# Setup

## Prerequisites

Before starting to use **N-API** you need to assure you have the following
prerequisites:

- **Node.JS** see: [Installing Node.js](https://nodejs.org/)

- **Node.js native addon build tool**

  - **[node-gyp](node-gyp.md)**

## Installation and usage

To use **N-API** in a native module:

1. Add a dependency on this package to `package.json`:

```json
  "dependencies": {
    "node-addon-api": "*",
  }
```

2. Reference this package's include directory and gyp file in `binding.gyp`:

```gyp
  'include_dirs': ["<!(node -p \"require('node-addon-api').include_dir\")"],
```

3. Decide whether the package will enable C++ exceptions in the N-API wrapper.
   The base ABI-stable C APIs do not throw or handle C++ exceptions, but the
   N-API C++ wrapper classes may _optionally_
   [integrate C++ and JavaScript exception-handling
   ](https://nodejs.github.io/node-addon-api/class_napi_1_1_error.html).
   To enable that capability, C++ exceptions must be enabled in `binding.gyp`:

```gyp
  'cflags!': [ '-fno-exceptions' ],
  'cflags_cc!': [ '-fno-exceptions' ],
  'xcode_settings': {
    'GCC_ENABLE_CPP_EXCEPTIONS': 'YES',
    'CLANG_CXX_LIBRARY': 'libc++',
    'MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET': '10.7',
  },
  'msvs_settings': {
    'VCCLCompilerTool': { 'ExceptionHandling': 1 },
  },
```

Alternatively, disable use of C++ exceptions in N-API:

```gyp
  'defines': [ 'NAPI_DISABLE_CPP_EXCEPTIONS' ],
```

4. If you would like your native addon to support OSX, please also add the
   following settings in the `binding.gyp` file:

```gyp
['OS=="mac"', {
    'cflags+': ['-fvisibility=hidden'],
    'xcode_settings': {
      'GCC_SYMBOLS_PRIVATE_EXTERN': 'YES', # -fvisibility=hidden
    }
}]
```

5. Include `napi.h` in the native module code.
   To ensure only ABI-stable APIs are used, DO NOT include
   `node.h`, `nan.h`, or `v8.h`.

```C++
#include "napi.h"
```

At build time, the N-API back-compat library code will be used only when the
targeted node version _does not_ have N-API built-in.

The preprocessor directive `NODE_ADDON_API_DISABLE_DEPRECATED` can be defined at
compile time before including `napi.h` to skip the definition of deprecated APIs.
