIPTION

Pode is a way to run server side javascripts using perl and spidermonkey shell

As a perl developer you will be interested in writing bindings, since main functions and starter scripts will be implemented in javascript directly

SYNOPSIS

#run pode REPL
#execute pode from command-line without arguments
$ pode

#run javascript file
$ pode /path/to/js/file.js

Perl Bindings

Writing perl bindings are the same as writing perl modules with some twists

• You have to register functions you want to use from javascript

• Each function must return a value

  Returned values must be simple strings, hash refs or array refs simple means no code refs, or blessed objects.

Example

package Pode::Test;
use strict;
use warnings;

sub sayHello {
    my $self = shift;
    my $args = shift;
    return $args->[0] . ' ' . $args->[1];
}

##export function to javascript
Pode::exports('sayHello');

##in javascript .. test.js
var binding = process.binding('Test');
var message = binding.sayHello('Hello','There');
console.log(message); //Hello There

##now Run this
$ pode test.js

If your binding provides a (new) method, pode will register your binding by running this method, so make sure to return a blessed object, other wise pode will bless your module by default so there is no need to write the (new) method unless you have something to initiate there

Now after registering your module with pode, every time pode calls a method from javascript you should expect three arguments

• self : a blessed reference to this package

• arguments : array ref of arguments passed from javascript

• JavaScript::Shell : a blessed JavaScript::Shell object

Perl Binding Example :

package Pode::Test;

Pode::exports('someMethod');
sub someMethod {
    my $self = shift; ## Pode::Test
    my $args = shift; ## array ref of arguments
    my $js = shift; ## JavaScript::Shell object
    
    my $name = $args->[0];
    my $age = $args->[1];
    
    ##you can use JavaScript::Shell object to excute
    ##javascript code on the fly
    $js->eval(qq!
        global.name = 'MMM';
    !);
    
    my $newage = $self->_makeMeSoOld($age);
    
    return {
        name => $name
        age => $newage
    };
}

sub _makeMeSoOld {
    my $self = shift;
    my $age = shift;
    
    ## you're getting extra years
    ##do you really expect to live this long??
    return $age + 100;
}

Javascript Example :

var test = process.binding('Test');

var ret = test.someMethod('Mamod',32);

console.log(ret.age); //132  now you're 100 years older :)
console.log(ret.name);
console.log(global.name); //MMM

LICENSE

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.16.2 or, at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.

COPYRIGHTS

Copyright (C) 2013 by Mamod A. Mehyar <mamod.mehyar@gmail.com>