Scale Functions currently support using TypeScript and JavaScript as the Host language and as the Guest.

This means that you can run Functions written in any supported language inside a TypeScript or JavaScript application (Host Support) as well as write functions in JS/TS and run them in other host languages, like Golang.

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Guest Support

A Scale Function written in TypeScript often looks something like this:

import * as signature from "signature";

export function scale(ctx?: signature.Context): signature.Context | undefined {
    return signature.Next(ctx);
}

The above example is a simple HTTP Function that responds with “Hello, World!” to any request.

By default, the generated function will be configured to use the HTTP Signature, which provides an interface for handling HTTP requests and responses. To learn more about the HTTP Signature and the interfaces it provides, you can check out the HTTP Signature Reference. Learn more about Signatures in the Signatures Overview.

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Host Support

To use a compiled Scale Function (written in any supported language) inside a TypeScript or JavaScript application, there are 3 steps:

  1. Import the Scale Function(s) into the TS/JS application by embedding them
  2. Create a new Scale Runtime and pass in the Scale Function(s)
  3. Call the Run method on the Scale Runtime with your request

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Importing Scale Functions

Scale Functions can be imported into a TS/JS application:

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Embedding Scale Functions

Use the @loopholelabs/scale package directly to embed functions.

import { New, Config } from "@loopholelabs/scale";
import { Read } from "@loopholelabs/scale/scalefunc/index.js";

const sf = Read("<path to exported function>");

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Creating a Scale Runtime

Once you’ve imported your Scale Function(s) into your TS/JS application, you can create a new instance of the Scale Runtime, passing the function, as well as a new Config, with a NewSiginature.

const config = new Config(NewSignature);
config.WithFunction(sf)

const r = New(config);

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Running a Scale Function

Once you’ve created the Scale Runtime, you can call the Instance method on it to get a new runtime instance. The Context method of the Instance can then be used to set the request body, and the Run method can be used to run the Scale Function (or Functions).

const i = r.Instance(null);

You’ll notice that we’re passing in null to the r.Instance method above. This is because it’s possible to chain native functions alongside Scale Functions, and the Instance method will automatically pass the result of the previous function to the next one (and pass the responses back up through the chain).

If you’re not using a native handler at the end of the chain, you can pass in null to the Instance method.

It’s important to note that an Instance can be reused multiple times, but it’s not thread-safe. If you need to run multiple instances of a Scale Function concurrently, you’ll need to create a new Instance for each one.

Instances are heavily optimized and will recycle themselves automatically when they’re no longer in use. This means that creating instances are very cheap and you can create as many as you need as often as you need.

The Instance method itself is thread-safe and can be called concurrently.

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Putting it all Together

Here’s a complete example of a TS/JS application that imports a Scale Function, creates a new Scale Runtime, and runs it.

import { New, Config } from "@loopholelabs/scale";
import { Read } from "@loopholelabs/scale/scalefunc/index.js";
import sig from 'signature';
const { New: NewSignature, Signature } = sig;

(async () => {
    const sf = Read("local-test-1.scale");
    const config = new Config(NewSignature);
    config.WithFunction(sf)

    const r = await New(config);
    const i = await r.Instance(null);
    const sign = NewSignature();

    await i.Run(sign);
})();

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What’s Next?

Now that you’ve learned how to use Scale Functions inside your TS/JS application, you should check out our pre-made adapters for popular frameworks and libraries, such as NextJS.

OverviewNext.js