Scala.js Modifiers

Code fences with the scala mdoc:js modifier are compiled with Scala.js and evaluate on every browser page load providing interactive documentation.

val tick = { () =>
  val date = new scala.scalajs.js.Date()
  val time = s"${date.getHours}h${date.getMinutes}m${date.getSeconds}s"
  // `node` variable is a DOM element in scope.
  node.innerHTML = s"Current time is $time"
}
tick()
org.scalajs.dom.window.setInterval(tick, 1000)

Installation

The mdoc:js modifier requires custom installation steps.

sbt-mdoc

First, install sbt-mdoc using the regular installation instructions.

Next, update the mdocJS setting to point to a Scala.js project that has scalajs-dom as a library dependency.

// build.sbt
lazy val jsdocs = project
  .settings(
+   libraryDependencies += "org.scala-js" %%% "scalajs-dom" % "0.9.6"
  )
  .enablePlugins(ScalaJSPlugin)
lazy val docs = project
  .in(file("myproject-docs"))
  .settings(
+   mdocJS := Some(jsdocs)
  )
  .enablePlugins(MdocPlugin)

Command-line

First add a dependency on the org.scalameta:mdoc-js library.

 coursier launch \
     org.scalameta:mdoc_2.12:1.2.3 \
+    org.scalameta:mdoc-js_2.12:1.2.3

This dependency enables the mdoc:js modifier which requires the site variables js-classpath and js-scalacOptions.

 coursier launch \
     org.scalameta:mdoc_2.12:1.2.3 \
     org.scalameta:mdoc-js_2.12:1.2.3 -- \
+  --site.js-classpath CLASSPATH_OF_SCALAJS_PROJECT
+  --site.js-scalacOption OPTIONS_OF_SCALAJS_PROJECT

js-scalacOptions must contain -Xplugin:path/to/scalajs-compiler.jar to enable the Scala.js compiler. - js-classpath value must include a dependency on the library org.scala-js:scalajs-dom

Modifiers

The following modifiers can be combined with mdoc:js code fences to customize the rendered output.

`:shared`

By default, each code fence is isolated from other code fences. Use the :shared modifier to reuse imports or variables between code fences.

Before:

```scala mdoc:js:shared
import org.scalajs.dom.window.setInterval
import scala.scalajs.js.Date
```
```scala mdoc:js
setInterval(() => {
  node.innerHTML = new Date().toString()
}, 1000)
```

After:

```scala
import org.scalajs.dom.window.setInterval
import scala.scalajs.js.Date
```

```scala
setInterval(() => {
  node.innerHTML = new Date().toString()
}, 1000)
```

<div id="mdoc-js-run1" data-mdoc-js></div>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/jsdocs-opt-library.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/jsdocs-opt-loader.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/tut.md.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/mdoc.js" defer></script>

setInterval(() => {
  val date = new Date().toString()
  node.innerHTML = s"<p>Shared date $date</p>"
}, 1000)

Loading :shared example...

Without :shared, the example above results in a compile error.

Before:

```scala mdoc:js
import scala.scalajs.js.Date
```
```scala mdoc:js
new Date()
```

Error:

error: js.md:5:5: not found: type Date
new Date()
    ^^^^

`:invisible`

By default, the original input code is rendered in the output page. Use :invisible to hide the code example from the output so that only the div is generated.

Before:

```scala mdoc:js:invisible
var n = 0
org.scalajs.dom.window.setInterval(() => {
  n += 1
  node.innerHTML = s"Invisible tick: $n"
}, 1000)
```

After:

<div id="mdoc-js-run0" data-mdoc-js></div>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/jsdocs-opt-library.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/jsdocs-opt-loader.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/tut.md.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/mdoc.js" defer></script>

Loading :invisible example...

Loading HTML

By default, the node variable points to an empty div element. Prefix the code fence with custom HTML followed by a --- separator to set the inner HTML of the node div.

Before:

```scala mdoc:js
<p>I am a custom <code>loader</code></p>
---
println(node.innerHTML)
```

After:

```scala
println(node.innerHTML)
```

<div id="mdoc-js-run0" data-mdoc-js><p>I am a custom <code>loader</code></p></div>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/jsdocs-opt-library.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/jsdocs-opt-loader.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/tut.md.js" defer></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="assets/mdoc.js" defer></script>

// Open developer console to see this printed message
println(s"Loading HTML: ${node.innerHTML}")

I am a custom loader

Replace the node's innerHTML to make the HTML disappear once the document has loaded.

org.scalajs.dom.window.setTimeout(() => {
 node.innerHTML = "I am loaded. Refresh the page to load me again."
}, 3000)

I disappear in 3 seconds...

Using scalajs-bundler

The scalajs-bundler plugin can be used to install npm dependencies and bundle applications with webpack.

Add the following sbt settings if you use scalajs-bundler.

 lazy val jsdocs = project
   .settings(
+    webpackBundlingMode := BundlingMode.LibraryOnly()
+    scalaJSUseMainModuleInitializer := true,
     npmDependencies.in(Compile) ++= List(
       // ...
     ),
   )
   .enablePlugins(ScalaJSBundlerPlugin)

 lazy val docs = project
   .settings(
     mdocJS := Some(jsdocs),
+    mdocJSLibraries := webpack.in(jsdocs, Compile, fullOptJS).value
   )
   .enablePlugins(MdocPlugin)

The webpackBundlingMode must be LibraryOnly so that the mdoc generated output can depend on it.

