JavaScript language binding for godot game engine

This module implements JavaScript/TypeScript language support for the godot game engine. QuickJS is used as the ECMAScript engine.

Features

• Almost complete ES2020 support
• All godot api avaliable
• Operator overriding for builtin types (Vector3, Color, etc)
• TypeScript support
• Using thirdpart libraries from npm
• Multi-thread support with Worker API
• Full code completion support for all godot APIs including signals and enumerations
• Debug in Visual Studio Code with the plugin

Download

You can try the pre-compiled binaries from the release page
You can also get the binaries with lastest commits from the github build action result

Compilation

• Clone the source code of godot
• Clone this module and put it into godot/modules/ and make sure the folder name of this module is ECMAScript
• Recompile the godot engine (Only MinGW is supported on Windows for now!)

Usage

How to export script class to godot

1. Define your ECMAScript class and inherit from a godot class then export it as the default entry

// The default export entry is treated as an exported class to godot
export default class MySprite extends godot.Sprite {
	
	// this is _init() in GDScript
	constructor() {
		super();
	}
	
	_ready() {
		
	}
	
	_process(delta) {
		
	}
}

2. Save the script with extension .jsx
3. Attach the script file to the node or resource object like you do with GDScript

How to export signals

export default class MySprite extends godot.Sprite {};
// register game_over signal to MySprite class
godot.register_signal(MySprite, 'game_over');

How to export properties

export default class MySprite extends godot.Sprite {
	_process(delta) {
		// Yes! We can use operators in JavaScript like GDScript
		this.position += this.direction * delta;
	}
};
// export 'direction' properties to MySprite godot inspector
godot.register_property(MySprite, 'direction', new godot.Vector2(1, 0));

There are 2 ways of using the godot.register_property, the thrid param can either be a default value for the property you're trying to export or an object giving a more detailed description on how the editor should show it.

function register_property(target: GodotClass | godot.Object, name: string, value: any);
function register_property(target: GodotClass | godot.Object, name: string, info: PropertyInfo);

So calling the register_property like this:

godot.register_property(MyClass, 'number_value', 3.14);

Is the simplified version of:

godot.register_property(MyClass, 'number_value',  {
	type: godot.TYPE_REAL,
	hint: godot.PropertyHint.PROPERTY_HINT_NONE,
	hint_string: "",
	default: 3.14
});

For more detail on how to use it, click here.

About the API

All of godots api's are defined within the godot namespace.

No API names have been renamed or changed so you shouldn't need to change your habits.

API specification:

• Keys of Dictionary are converted to String in JavaScript
• Signals are defined as constants to its classes

  godot.Control.resized === 'resized' // true
  
• Additional functions
  • godot.register_signal(cls, signal_name) to register signals
  • godot.register_property(cls, name, default_value) to define and export properties
  • godot.register_class(cls, name) to register named class manually
  • godot.set_script_tooled(cls, tooled) to set tooled of the class
  • godot.set_script_icon(cls, path) to set icon of the class
  • godot.get_type(val) Returns the internal type of the given Variant object, using the godot.TYPE_*
  • godot.yield(target, signal) Returns a Promise which will be resolved when the signal emitted
  • requestAnimationFrame(callback) registers a callback function to be called every frame, returns a request ID.
  • cancelAnimationFrame(request_id) to cancel a previously scheduled frame request
  • require(module_id) to load a CommonJS module or load a resource file
  • $ is the alias of Node.get_node
• Using signals in the ECMAScript way
  • Allow passing functions for godot.Object.connect, godot.Object.disconnect and godot.Object.is_connected

    	this.panel.connect(godot.Control.resized, (size) => {
    		console.log('The size of the panel changed to:', size);
    	});
    
  • Using await to wait signals

    await godot.yield(this.get_tree().create_timer(1), godot.SceneTreeTimer.timeout);
    console.log('After one second to show');
    
• Preload resources with ECMAScript import statement

  import ICON from 'res://icon.png';
  
• Multi-threading with minimal Worker API (This is an experimental feature)
  • Start a new thread with Worker

    const worker = new Worker('worker.js'); // Run worker.js in a new thread context
    worker.postMessage({type: 'load_dlc', value: 'dlc01.pck'});
    worker.onmessage = function(msg) {
    	console.log("[MainThread] received message from worker thread:", msg);
    }
    
  • Transfer value in different thread context with godot.abandon_value and godot.adopt_value

    // In worker thread
    let id = godot.abandon_value(object);
    postMessage({ type: 'return_value', id: id });
    
    // In the host thread
    worker.onmessage = function(msg) {
    	if (typeof msg === 'object' && msg.type === 'return_value') {
    		let value_from_worker = godot.adopt_value(msg.id);
    	}
    }
    

TypeScript support and JSX code completion

• Run the menu command Project > Tools > ECMAScript > Generate TypeScript Project from the godot editor to generate a TypeScript project
• Run tsc -w -p . under your project folder in the terminal to compile scripts

Code completion

• Code completion in TSX will automatically work once the TypeScript project is generated by the above steps.
• Code completion in JSX in VS Code is achieved by the property "types": "./godot.d.ts" in the generated package.json file of the TypeScript project. The godot.d.ts file can be generated alone via the Project > Tools > ECMAScript > Generate TypeScript Declaration File editor menu option and added to a package.json file manually to achieve this without a full TypeScript project.

Example TypeScript Usage

Make sure the file with extension '.tsx' so it can be compiled to a .jsx file then we can attach it to a node in godot editor.

Most of the register functions are available as various decorators as seen below.

import { signal, property, tool, onready, node } from "./decorators";

@tool // make the script runnable in godot editor
export default class InputLine extends godot.HBoxContainer {

	// define a signal
	@signal
	static readonly OnTextChanged: string;

	// expose a node property
	@node
	icon: godot.Sprite;

	// register offset property with the godot inspector with default value of Vector2(0, 0)
	@property({ default: godot.Vector2.ZERO })
	offset: godot.Vector2;
	
	// register properties for godot editor inspector
	@property({ type: godot.VariantType.TYPE_STRING })
	get title() { return this._title; }
	set title(v: string) {
		this._title = v;
		if (this._label) {
			this._label.text = v;
		}
	}
	private _title: string;

	@property({ default: "Input text here" })
	get hint() { return this._hint; }
	set hint(v: string) {
		this._hint = v;
		if (this.edit) {
			this.edit.hint_tooltip = v;
			this.edit.placeholder_text = v;
		}
	}
	private _hint: string;

	get label(): godot.Label { return this._label; }
	protected _label: godot.Label;

	// call get_node('LineEdit') and assign the returned value to 'this.edit' automatically when the node is ready
	@onready('LineEdit')
	edit: godot.LineEdit;

	get text(): string {
		return this.edit?.text;
	}

	_ready() {
		// get first child with the type of godot.Label
		this._label = this.get_node(godot.Label);
		
		// Apply the inspector filled values with property setters
		this.title = this.title;
		this.hint = this.hint;

		this.edit.connect(godot.LineEdit.text_changed, (text: string)=>{
			this.emit_signal(InputLine.OnTextChanged, text);
		});
	}
}

Demo

You can try demos in the ECMAScriptDemos