node-clr : .NET Framework API Binding for Node.js

Usage:

# npm install clr
# node

> require('clr').init();
> System.Console.WriteLine('Hello, {0}!', 'world');
'Hello, world!'

> var now = new System.DateTime(2013, 7, 1);
> now.ToString();
'2013/07/01 0:00:00'

> require('clr').init({ assemblies: [ 'System.Windows.Forms' ] });
> with (System.Windows.Forms) {
> var f = new Form();
>
> var p = new FlowLayoutPanel();
> f.Controls.Add(p);
>
> var t = new TextBox();
> t.Text = 'world';
> p.Controls.Add(t);
>
> var b = new Button();
> b.Text = 'Greet';
> b.Click.add(function (thiz, ea) {
> console.log('clicked');
> MessageBox.Show('Hello, ' + t.Text + '!');
> });
> p.Controls.Add(b);
>
> Application.Run(f);
> }
(running WinForm application)

Prerequisites:

This library is built and tested on following environment:

- Node.js v6.3.1
- .NET Framework 4.5
- Visual Studio 2015
- Node.js native module build environment

clr.init([options])

Initialize CLR rutime with given options. Returns global namespace.

- options {Object}
- assemblies {Array} - An array of assembly name (partial name, full name or absolute path to .dll/.exe).
Defaults to ['mscorlib', 'System', 'System.Core'].
- global {boolean} - if true, CLR global namespace objects are injected into javascript global object.
Defaults to true.

CLR namespaces

- {Object}

CLR namespace objects contain nested namespaces or types.

CLR types

- {Function}

CLR type functions work as constructor for corresponding CLR types.
The constructor returns wrapped CLR object.

var now = new System.DateTime(2013, 7, 1);

The code above invokes CLR constructor DateTime (Int32, Int32, Int32)
and returns {Object} that wraps DateTime instance.


CLR type also contains static members.

var now = System.DateTime.Now;

The code above invokes CLR static property getter DateTime.Now.

$3

Bind generic parameters to type and returns bound CLR type.

var list = new (System.Collections.Generic.List.of(System.Int32))();

CLR objects

- {Object}

Javascript object that wraps CLR instance, which contains instance members.

var now = System.DateTime.Now;
now.ToString();

> '2013/07/01 0:00:00'

CLR methods

- {Function}

CLR methods can be invoked as Javascript function. Arguments and return value are marshalled as conventions below.

System.Console.WriteLine('Hello, {0}!', 'world');

> 'Hello, world!'

CLR properties/fields

- {Getter/Setter}

CLR properties/fields are exposed as object's getter or setter function.

var now = System.DateTime.Now;

CLR indexed properties

$3

Get object's default indexed property

var a =

$3

CLR events

- {Object}

CLR events can be hooked by add and remove function.

$3

Add javascript event handler to specified event.

- handler {Function}

$3

Remove javascript event handler from event.

This isn't working right now

- handler {Function}

Marshaling:

V8 => CLR:

- null or undefined => null
- boolean => System.Boolean
- nubmer => Any numeric type or System.Double
- string => System.String or System.Char or Enums
- Function => Any delegate type or System.Func
- Array => Any type of array or System.Object[]
- Buffer => System.Byte[]
- object => System.Dynamic.ExpandoObject

CLR => V8:

- null => null
- System.Boolean => boolean
- Any numberic type excepts System.Decimal => number
- System.String or System.Char => string
- Any other types => CLR wrapped object

Threading:

You can use .NET threads. All Javascript callback functions are invoked in main event loop.

var t = new System.Threading.Thread(function () {
console.log('Hello, world!');
});
t.Start();

> 'Hello, world!' // will be invoked asynchronously, but in main thread

TODO:

- Unit test
- Better marshaling
- Object => class with DataContractAttribute
- handle cyclic reference
- New Event api, resembles to EventEmitter
- Prototype chain which reflects CLR inheritance
- Generic method
- cast
- valueOf (explicit conversion from wrapped CLR object to javascript types)
- Async invocation
- Compiler API
- Enum equality