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doc: better linkage to node-addon-api
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One of the comments we got at the N-API workshop
at NodeConfEU was that we should have a better link to
node-addon-api and the docs in the main API docs for
N-API. The goal being to help people find node-addon-api
and potentially start with the node-addon-api docs
instead if they are using C++.

This expands and strengthens the link along with a
recommendation that starting with the node-addon-api
docs might make sense.

PR-URL: #24371
Reviewed-By: Sakthipriyan Vairamani <thechargingvolcano@gmail.com>
Reviewed-By: Vse Mozhet Byt <vsemozhetbyt@gmail.com>
Reviewed-By: Franziska Hinkelmann <franziska.hinkelmann@gmail.com>
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mhdawson committed Nov 16, 2018
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52 changes: 45 additions & 7 deletions doc/api/n-api.md
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Expand Up @@ -34,13 +34,51 @@ properties:
handling section [Error Handling][].

The N-API is a C API that ensures ABI stability across Node.js versions
and different compiler levels. However, we also understand that a C++
API can be easier to use in many cases. To support these cases we expect
there to be one or more C++ wrapper modules that provide an inlineable C++
API. Binaries built with these wrapper modules will depend on the symbols
for the N-API C based functions exported by Node.js. These wrappers are not
part of N-API, nor will they be maintained as part of Node.js. One such
example is: [node-addon-api](https://github.com/nodejs/node-addon-api).
and different compiler levels. A C++ API can be easier to use.
To support using C++, the project maintains a
C++ wrapper module called
[node-addon-api](https://github.com/nodejs/node-addon-api).
This wrapper provides an inlineable C++ API. Binaries built
with `node-addon-api` will depend on the symbols for the N-API C-based
functions exported by Node.js. `node-addon-api` is a more
efficient way to write code that calls N-API. Take, for example, the
following `node-addon-api` code. The first section shows the
`node-addon-api` code and the second section shows what actually gets
used in the addon.

```C++
Object obj = Object::New(env);
obj["foo"] = String::New(env, "bar");
```

```C++
napi_status status;
napi_value object, string;
status = napi_create_object(env, &object);
if (status != napi_ok) {
napi_throw_error(env, ...);
return;
}

status = napi_crate_string_utf8(env, "bar", NAPI_AUTO_LENGTH, &string);
if (status != napi_ok) {
napi_throw_error(env, ...);
return;
}

status = napi_set_named_property(env, object, "foo", string);
if (status != napi_ok) {
napi_throw_error(env, ...);
return;
}
```

The end result is that the addon only uses the exported C APIs. As a result,
it still gets the benefits of the ABI stability provided by the C API.

When using `node-addon-api` instead of the C APIs, start with the API
[docs](https://github.com/nodejs/node-addon-api#api-documentation)
for `node-addon-api`.

## Implications of ABI Stability

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