WebAssembly (abbreviated as Wasm) is a low-level bytecode format designed as a portable target for the compilation of high-level languages like C, C++, and Rust, enabling deployment on the web for client and server applications. Wasm is designed to be executed in a sandboxed environment, ensuring safety and security.
One of the key advantages of Wasm is its performance. Unlike JavaScript, which is an interpreted language, Wasm is a compiled language, meaning that it can be executed more quickly and efficiently. This makes Wasm a good choice for applications that require high performance.
Another advantage of Wasm is its portability. Since it is a bytecode format, Wasm can be compiled from multiple high-level languages and run on any platform that has a Wasm runtime, such as web browsers, servers or even IoT devices.
History Of Wasm
WebAssembly was first announced in 2015 as a collaboration between major browser vendors such as Mozilla, Google, Microsoft and Apple. It was designed to improve the performance of web applications and to make it possible to write apps in multiple languages that compile to a common, portable format.
How Wasm Works
WebAssembly is a binary format designed to be executed in a virtual machine. The virtual machine is implemented in the browser or in other environments such as Node.js or Go (using wazero). WebAssembly code is loaded into the virtual machine and executed in a sandboxed environment.
WebAssembly code is typically generated by compilers targeting the Wasm format. The code is optimized for performance and size and can be loaded and executed quickly.
Benefits Of Wasm
WebAssembly has several benefits over other web technologies such as JavaScript:
Performance
WebAssembly code executes much faster than JavaScript code, especially for computationally intensive tasks.
Portability
WebAssembly code can be executed in any environment with a Wasm runtime, including web browsers and Node.js.
Security
WebAssembly code is executed in a sandboxed environment, isolating it from the rest of the system, improving security.
Interoperability
WebAssembly code can be written in any language that can be compiled to the Wasm format, enabling code reuse and interoperability between different programming languages.
Wasm Use Cases
Wasm can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from improving the performance of web applications to enabling new types of applications to run in the browser. Here are some of the most common use cases for Wasm:
Web Applications
One of the most obvious Wasm use cases is improving the performance of web applications, particularly for tasks such as video editing and scientific simulations.
Game Development
Another use case is game development, where wasm can be used to build high-performance games that run in the browser.
Serverless Computing
WebAssembly can be used to write serverless functions that can be executed in a serverless environment, such as AWS Lambda or Google Cloud Functions. This can improve the performance and scalability of serverless applications.
Desktop And Mobile Applications
Another use case for WebAssembly is building cross-platform desktop and mobile applications that can run on multiple platforms without requiring separate builds for each platform. This can reduce development time and cost compared to building separate applications for each platform.
What’s The Difference Between Wasm And Javascript?
JavaScript is a high-level programming language that is commonly used for web development. In client side applications, it is interpreted and executed in the browser, allowing developers to create dynamic, interactive web pages. JavaScript is a versatile language that can be used for a wide range of purposes, including building web applications, server-side applications, and mobile applications.
WebAssembly, on the other hand, is a low-level bytecode format suitable for compilation from multiple higher-level languages. It provides a portable, efficient, and secure way to execute code in the browser—and other environments, and it can be used alongside JavaScript or other programming languages.
A key difference between Wasm and JavaScript is their performance characteristics. JavaScript is an interpreted language, which means that it can be slower than compiled code. WebAssembly, on the other hand, is designed to execute at near-native speeds, making it more suitable for high performance tasks.
Another difference between Wasm and JavaScript is their syntax and programming models. JavaScript is a high-level language that supports object-oriented and functional programming paradigms. WebAssembly, on the other hand, is a low-level language that is more akin to machine code. Wasm modules are typically written in higher-level languages and compiled to the Wasm format for execution in a Wasm runtime environment.
Despite these differences, Wasm and JavaScript can be used together to provide a more powerful and versatile web development environment. For example, Wasm can be used to improve the performance of JavaScript applications by offloading computationally intensive tasks to Wasm modules.
Wazero And Wasm For Go
wazero is the only zero-dependency WebAssembly runtime written in Go. wazero is a fully-functional, standards-compliant, rich, and battle-tested WebAssembly runtime that integrates seamlessly with the best features of the Go runtime, such as safe concurrency and context propagation. It includes both programming interfaces for Go developers and a CLI for those who wish to just run Wasm.Learn more and get started at wazero.io›