Native Node.js addons are modules that allow you to extend the functionality of Node.js by writing C/C++ code that can be directly integrated into your Node.js application. This can be useful when you need to perform high performance tasks, access hardware resources, or interact with libraries that are not available in JavaScript.

In this tutorial, we will cover the basics of creating a native Node.js addon. We will walk through the process of setting up a new addon project, writing some C++ code, and integrating it into a Node.js application.

Step 1: Set up your project

First, you will need to create a new directory for your project. Inside this directory, create a new file called addon.cpp This file will contain the C++ code for your addon.

Next, create a new file called binding.gyp. This file is used by Node.js to build your addon. Here’s a simple example of what the binding.gyp file should look like:

{
  "targets": [
    {
      "target_name": "addon",
      "sources": [ "addon.cpp" ]
    }
  ]
}

Step 2: Write some C++ code

Now it’s time to write some C++ code for your addon. Here’s a simple example that adds two numbers together:

“`c++

include

namespace demo {

using v8::FunctionCallbackInfo;
using v8::Isolate;
using v8::Local;
using v8::Object;
using v8::Value;

void Add(const FunctionCallbackInfo& args) {
    Isolate* isolate = args.GetIsolate();

    if (args.Length() < 2) {
        isolate->ThrowException(
            Exception::TypeError(
                String::NewFromUtf8(isolate, "Wrong number of arguments")
            )
        );
        return;
    }

    double value = args[0]->NumberValue() + args[1]->NumberValue();
    Local result = Number::New(isolate, value);
    args.GetReturnValue().Set(result);
}

void Init(Local exports) {
    NODE_SET_METHOD(exports, "add", Add);
}

NODE_MODULE(addon, Init)

}

Step 3: Build and integrate your addon

Once you have written your C++ code, you can build your addon using the following command:

node-gyp configure build

This will generate a `build` directory containing the compiled addon. You can now integrate your addon into a Node.js application by requiring it like this:

```javascript
const addon = require('./build/Release/addon');

console.log('Adding 2 + 2:', addon.add(2, 2));

That’s it! You have now successfully created and integrated a native Node.js addon. This is just a simple example, but you can extend this concept to build more complex addons that interact with external libraries, perform high performance tasks, or access hardware resources.

Remember to always check the Node.js API documentation for information on how to interact with JavaScript objects from C++ code. Happy coding!