Nodejslike

Nodejslike is an open-source runtime designed to provide a Node.js-style environment for JavaScript execution outside the flagship Node.js runtime. It seeks to reproduce a substantial portion of Node's API surface to allow existing Node-compatible modules to run in alternative host environments such as browsers, serverless platforms, or embedded systems. The project emphasizes portability, modularity, and ease of embedding.

Architecture and API surface: The runtime centers on an event-driven architecture with an asynchronous I/O model and a CommonJS-like module system. A set of core modules are implemented in a portable way, including filesystem access (fs), networking (http and net), path utilities (path), cryptography (crypto), and process and console facilities. It provides a global object and a process-like environment to host scripts, and supports promises and async/await patterns.

Module resolution and packaging: Nodejslike includes a module loader that mirrors CommonJS behavior, supporting require() calls and a package.json-based dependency graph. Modules can declare dependencies and be loaded on demand. The project favors pure-JS implementations for portability, with bindings available when the host environment offers safe, efficient interfaces.

Compatibility and limitations: Nodejslike aims for broad compatibility but is not a full Node.js replacement. Native Node addons and some OS-specific features are typically not supported, and there can be differences in I/O semantics, file handling, and performance characteristics depending on the host platform.

History and status: Nodejslike is a community-driven open-source project that has evolved through contributions from volunteers across multiple hosting platforms. It is released under an open-source license and maintains documentation, issue tracking, and installation guides to aid adoption and collaboration.