š§© What is WebAssembly (WASM)?
WebAssembly (WASM) is a low-level, binary format that allows code written in languages like C, C++, Rust, Go, etc. to run in the browser at near-native speed ā alongside JavaScript.
ā Itās designed for performance-heavy applications like video editing, gaming, 3D rendering, and more ā right inside the browser.
š Why Use WebAssembly?
Benefit | Description |
---|---|
ā” High Performance | Runs at near-native speed in the browser |
š Cross-Language Support | Compile from C, C++, Rust, Go, etc. |
š§ Browser Compatibility | Supported in all modern browsers |
š Safe and Sandboxed | Runs securely in a browser sandbox |
š§© Works with JS | You can call WASM from JavaScript and vice versa |
š§± Use Cases for WebAssembly
š® Games (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine games on the web)
š„ Video/audio processing
š§® Scientific computing & simulations
𧬠Image recognition / machine learning
š CAD, 3D modeling
š§° Porting native desktop apps to the web
š§āš» Example: JS + WASM in Action
Letās say you have a C function:
// add.c
int add(int a, int b) {
return a + b;
}
ā Compile to WebAssembly using Emscripten:
emcc add.c -s WASM=1 -o add.js
This gives you add.wasm
and add.js
, which you can then use in the browser.
ā Load WASM in JavaScript:
fetch('add.wasm')
.then(response => response.arrayBuffer())
.then(bytes => WebAssembly.instantiate(bytes))
.then(result => {
const add = result.instance.exports.add;
console.log(add(3, 4)); // 7
});
š§ Tools for Building with WASM
Tool / Language | Description |
---|---|
Emscripten | Compile C/C++ to WASM |
Rust + wasm-pack | Best-in-class for WebAssembly projects |
AssemblyScript | Write WASM using TypeScript-like syntax |
Go (TinyGo) | Compile Go to WebAssembly |
Blazor WebAssembly | .NET C# apps running in the browser (via WASM) |
š¦ WASM vs JavaScript
Feature | WebAssembly | JavaScript |
---|---|---|
Performance | š Faster (compiled) | š¢ Slower (interpreted) |
Language Support | C, C++, Rust, Go, etc. | JS only |
Use Case | CPU-intensive tasks | UI, logic, dynamic rendering |
Interoperability | ā Works with JS | Native |
Learning Curve | š§ Steeper | š Easier |
š Limitations of WebAssembly
ā Canāt directly access the DOM (needs JS glue code)
š§© Complex debugging and tooling compared to JS
š¦ Larger bundle sizes if not optimized
š ļø Need a build pipeline (not handwritten)
ā When Should You Use WebAssembly?
Scenario | WASM Recommended? |
---|---|
Build a blog or landing page | ā No |
Real-time video editor | ā Yes |
Run AI in browser | ā Yes |
Web-based game engine | ā Yes |
Standard web form or UI | ā Stick to JavaScript |
š Learn WebAssembly
š MDN Web Docs on WASM
š ļø AssemblyScript Starter