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nodeGO

A lightweight, custom JavaScript runtime built in Go using the Goja JS engine—designed to emulate core features of Node.js for learning and experimentation.

🚀 Overview

nodeGO is a Node.js-inspired JavaScript runtime that mimics essential features such as synchronous file system access, timers, a CommonJS-style module system, and a minimal process object. It's designed to deepen understanding of JS runtimes, event loops, and native bindings by re-implementing these behaviors in Go.

🧱 Architecture

  • Goja VM: Executes JavaScript.
  • Runtime Layer: Written in Go, exposes native APIs to JS.
  • Core Bindings: Implemented natively (console, timers, fs, etc.).
  • Module Loader: Loads and executes .js files via a custom require().
flowchart TD
    A[main.go] --> B[Initialize Goja VM]
    B --> C[Inject Native APIs]
    C --> D[Load entry JS file]
    D --> E[Execute via Goja]
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✅ Implemented Features

📦 Console

  • console.log(msg)
  • console.error(msg)
  • console.warn(msg)

⏱️ Timers & Task Queues

  • setTimeout(fn, delay)
  • setInterval(fn, delay)
  • setImmediate(fn)
  • queueMicrotask(fn)
  • process.nextTick(fn)

📁 File System (Sync)

  • fs.readFileSync(path)
  • fs.writeFileSync(path, data)

📦 Module System

  • require(path) – supports .js files
  • Loads and evaluates each module in isolated scope

🧠 Process Object

  • process.cwd()
  • process.argv
  • process.env
  • process.exit(code)

📂 Project Structure

nodeGO/
├── main.go              # Entry point
├── runtime/
│   ├── runtime.go       # Core VM & event loop setup
│   ├── console.go       # console APIs
│   ├── timers.go        # Timers & task queues
│   ├── process.go       # process object
│   ├── module.go        # require() implementation
│   └── modules/
│       └── fs.go        # File system bindings

🛠 Usage

1. Compile

go build -o nodego main.go

2. Run JavaScript File

./nodego examples/app.js arg1 arg2

3. Sample app.js

console.log('Running:', process.argv);
console.log('CWD:', process.cwd());
console.log('User:', process.env.USER);

const fs = require('./test.js');
fs.hello();

setTimeout(() => {
  console.log('Timeout triggered');
}, 1000);

⚠️ Limitations

  • No support for import/export (ESM)
  • No asynchronous FS
  • No HTTP or network APIs
  • No built-in Buffer, path, crypto, etc.
  • No npm support or module cache
  • clearTimeout / clearInterval not implemented yet

🛤️ Planned Features

  • EventEmitter core implementation
  • Stream API basics
  • Simple HTTP server
  • clearTimeout() and clearInterval()
  • Module caching
  • Global error handling (uncaughtException)
  • CLI REPL

Goal

This project is not intended to replace Node.js but to understand how it works internally by rebuilding its components from the ground up.