Docs
Concepts
Class

Class

💡

There is no concept of a class in Rust. We use struct to represent a JavaScript Class.

Constructor

Default constructor

If all fields in a Rust struct are pub, then you can use #[napi(constructor)] to make the struct have a default constructor.

lib.rs
#[napi(constructor)]
pub struct AnimalWithDefaultConstructor {
  pub name: String,
  pub kind: u32,
}
index.d.ts
export class AnimalWithDefaultConstructor {
  name: string
  kind: number
  constructor(name: string, kind: number)
}

Custom constructor

If you want to define a custom constructor, you can use #[napi(constructor)] on your constructor fn in the struct impl block.

lib.rs
// A complex struct which cannot be exposed to JavaScript directly.
pub struct QueryEngine {}
 
#[napi(js_name = "QueryEngine")]
pub struct JsQueryEngine {
  engine: QueryEngine,
}
 
#[napi]
impl JsQueryEngine {
  #[napi(constructor)]
  pub fn new() -> Self {
    JsQueryEngine { engine: QueryEngine::new() }
  }
}
index.d.ts
export class QueryEngine {
  constructor()
}
⚠️

NAPI-RS does not currently support private constructor. Your custom constructor must be pub in Rust.

Factory

Besides constructor, you can also define factory methods on Class by using #[napi(factory)].

lib.rs
// A complex struct which cannot be exposed to JavaScript directly.
pub struct QueryEngine {}
 
#[napi(js_name = "QueryEngine")]
pub struct JsQueryEngine {
  engine: QueryEngine,
}
 
#[napi]
impl JsQueryEngine {
  #[napi(factory)]
  pub fn with_initial_count(count: u32) -> Self {
    JsQueryEngine { engine: QueryEngine::with_initial_count(count) }
  }
}
index.d.ts
export class QueryEngine {
  static withInitialCount(count: number): QueryEngine
  constructor()
}
⚠️

If no #[napi(constructor)] is defined in the struct, and you attempt to create an instance (new) of the Class in JavaScript, an error will be thrown.

test.mjs
import { QueryEngine } from './index.js'
 
new QueryEngine() // Error: Class contains no `constructor`, cannot create it!

class method

You can define a JavaScript class method with #[napi] on a struct method in Rust.

lib.rs
// A complex struct which cannot be exposed to JavaScript directly.
pub struct QueryEngine {}
 
#[napi(js_name = "QueryEngine")]
pub struct JsQueryEngine {
  engine: QueryEngine,
}
 
#[napi]
impl JsQueryEngine {
  #[napi(factory)]
  pub fn with_initial_count(count: u32) -> Self {
    JsQueryEngine { engine: QueryEngine::with_initial_count(count) }
  }
 
  /// Class method
  #[napi]
  pub async fn query(&self, query: String) -> napi::Result<String> {
    self.engine.query(query).await
  }
 
  #[napi]
  pub fn status(&self) -> napi::Result<u32> {
    self.engine.status()
  }
}
index.d.ts
export class QueryEngine {
  static withInitialCount(count: number): QueryEngine
  constructor()
  query(query: string) => Promise<string>
  status() => number
}
⚠️

async fn needs the napi4 and tokio_rt features to be enabled.

💡

Any fn in Rust that returns Result<T> will be treated as T in JavaScript/TypeScript. If the Result<T> is Err, a JavaScript Error will be thrown.

Getter

Define JavaScript class getter (opens in a new tab) using #[napi(getter)]. The Rust fn must be a struct method, not an associated function.

lib.rs
// A complex struct which cannot be exposed to JavaScript directly.
pub struct QueryEngine {}
 
#[napi(js_name = "QueryEngine")]
pub struct JsQueryEngine {
  engine: QueryEngine,
}
 
#[napi]
impl JsQueryEngine {
  #[napi(factory)]
  pub fn with_initial_count(count: u32) -> Self {
    JsQueryEngine { engine: QueryEngine::with_initial_count(count) }
  }
 
  /// Class method
  #[napi]
  pub async fn query(&self, query: String) -> napi::Result<String> {
    self.engine.query(query).await
  }
 
  #[napi(getter)]
  pub fn status(&self) -> napi::Result<u32> {
    self.engine.status()
  }
}
index.d.ts
export class QueryEngine {
  static withInitialCount(count: number): QueryEngine
  constructor()
  get status(): number
}

Setter

Define JavaScript class setter (opens in a new tab) using #[napi(setter)]. The Rust fn must be a struct method, not an associated function.

