Native modules

Contents

How a Program becomes Dart, in parts. Start with the introduction, then follow each part into the rendered output and the runtime it links against.

• Introduction — what the Dart target is, and how to read the rest of this section.
• Capabilities — which high-level features are possible, built in or through a library.
• Example — a full program using every keyword, and the Dart it renders to.
• Naming considerations — how Program's dotted names are carried into Dart.
• Entry point — starting a program and mounting it as a Flutter app.
• Drivers — the native drivers that provide the interface, animation and network.
• Runtime — the Reactive and Context machinery the rendered code links against.
• Native modules — the hand-written Dart behind NATIVE functions.
• Keywords — how each of Program's keywords renders to Dart.
• Project setup — the files and commands to build and run the rendered program.
• Reserved words — the words Dart keeps for itself, and how a colliding name is escaped.

Hand-written Dart behind NATIVE

A function's hand-written dart NATIVE body is dropped in where the function is called, wrapped so its inputs arrive as plain Dart values.

static ReactiveValue<double> Add(dynamic a, dynamic b) {
  return Reactive.Calculate<double>(() {
    final a = Reactive.Value<double>(__reactive_a);
    final b = Reactive.Value<double>(__reactive_b);
    return a + b;                  // the dart NATIVE body
  });
}

As on JavaScript, the drivers are native code too — the Flutter interface driver, animation and network live in their modules' native Dart — and the runtime (Reactive, Context) is itself a native module the rest builds on.