SpiderMonkey Parser API: A Standard For Structured JS Representations

The representation of JavaScript programs that Mozilla used when they exposed their SpiderMonkey reflection API isn't perfect; in fact, it has a good number of flaws. But a rich ecosystem of tools has formed around this particular structured representation of JavaScript programs, most notably the popular esprima parser.

The reusability and composability of these tools has made this format the standard for all modern projects that transform, generate, or otherwise work with JavaScript programs. We will explore this burgeoning format, evaluate its design with the benefit of hindsight, and showcase some of the more useful and prominent projects that have adopted it.