Compiling C in Bun with TypeScript: Fast, Native, and Simple

Leveraging Bun's FFI for blazing-fast C compilation within TypeScript projects. I initially believed integrating C code with TypeScript would be a complex undertaking, but Bun's Foreign Function Interface (FFI) simplifies the process remarkably. Here's how to achieve native C performance directly in your TypeScript code.

Initial Setup: Preventing TypeScript Errors

Begin by initializing a new project with Bun, ensuring proper TypeScript setup:

<code class="language-bash">bun init -y  # Skips interactive prompts</code>

Why Compile C in TypeScript?

This approach allows you to harness the raw speed of C within a JavaScript environment. Bun v1.2's bun:ffi enables direct C compilation into TypeScript, eliminating the need for WebAssembly or node-gyp – resulting in native execution speed.

A Simple "Hello, World!" Example

Let's create a basic C function:

<code class="language-c">// hello.c
#include <stdio.h>
void hello(const char* name) {
  printf("Hello %s from C!\n", name);
}</code>

Now, the corresponding TypeScript code (main.ts):

<code class="language-typescript">import { cc } from "bun:ffi";

const { symbols: { hello } } = cc({
  source: "./hello.c",
  symbols: {
    hello: {
      args: ["cstring"],
      returns: "void"
    }
  } as const,
});

const name = "World";
const cString = Buffer.from(name);

hello(cString); // Output: "Hello World from C!"</code>

Execute with:

<code class="language-bash">bun run main.ts</code>

Performance and Real-World Applications

Benchmarking reveals impressive speed: approximately 6.26ns per call (including a 2ns Bun overhead).

Practical use cases include:

• Interfacing with operating system APIs (e.g., macOS Keychain, Windows Registry).
• Optimizing computationally intensive tasks (e.g., prime number calculations, video encoding).

Important Considerations

• TinyCC Limitations: The current implementation utilizes TinyCC, which lacks the optimization capabilities of GCC or Clang.
• Experimental Features: Thread safety and asynchronous callback support are still under development.
• String Encoding: UTF-8 encoding is the default.

Quick Start Guide

1. Install Bun:

<code class="language-bash">curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash</code>

2. Initialize your project (crucial for TypeScript integration):

<code class="language-bash">bun init -y</code>

3. Add the hello.c and main.ts files from the examples above.

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Further Reading: Bun FFI Documentation, Bun Blog.

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