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javascriptsyntaxv8

Why are some of the function invocations preceded by a % in JS files for v8 source?


I saw % in many codes. Can you explain to me its purpose or what it does?

Edit: I know the operand in math 13 % 10 = 3 but what I saw is like return %foo.

Encountered this while looking through v8 source files

Why are some of the function invocations preceded by a % sign?

%CheckIsBootstrapping();
//---
// Only used by async-await.js
function RejectPromise(promise, reason, debugEvent) {
  %PromiseReject(promise, reason, debugEvent);
}
//---
var callbacks = %create_resolving_functions(promise, debugEvent);

Solution

  • Based on the link you provided in the comments, the % character appears to be used in some of the V8 JavaScript engine source code to indicate a method of the C++ runtime that will be executed while parsing the JavaScript source.

    For example, the line in string.js:

    return %StringBuilderConcat(parts, len + 1, "");
    

    When encountered by the parser, the StringBuilderConcat method will be executed. You can find a list of the runtime methods available to the V8 JavaScript files in runtime.h (note, I have no experience with C++, so for all I know this has nothing to do with the StringBuilderConcat method referenced in string.js, but I think it's the same thing):

    #define RUNTIME_FUNCTION_LIST_ALWAYS_1(F) \
      /* Property access */ \
      F(GetProperty, 2, 1) \
      F(KeyedGetProperty, 2, 1) \
      /* ... */
      F(StringBuilderConcat, 3, 1) \
      /* ... */
    

    As has already been stated, return %foo would throw a SyntaxError in JavaScript.