SpiderMonkey Parser API: A Standard For Structured JS Representations

• Name : Michael Ficarra
• Twitter : @jspedant
• Github : michaelficarra

Abstract

The representation of JavaScript programs that Mozilla exposed with their SpiderMonkey reflection API isn't perfect; in fact, it has a good number of flaws. But a rich ecosystem of tools has formed around this particular structured representation of JavaScript programs, most notably the popular esprima parser. The reusability and composability of these tools has made this format the standard for all modern projects that transform, generate, or otherwise work with JavaScript programs. We will explore this burgeoning format, evaluate its design with the benefit of hindsight, and showcase some of the more useful and prominent projects that have adopted it. This will include code generators, scope analysers, browser bundlers, metacircular interpreters, and more!

Speaker Bio

Michael is best known for his significant contributions to the CoffeeScript programming language, its original compiler, and his KickStarter-funded rewrite. He can be described as having a passion for defining transformations of all sorts, so he naturally enjoys working with compilers and functional programming languages. As one of Github's most active users, he is an influential member of the online OSS and ECMAScript communities. He is currently working at Groupon in Chicago, IL, USA on their application security team.