ClojureScript without Java

Question

Is it possible to compile ClojureScript without Java?

I read the clojurescript nodejs quickstart but I see they still use java to compile.

I checked cljs-bootstrap but they also depend on java.

Is there any way to just use npm install and start using clojurescript?

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 05 '17 at 09:05

Now there is Lumo: https://www.npmjs.com/package/lumo-cljs

Lumo is a standalone ClojureScript environment that runs on Node.js and the V8 JavaScript engine. It starts up instantaneously and has out-of-the-box access to the entire Node.js ecosystem.

Lumo also provides a ClojureScript build API, making it possible to compile ClojureScript projects entirely without the JVM, thanks to the experimental JavaScript version of the Google Closure Compiler.

Cheers.

score 7 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 16 '15 at 19:55

Until ClojureScript is self-hosted (implemented in ClojureScript rather than Clojure), Java is needed as well as Node/NPM. However, David Nolen said in his April 20, 2015 talk at Clojure West, relatively little work remains before the compiler can be bootstrapped in itself. [The talk may be interesting to watch for other reasons as well.] So this may change in the not-too-distant future.

score 3 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 14 '16 at 18:05

3

As of ClojureScript 1.7 self compilation is now supported, see

This Post

To set up

(ns self-compile.core
  (:require cljs.js))

(set! cljs.js/*eval-fn* cljs.js/js-eval)
(def state (cljs.js/empty-state))

(defn my-compiler [str-to-compile]
  (cljs.js/eval-str state str-to-compile
                  (fn [response]
                    ;evaluated code here
                  ))

The initial compilation must be done on the JVM, however once this is done the function my-compiler above will compile strings. To create a sample project with up to date config use the lein mies template

lein new mies my-project

edited Dec 14 '16 at 18:05

Will Ness

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answered Aug 07 '15 at 00:35

Matthew Molloy

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I'm not sure how to get started, can you explain a bit more? It seems to me they are still depending on lein which depends on java... let's say I don't have java installed, can I run clojurescript with just nodejs? – Orlando Osorio Aug 07 '15 at 20:53
I believe that you need to invoke the JVM at least once to get started, after that you should be all good with just node.js. – Matthew Molloy Aug 09 '15 at 03:55
Orlando William, to try clojurescript on nodejs check out https://github.com/whamtet/dogfort – Matthew Molloy Oct 05 '15 at 05:47

ClojureScript without Java

3 Answers3