Bundle npm dependencies

It's important that the main function in jsdocs uses the installed npm dependencies. If the npm dependencies are not used from the jsdocs main function, then webpack thinks they are unused and removes them from the bundled output even if those dependencies are called from mdoc:js markdown code fences.

For example, to use the npm ms package start by writing a facade using @JSImport

File: ms.scala

package jsdocs

import scala.scalajs.js
import scala.scalajs.js.annotation.JSImport

@js.native
@JSImport("ms", JSImport.Namespace)
object ms extends js.Object {
  // Facade for the npm package `ms` https://www.npmjs.com/package/ms
  def apply(n: Double): String = js.native
}

Next, write a main function that uses the facade. Make sure that the jsdocs project contains the setting scalaJSUseMainModuleInitializer := true.

File: Main.scala

package jsdocs

object Main {
  def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
    // Important, the main function must use the Scala.js facade in order for
    // the `ms` npm library to be available from mdoc:js code fences.
    ms(6000)
  }
}

The ms function can now be used from mdoc:js.

val date = new scala.scalajs.js.Date()
val time = jsdocs.ms(date.getTime())
node.innerHTML = s"Hello from npm package 'ms': $time"

If the ms function is not referenced from the jsdocs main function you get a stacktrace in the browser console like this:

Uncaught TypeError: $i_ms is not a function
    at $c_Lmdocjs$.run6__Lorg_scalajs_dom_raw_Element__V (js.md.js:1180)
    at js.md.js:3108
    at mdoc.js:9

Validate library.js and loader.js

Validate that the webpack task provides one *-library.js file and one *-loader.js file.

// sbt shell
> show jsdocs/fullOptJS::webpack
...
[info] * Attributed(.../jsdocs/target/scala-2.12/scalajs-bundler/main/jsdocs-opt-loader.js)
[info] * Attributed(.../jsdocs/target/scala-2.12/scalajs-bundler/main/jsdocs-opt-library.js)
...

These files are required by mdoc in order to use the scalajs-bundler npm dependencies. The files may be missing if you have custom webpack or scalajs-bundler configuration. To fix this problem, you may want to try to create a new jsdocs Scala.js project with minimal webpack and scalajs-bundler configuration.

Configuration

The mdoc:js modifier supports several site variable options to customize the rendered output of mdoc:js.

Add custom HTML header

Update the js-html-header site variable to insert custom HTML before the compiled JavaScript. For example, to add React via unpkg add the following setting.

 mdocVariables := Map(
+  "js-html-header" ->
+     """<script crossorigin src="https://unpkg.com/react@16.5.1/umd/react.production.min.js"></script>"""
 )

Generate optimized page

The Scala.js fullOpt mode is used by default and the fastOpt mode is used when the -w or --watch flag is used. The fastOpt mode provides faster feedback while iterating on documentation at the cost of larger bundle size and slower code. When publishing a website, the optimized mode should be used.

Update the js-opt site variables to override the default optimization mode:

js-opt=full: use fullOpt regardless of watch mode
js-opt=fast: use fastOpt regardless of watch mode

Customize `node` variable name

By default, each mdoc:js code fence has access to a node variable that points to a DOM element.

Update the site variable js-mount-node=customNode to use a different variable name than node.

Customize output js directory

By default, mdoc generates the javascript next to the output markdown sources. For example, a foo.md markdown file with mdoc:js code fences produces a foo.md.js JavaScript file in the same directory.

When using the DocusaurusPlugin sbt plugin, the output directory is automatically configured to emit JavaScript in the assets/ directory since the docs/ directory can only contain markdown sources.

For other site generators than Docusaurus or outside of sbt, update the site variable js-out-prefix=assets if you need to generate the output JavaScript file in a different directory than the markdown source.

Customize module kind

By default, sbt-mdoc uses the scalaJSModuleKind sbt setting to determine the module kind.

Outside of sbt, update the js-module-kind site variables to customizee the module kind:

js-module-kind=NoModule: don't export modules, the default value.
js-module-kind=CommonJSModule: use CommonJS modules.
js-module-kind=ESModule: use ECMAScript modules, not supported.

Add local JavaScript libraries

In sbt, the mdocJSLibraries setting allows you to link local *-library.js and *-loader.js files produced by webpack via scalajs-bundler.

Outside of sbt, update the js-libraries site variable to contain a path separated list of local JavaScript files (same syntax as Java classpaths) to link local JavaScript library files. Note that mdoc will only copy the following files:

*-library.js: this file is copied to the output directory and linked from the markdown output as a <script src="...">.
*-loader.js: same as *-library.js but it comes after *-library.js.
*.js.map: optional source maps.

Installation

sbt-mdoc

Command-line

Modifiers

:shared

:invisible

Loading HTML

Using scalajs-bundler

Bundle npm dependencies

Validate library.js and loader.js

Configuration

Add custom HTML header

Generate optimized page

Customize node variable name

Customize output js directory

Customize module kind

Add local JavaScript libraries

`:shared`

`:invisible`

Customize `node` variable name