Form team/group to define "embedding requirements"

[mhdawson]

There is ongoing work to allow Node.js to be built as a static or shared library. This allows Node.js to be embedded in the process of another application. See nodejs/node#14158, which is also being backported to 8.X and 6.X (nodejs/node#19047, nodejs/node#19050).

@yhwang is currently working on adding testing to the CI. That testing, however, will just be to make sure that the existing Node.js tests cases pass when using the static/shared library.

After that, we will want to add testing that covers typical use cases related to embedding Node.js into an application using either the static or shared libraries. I believe as part of that we'll also find that there are still some things missing. I just ran across this PR nodejs/node#19005 which aims to address some of those kinds of things.

At this point, I'm wondering if there is enough interest to form a group that would work together or a number of months (maybe more) on defining and validating the different embedding use cases. The work would likely be:

• Define/Document use cases
• For each use case:
  • Build test case to cover use case
  • Identify any missing functionality
  • Add functionality
  • add test case to CI.

@yhwang
@nodejs/delivery-channels
@addaleax
@luminosuslight, @cmfcmf, @Hannes01071995, @justus-hildebrand, @msoechting
@nodejs/tsc
@dshaw

[mhdawson]

@groundwater I was hoping you might be interested in this, wondering if you go the ping through @nodejs/delivery-channels

[rogerwang]

Thanks for CCing. We NW.js maintainers would like to keep an eye on this. Though we just released NW.js 0.30.1 with Node.js 10.0.0 within 24 hours, rebasing with latest Node.js is still a significant effort. We are interested in this topic on how to integrate Node more easily.

[mhdawson]

@rogerwang thanks for replying, will include you when we get things rolling

[groundwater]

Hi @mhdawson. Thanks for this! We have a number of folks at JSConf EU, and I believe there is a node's summit occurring shortly beforehand. Would it be worth sending a few of our folks to kick this discussion off in-person?

[MylesBorins]

I think having folks at the summit would be awesome!

…

On Fri, Apr 27, 2018, 11:53 AM Jacob Groundwater ***@***.***> wrote: Hi @mhdawson <https://github.com/mhdawson>. Thanks for this! We have a number of folks at JSConf EU, and I believe there is a summit occurring shortly beforehand. Would it be worth sending a few of our folks to kick this discussion off in-person? — You are receiving this because you are on a team that was mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#51 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAecV7sxNVOg_xqfGPx2b0LqaasSzJ4dks5tsz79gaJpZM4TSdYW> .

[kapouer]

Hello, yesterday i enabled the --shared flag on node 10 debian package. Worked perfectly and this is really cool. I think make install should continue to install the executable (the one linked to the built lib) though.
Not yet ready on my side, but it's going to bring a lot of improvements with respect to packaged addons, and multiarch support in debian. I'll follow up on issues tracker if necessary. I wish i could share my enthousiasm regarding how nodejs has matured and is getting easier and easier to distribute...

[mhdawson]

@groundwater I don't necessarily want to wait to start discussing and possibly meeting remotely until after the summit (not everybody will be at the summit either), but getting together in person at the summit would be great.

[groundwater]

@mhdawson agreed. Would you like to kick this off asynchronously or via a synchronous video discussion?

[addaleax]

I’d definitely like to be involved in this, yes.

Also, maybe /cc @fs-eire … please let me know if this is not the kind of thing you want to be pinged in, but it sounded like you might be somebody who wants to be aware that this is happening?

[mhdawson]

I think starting with a video call to get together to review what I suggested above as the way forward and to agree on the best way to work together (github, regular meetings or whatever). I'll get together with @yhwang to set up a kickoff meeting.

[mhdawson]

@gireeshpunathil FYI.

[davicrig]

We currently embed the shared library in IBM Integration Bus, we recently updated in quick succession from node 4 through 6 to node 8 and found the upgrade process pretty painful so anything we can do to help stabilise the interfaces or improve our own integration would be a benefit to us.

We are a bit unusual in that we also embed a JVM and on windows platforms a CLR as well so we may have some use cases / problems that other users do not so might bring some different use cases to the table.

[mhdawson]

@davicrig sounds good, your insight will be valuable.

[yhwang]

With @mhdawson help, we plan to have a conference call to discuss about the shared lib usage and try to form the group for embedding users. Here is the agenda:

================================

• Introductions
• Update on work so far (Yi-hong and others)
• Areas for investigation/discussion
  • Use cases
    • List top level use cases
    • Flesh out each use case/document
  • APIs
    • Document APIs for use when embedding
  • Tests
    • Create tests/test flows
    • Add tests/test flows to CI
• Packaging
  • Investigate/document what we should in terms of packaging to make it easier to use shared library
• Some questions
  • Communication
    • regular meeting?
    • github issues?
    • both
  • anybody else we should try to involve?
  • how to get more people involved
• Action items
  • TBD
    ===============================

Feel free to add item into the agenda for discussion.

I created a doodle poll for the conference call ==> https://doodle.com/poll/tamxygwfsgh5dr5w. Please select your available time slots then we may select a proper time for the conference call once the most people who are interested in vote.