lib.rs
// A complex struct which cannot be exposed to JavaScript directly.
pub struct QueryEngine {}
 
#[napi(js_name = "QueryEngine")]
pub struct JsQueryEngine {
  engine: QueryEngine,
}
 
#[napi]
impl JsQueryEngine {
  #[napi(factory)]
  pub fn with_initial_count(count: u32) -> Self {
    JsQueryEngine { engine: QueryEngine::with_initial_count(count) }
  }
 
  /// Class method
  #[napi]
  pub async fn query(&self, query: String) -> napi::Result<String> {
    self.engine.query(query).await
  }
 
  #[napi(getter)]
  pub fn status(&self) -> napi::Result<u32> {
    self.engine.status()
  }
 
  #[napi(setter)]
  pub fn count(&mut self, count: u32) {
    self.engine.count = count;
  }
}
index.d.ts
export class QueryEngine {
  static withInitialCount(count: number): QueryEngine
  constructor()
  get status(): number
  set count(count: number)
}

Class as argument

Class is different from Object. Class can have Rust methods and associated functions on it. Every field in Class can mutated in JavaScript.

So the ownership of the Class is actually transferred to the JavaScript side while you are creating it. It is managed by the JavaScript GC, and you can only pass it back by passing its reference.

lib.rs
pub fn accept_class(engine: &QueryEngine) {
  // ...
}
 
pub fn accept_class_mut(engine: &mut QueryEngine) {
  // ...
}
index.d.ts
export function acceptClass(engine: QueryEngine): void
export function acceptClassMut(engine: QueryEngine): void

Property attributes

The default Property attributes are writable = true, enumerable = true and configurable = true. You can control the Property attributes over the #[napi] macro:

lib.rs
use napi::bindgen_prelude::*;
use napi_derive::napi;
 
// A complex struct which cannot be exposed to JavaScript directly.
#[napi]
pub struct QueryEngine {
  num: i32,
}
 
#[napi]
impl QueryEngine {
  #[napi(constructor)]
  pub fn new() -> Result<Self> {
    Ok(Self {
      num: 42,
    })
  }
 
  // writable / enumerable / configurable
  #[napi(writable = false)]
  pub fn get_num(&self) -> i32 {
    self.num
  }
}

In this case, the getNum method of QueryEngine is not writable:

main.mjs
import { QueryEngine } from './index.js'
 
const qe = new QueryEngine()
qe.getNum = function () {} // TypeError: Cannot assign to read only property 'getNum' of object '#<QueryEngine>'

Custom Finalize logic

NAPI-RS will drop the Rust struct wrapped in the JavaScript object when the JavaScript object is garbage collected. You can also specify a custom finalize logic for the Rust struct.

lib.rs
use napi::bindgen_prelude::*;
use napi_derive::napi;
 
#[napi(custom_finalize)]
pub struct CustomFinalize {
  width: u32,
  height: u32,
  inner: Vec<u8>,
}
 
#[napi]
impl CustomFinalize {
  #[napi(constructor)]
  pub fn new(mut env: Env, width: u32, height: u32) -> Result<Self> {
    let inner = vec![0; (width * height * 4) as usize];
    let inner_size = inner.len();
    env.adjust_external_memory(inner_size as i64)?;
    Ok(Self {
      width,
      height,
      inner,
    })
  }
}
 
impl ObjectFinalize for CustomFinalize {
  fn finalize(self, mut env: Env) -> Result<()> {
    env.adjust_external_memory(-(self.inner.len() as i64))?;
    Ok(())
  }
}

First, you can set custom_finalize attribute in #[napi] macro, and NAPI-RS will not generate the default ObjectFinalize for the Rust struct.

Then, you can implement ObjectFinalize yourself for the Rust struct.

In this case, the CustomFinalize struct increase external memory in the constructor and decrease it in fn finalize.

instance of

There is fn instance_of on all #[napi] class:

lib.rs
use napi::bindgen_prelude::*;
use napi_derive::napi;
 
#[napi]
pub struct NativeClass {}
 
#[napi]
pub fn is_native_class_instance(env: Env, value: Unknown) -> Result<bool> {
  NativeClass::instance_of(env, value)
}
main.mjs
import { NativeClass, isNativeClassInstance } from './index.js'
 
const nc = new NativeClass()
console.log(isNativeClassInstance(nc)) // true
console.log(isNativeClassInstance(1)) // false