Converting Firefox HTML5 Parser: Java to C++
Mozilla engineers describe the technical process and challenges of converting the Firefox HTML5 parser from Java to C++ to improve browser performance and
Developers explore Firefox’s HTML5 parser conversion process using specific repository commands.
Repository Setup:
- Clone:
git clone https://github.com/mozilla/gecko-dev(8GB download) - Navigate:
cd parser/html/java
Translation Commands:
make sync: Synchronizes Java source filesmake translate: Converts Java to C++ automaticallygit diff: Reviews generated C++ changes
Source Code Locations:
- Java parser:
parser/html/java/in gecko-dev - Translation engine:
htmlparser/cpptranslate/CppVisitor.javain github.com/validator/validator - W3C validator: validator.w3.org/nu/
Inspection: The process transforms Java class declarations into C++ header includes and preprocessor definitions through automated script execution.
This workflow demonstrates how Firefox maintains cross-language codebases, allowing developers to study production-grade transpilation systems that convert 15+ years of HTML parsing logic between languages.
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