Is there any way to build a JavaScript REPL in Rust

help
#1

I do know how to build a node REPL like GitHub - wingchain/wingchain-cli: Wingchain CLI

key code:

const repl = require('repl')
const vm = require('vm')
const c = repl.start({prompt: '> ', eval: customEval}).context

However, this requires the users to install node and npm

Is there any way to build a JavaScript REPL in RUST?

Therefor, I can publish binary to the users.

#2

Well, you'll have to use some kind of JavaScript runtime. It may be Node.js, or Firefox's internal engine, or, for example, deno. I'm not sure whether there is something easily embeddable, however.

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#3

The pedantically correct, but useless, answer to this is yes. One of the fundamental discoveries of computer science is that essentially all programming languages are equally powerful: Any programming language can be used to write an interpreter for any other; JavaScript and Rust are both programming languages, therefore there is a way.

Whether or not it's easy is a separate question entirely.

#4

A lightweight js runtime that can be easily embedded is QuickJS via the quick-js crate.

https://crates.io/crates/quick-js

However Windows is only supported via the gnu toolchain.

2 Likes
#5

I haven’t used this project, but I recently ran across Duktape a JS engine written in c which claims to be embedable.

There are some existing rust bindings, but a quick glance doesn’t convince me they are well maintained.

#6

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