MDN/Archives/Kuma/Scripting: Difference between revisions

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* Local API with access to Wiki data queries (eg. custom tables of contents, etc)
* Local API with access to Wiki data queries (eg. custom tables of contents, etc)
* Network API with access to external web services (eg. RSS feeds, bugzilla, etc)
* Network API with access to external web services (eg. RSS feeds, bugzilla, etc)
* L10N-aware constructs and alternate content
** Example: [https://developer.mozilla.org/Template:XULAttrInheritedWide Template:XULAttrInheritedWide]
** eg. span lang="en" class="lang lang-en", span lang="de" class="lang lang-de", span lang="*" class="lang lang-*"
* Safe for use by wiki content authors
* Safe for use by wiki content authors
** (Not entirely sure what makes it safe, need more research)
** (Not entirely sure what makes it safe, need more research)
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== Miscellaneous notes ==
== Miscellaneous notes ==


* [http://nodejs.org/docs/v0.3.1/api/vm.html#vm.runInNewContext Built-in node.js sandboxing features]
* Would like a relatively boring solution that matches core competencies
* [http://gf3.github.com/sandbox/ Sandbox] to wrap JS execution in node.js?
** Components should have active existing communities
** Seems to have some more features than built-in node.js sandboxing
** Try to stay close to dev team core-competencies
** timeouts, restricted method access, graceful errors
** Try to make it sensible to host for care & feeding by IT
 
* Switch from Lua to JavaScript basis
** JavaScript is more of a webdev core-competency
** JS is pretty close to Lua
** node.js has an active community, works out-of-the-box
*** Maybe consider [https://github.com/zpao/spidernode SpiderNode], but only if we get benefits beyond not-invented-here purity
 
* Or, do something ''with'' Lua?
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2012-01-30/Technology_report Wikipedia seems fond of Lua for ''their'' templates]
 
* HTTP proxy service vs embedding JS
** Embedding JS in a Python app seems experimental, and outside webdev team core-competency
** HTTP is a webdev core-compentency, and has loose-coupling and RESTafarian benefits
** Taming a code execution environment in its own process seems safer and more easily scaled
 
* Taming semi- or untrusted JavaScript code
** [http://nodejs.org/docs/v0.3.1/api/vm.html#vm.runInNewContext Built-in node.js sandboxing features]
** [http://gf3.github.com/sandbox/ Sandbox] to wrap JS execution in node.js?
*** Seems to have some more features than built-in node.js sandboxing
*** timeouts, restricted method access, graceful errors
 
* Use standalone [https://github.com/visionmedia/ejs embedded JS templates] instead of literals embedded in script?  
* Use standalone [https://github.com/visionmedia/ejs embedded JS templates] instead of literals embedded in script?  
** Employs code-in-markup instead of markup-in-code, and avoids the need for fancy compiler hijinx
** Employs code-in-markup instead of markup-in-code, and avoids the need for fancy compiler hijinx
** This is being used in other projects
* Might [https://github.com/laverdet/js-xml-literal js-xml-literals] come in handy?
* Might [https://github.com/laverdet/js-xml-literal js-xml-literals] come in handy?
** [https://github.com/laverdet/js-xml-literal/issues/2 I failed on my first attempt to install], so haven't seen this in action.
** [https://github.com/laverdet/js-xml-literal/issues/2 I failed on my first attempt to install], so haven't seen this in action.
** This seems experimental; no one else really seems to be using it yet
* Should we get a compiler / language expert in on this for opinions?
* Should we get a compiler / language expert in on this for opinions?
** This smells like dangerous excitement
* Could we port DekiScript directly? (It's open source, right?)
* Could we port DekiScript directly? (It's open source, right?)


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The basic concept:
The basic concept:


* Kuma (Django/Python) serves as the wiki/CMS for both general content and template scripts
* Document views are proxied through a node.js-based service that evaluates and executes inline macros.
* Support inline parameterized '''macros''' that invoke template scripts.
* Support inline parameterized '''macros''' that invoke template scripts.
** Macros are usable by all content editors
** Macros are usable by all content editors
** Macros are neutered function calls, basically, and not full JS expressions
** Macros are handled by a custom parser, and definitely not just <code>eval()</code>'ed
* Support '''template scripts''' that are evaluated in a node.js sandbox as [https://github.com/visionmedia/ejs EJS templates].
* Support '''template scripts''' that are evaluated in a node.js sandbox as [https://github.com/visionmedia/ejs EJS templates].
** '''Template scripts''' could be made editable only by elevated-privilege editors
** '''Template scripts''' could be made editable only by elevated-privilege editors
* Kuma (Django/Python) serves as the wiki/CMS
* Document views are proxied through a node.js-based service that evaluates and executes inline macros.


Considering this from a high-level view of off-the-shelf parts that could be glued together:
Considering this from a high-level view of off-the-shelf parts that could be glued together:
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* [https://github.com/visionmedia/ejs EJS templates]
* [https://github.com/visionmedia/ejs EJS templates]
* Convenience methods to perform wiki content queries and utility functions
* Convenience methods to perform wiki content queries and utility functions
** Something like what [http://developer.mindtouch.com/en/docs/DekiScript/Reference/Wiki_Functions_and_Variables DekiScript offers for wiki functions and variables]
* Plentiful and intelligent HTTP-based caching
* Plentiful and intelligent HTTP-based caching


'''DRAWRINGS GO HERE'''
=== Prototype ===
 
lorchard has started work on a prototype in node.js:
* https://github.com/lmorchard/kumascript
 
=== Flow sketch ===
 
Here is a rough sketch of the process and network flows involved in this proposed solution:
 
[[File:Kumascript.png|1000px|Kuma script flow]]
 
More notes:
* If the caching works right, we should be able to almost never load & compile templates unless they're edited. (Cache invalidation? HEAD requests before GET requests?)
* When a Kuma wiki page is edited, the last-cached KumaScript response is discarded.
* To support preview functionality, we can accept HTTP POST of arbitrary page source at the start of the KumaScript flow. Not cached, which is a feature.


=== Code samples (imaginary) ===
=== Code samples (imaginary) ===
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* Can this be done in a way that restricts file, network, memory, and CPU usage?
* Can this be done in a way that restricts file, network, memory, and CPU usage?
** Anything else dangerous and in need of restriction?
** Anything else dangerous and in need of restriction?
** How restrictive do we need to be? (ie. is trusting a certain set of authors enough?)
** How restrictive is DekiScript?
* Options inside node.js
* Options inside node.js
** node.js has sandboxing out-of-the-box, and there's [http://gf3.github.com/sandbox/ Sandbox]
** [http://nodejs.org/docs/v0.3.1/api/vm.html#vm.runInNewContext node.js has sandboxing out-of-the-box]
** There's also [http://gf3.github.com/sandbox/ Sandbox]
** There's also [http://gf3.github.com/sandbox/ Sandbox]
* Options for host running node.js
* Options for host running node.js
** No filesystem access at all (chroot?)
** No filesystem access at all (chroot?)
*** and/or [http://lxc.sourceforge.net/ LXC]
*** and/or [http://lxc.sourceforge.net/ LXC]
** Whitelisted network access (firewall rules?)
** Whitelisted network access (eg. firewall rules? limit base URLs of services?)
** Limited execution time (kill the process after 30 sec?)
** Limited execution time (eg. kill the process after 30000 msec?)
** Limited memory usage (kill the process after 10MB consumed?)
** Limited memory usage (eg. kill the process after 10MB consumed?)
** Auto-disable script if abuse detected?
** Auto-disable script if abuse detected (eg. penalty box for X minutes?)
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