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https://github.com/bridge-core/molang

Fast MoLang parser for JavaScript/TypeScript applications
https://github.com/bridge-core/molang

hacktoberfest interpreter javascript molang molang-parser parser typescript

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Fast MoLang parser for JavaScript/TypeScript applications

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README

          

# Molang

A fast Molang parser used and developed by the bridge. team. This library has full support for all of Minecraft's Molang features.

## About

> Molang is a simple expression-based language designed for fast calculation of values at run-time. Its focus is solely to enable script-like capabilities in high-performance systems where JavaScript is not performant at scale. We need scripting capabilities in these low-level systems to support end-user modding capabilities, custom entities, rendering, and animations.

\- From the Minecraft documentation

## Installation

- `npm i molang`

**or**

- Download the `dist/main.web.js` file and add the script to your HTML page (library access via global `Molang` object).

## Basic Usage

To execute a basic Molang statement, first construct a new instance of the `Molang` class. The first constructor argument is the environment your Molang script will have access to and the second argument configures the Molang interpreter. Take a look at the `IParserConfig` interface [for a list of all available options](https://github.com/bridge-core/Molang/blob/master/lib/main.ts).

`molang.execute(...)` simply executes a Molang script and returns the value it evaluates to.

```javascript
import { Molang } from 'molang'

const molang = new Molang(
{
query: {
x: 0,
get(val) {
return val + 4
},
},
},
{ useCache: true }
)
molang.execute('query.x + query.get(3) == 7')
```

### Setting up nested environments

For the context switching operator "->", you can set up nested environments like this:

```javascript
import { Molang, Context } from 'molang'

const molang = new Molang({
query: {
test: 1,
},
context: {
other: new Context({
query: { test: 2 },
}),
},
})

molang.execute('query.test') // Returns 1
molang.execute('context.other->query.test') // Returns 2
```

## Using Custom Molang Functions

Custom Molang functions were designed to support `.molang` files within bridge.

```javascript
import { CustomMolang } from 'molang'

const customMolang = new CustomMolang({})

const molangFunctions = ... // Somehow load Molang input that defines custom functions

// Make custom functions known to Molang parser
customMolang.parse(molangFunctions)

const molangSource = ... // Somehow load Molang source from JSON files

const transformedSource = customMolang.transform(molangSource)
... // Write the transformed source string back to the JSON file or do further processing
```

A custom Molang function is defined like this:

```javascript
function('sq', 'base', {
return math.pow(a.base, 2);
});

function('pow', 'base', 'exp', {
return a.exp == 0 ? 1 : a.base * f.pow(a.base, a.exp - 1);
});
```

- The first argument always defines the function name
- All following arguments except the last one define input arguments
- The last argument is the function body
- Temporary variables get scoped to the current function body automatically
- Basic recursion is supported as long as the interpreter can stop the recursive calls at compile-time
- To call a function inside of Molang scripts, simply do `f.sq(2)` or `f.pow(3, 2)`

## Using AST Scripts

You can write abitrary scripts to traverse the abstract syntax tree this library builds.

```javascript
import { Molang, expressions } from 'molang'

const molang = new Molang()

let ast = molang.parse(`context.other->query.something + 1`)
const { NumberExpression } = expressions

// This increments all numbers within a Molang script
ast = ast.walk((expr) => {
if (expr instanceof NumberExpression)
return new NumberExpression(expr.eval() + 1)
})

const output = ast.toString() // 'context.other->query.something+2'
```

## Performance

**Disclaimer:** Both bridge.'s Molang library and Blockbench's library are usually fast enough. However, bridge.'s Molang interpreter shines when it comes to executing a wide variety of different scripts (ineffective cache) where it is up to 10x faster at interpreting a vanilla Molang script.

### Vanilla Script

The following script gets executed 100,000 times for the first test:

`variable.hand_bob = query.life_time < 0.01 ? 0.0 : variable.hand_bob + ((query.is_on_ground && query.is_alive ? math.clamp(math.sqrt(math.pow(query.position_delta(0), 2.0) + math.pow(query.position_delta(2), 2.0)), 0.0, 0.1) : 0.0) - variable.hand_bob) * 0.02;`

### Molang

Used by bridge.

| Test | Average Time |
| -------------------------- | ------------ |
| Parse & Execute (uncached) | 1253.332ms |
| Parse & Execute (cached) | 90.036ms |

### MolangJS

Used by Blockbench & Snowstorm
| Test | Average Time |
| -------------------------- | ------------ |
| Parse & Execute (uncached) | 11872ms |
| Parse & Execute (cached) | 185.299ms |

### Early Return

The same script as above, except that we now insert a "return 1;" in front of it. bridge.'s interpreter is smart enough to figure out that the whole expression is static after it parsed `return 1;`. These kinds of optimizations can be found throughout our library.

### Molang

Used by bridge.

| Test | Average Time |
| -------------------------- | ------------ |
| Parse & Execute (uncached) | 103.61ms |
| Parse & Execute (cached) | 8.835ms |

### MolangJS

Used by Blockbench & Snowstorm
| Test | Average Time |
| -------------------------- | ------------ |
| Parse & Execute (uncached) | 13230.682ms |
| Parse & Execute (cached) | 147.786ms |

## Molang Playground

We have built a very basic Molang playground with this interpreter. You can use it at [bridge-core.github.io/molang-playground](https://bridge-core.github.io/molang-playground).