V: Feature request: Translating JavaScript/TypeScript/Lua to V

[zaoqi]

[xland]

I think it is impossible~

---

[zaoqi]

@xland 爲何？

[GordonGgx]

这不需要，因为这语言定位就不是这些

[medvednikov]

Yes, it would be very nice to support as many languages as possible.

Right now C => V works very well. C++ => V is at an early stage, but I think that supporting the entire standard is doable.

Translating dynamic languages or languages with powerful runtimes (like Go) is a lot harder, but it's definitely not impossible.

Python => V would be extremely cool.

[cjmxp]

I don't think that's a good idea. For example, haxe compiles all kinds of languages, but its performance is poor.
V should follow the golang route and make up for the deficiency of golang.

[medvednikov]

Haven't heard about Haxe, but looks like it translates to different languages.

Here we are talking about the opposite: translating other languages to V.

This will not make V slower.

[ntrel]

C++ => V is at an early stage, but I think it's supporting the entire standard is doable.

C++ is very complex, with implicit user type conversions, function overloading, template function overloading, destructors, exceptions, two kinds of references etc. I'm finding it hard to imagine C++ code using these features being automatically ported to V in a readable format. Even for C, how would V handle global variables?

[medvednikov]

Globals are allowed in translated code. Along with some other features.

The resulting code is not very nice, but definitely readable. This will improve as the translator matures.

[superwhiskers]

Globals are allowed in translated code. Along with some other features.

allowing globals in translated code only is a pretty big inconsistency (at least to me.)

this begs a few questions:

• how does v know if a specific source file is translated?
• couldn't this be abused to allow globals in regular code?

i personally think this feature should be removed in favor of either:

• allowing globals in all source files
• removing globals entirely
• or adding a kind of "strict mode" where globals (and potentially other features) are disabled

[nedpals]

Updates:

• JS backend is in the works. (See: https://github.com/vlang/v/tree/master/vlib/v/gen/js)
• A Typescript backend is pointless since the generated .ts file must be compiled into a javascript file in order to run.
• A Lua backend might be possible.
• ...and globals are only allowed when setting the compiler with the --enable-globals flag