Node-API, formerly known as N-API, is an essential component of Node.js designed to be an Application Binary Interface (ABI) stable interface for building native add-ons. It acts as a layer between the C/C++ code of native add-ons and the Node.js JavaScript engine, which is primarily Google's V8 engine, although Node-API is independent of the underlying JavaScript runtime[1][3][5].
The primary purpose of Node-API is to provide ABI stability across different Node.js versions. This stability ensures that once a native add-on is compiled for one version of Node.js, it can run on subsequent versions without needing recompilation[1][6]. This feature is crucial for developers because it significantly simplifies the maintenance of native add-ons over time, as they do not need to be updated with each new Node.js release.
Node-API abstracts away the specifics of the JavaScript engine, which means that the native add-ons built using Node-API are not directly tied to the V8 engine's API. This abstraction layer helps insulate the add-ons from changes in the JavaScript engine, potentially reducing the effort required to update add-ons when the engine updates[1][5].
Introduced in Node.js version 8.0.0, Node-API has evolved over time, with each version adding features and enhancements based on feedback from developers[5][6]. It sup...
