What is WebAssembly

WebAssembly (often abbreviated as wasm) is a binary instruction format designed for safe and efficient execution on web browsers. It allows developers to compile code written in languages like C, C++, and Rust to a low-level bytecode that runs on the web, enabling high-performance applications such as games, image editing, and scientific computations directly in users' browsers.

WebAssembly is designed to work alongside JavaScript, providing a way to execute performance-critical features while still benefiting from the rich ecosystem of web standards. It provides a portable compilation target, allowing developers to run code on any platform that supports it, with a focus on safety and performance.

// Example of using WebAssembly in JavaScript const wasmFile = 'module.wasm'; fetch(wasmFile) .then(response => response.arrayBuffer()) .then(bytes => WebAssembly.instantiate(bytes)) .then(results => { const instance = results.instance; console.log(instance.exports.add(5, 3)); // Call an exported function from WebAssembly });

WebAssembly wasm binary instruction format web development C C++ Rust high-performance applications JavaScript web standards