a199387f04
There are been several discussions in recent PRs about the docs related to contributing not being very discoverable. Move these docs from doc/guides/ to doc/contributing. Signed-off-by: Michael Dawson <mdawson@devrus.com> PR-URL: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/41408 Reviewed-By: Franziska Hinkelmann <franziska.hinkelmann@gmail.com> Reviewed-By: Michaël Zasso <targos@protonmail.com> Reviewed-By: Derek Lewis <DerekNonGeneric@inf.is> Reviewed-By: Mary Marchini <oss@mmarchini.me> Reviewed-By: James M Snell <jasnell@gmail.com>
50 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
50 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
# Contributing a new API to Node-API
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Node-API is the next-generation ABI-stable API for native modules.
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While improving the API surface is encouraged and welcomed, the following are
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a set of principles and guidelines to keep in mind while adding a new
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Node-API.
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* A new API **must** adhere to Node-API API shape and spirit.
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* **Must** be a C API.
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* **Must** not throw exceptions.
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* **Must** return `napi_status`.
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* **Should** consume `napi_env`.
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* **Must** operate only on primitive data types, pointers to primitive
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data types or opaque handles.
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* **Must** be a necessary API and not a nice to have. Convenience APIs
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belong in node-addon-api.
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* **Must** not change the signature of an existing Node-API API or break
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ABI compatibility with other versions of Node.js.
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* New API **should** be agnostic towards the underlying JavaScript VM.
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* New API PRs **must** have a corresponding documentation update.
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* New API PRs **must** be tagged as **n-api**.
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* There **must** be at least one test case showing how to use the API.
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* There **should** be at least one test case per interesting use of the API.
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* There **should** be a sample provided that operates in a realistic way
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(operating how a real addon would be written).
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* A new API **should** be discussed at the Node-API team meeting.
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* A new API addition **must** be signed off by at least two members of
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the Node-API team.
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* A new API addition **should** be simultaneously implemented in at least
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one other VM implementation of Node.js.
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* A new API **must** be considered experimental for at least one minor
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version release of Node.js before it can be considered for promotion out
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of experimental.
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* Experimental APIs **must** be documented as such.
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* Experimental APIs **must** require an explicit compile-time flag
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(`#define`) to be set to opt-in.
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* Experimental APIs **must** be considered for backport.
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* Experimental status exit criteria **must** involve at least the
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following:
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* A new PR **must** be opened in `nodejs/node` to remove experimental
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status. This PR **must** be tagged as **n-api** and **semver-minor**.
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* Exiting an API from experimental **must** be signed off by the team.
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* If a backport is merited, an API **must** have a down-level
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implementation.
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* The API **should** be used by a published real-world module. Use of
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the API by a real-world published module will contribute favorably
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to the decision to take an API out of experimental status.
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* The API **must** be implemented in a Node.js implementation with an
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alternate VM.
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