Approaching WebAssembly

Slides from my WebAssembly talk at WeRise.tech

Transcript

1. Approaching WebAssembly Dan Callahan (@callahad) <dcallahan@mozilla.com>
6. Lin Clark @linclark hacks.mozilla.org /2017/02/a-cartoon-intro-to-webassembly
7. Lin Clark @linclark hacks.mozilla.org /2017/06/a-crash-course-in-memory-management/
8. Lin Clark @linclark youtube.com /watch?v=3GHJ4cbxsVQ
9. WebAssembly is a
 compiler target for
 programs on the Web.
10. Demos
11. Plugins were dying, but no replacement. JavaScript is hostile to optimizations. Can’t re-use existing code on the Web. Why do we need WebAssembly?
12. Be as safe and universal as JavaScript Run as quickly as native code Provide consistent, predictable performance Allow code re-use between Web and native Design goals for WebAssembly
13. WebAssembly is a
 direct successor to
 Mozilla’s asm.js.
14. Demos
15. WebAssembly is a
 low-level, binary format.
16. Live Coding
17. Performance Code Re-use Portability Reasons to use WebAssembly
18. Games (e.g., Unreal, Unity) Multimedia (e.g., AV1, FLIF, BPG) Performance (e.g., KeeWeb, Mega) Libraries (e.g., OpenCV, Box2D, LibSass) 64-bit Math (e.g., MAME, SHA512) Where does WebAssembly make sense?
19. WebAssembly is an
 open standard supported
 by all major browsers.
21. WebAssembly is a
 general purpose
 virtual architecture.
24. A compiler target for the Web 1. Low-level, binary format for programs 2. Open standard with cross-browser support 3. Direct successor of asm.js 4. General purpose virtual architecture What is WebAssembly, again?
25. Doesn’t replace JavaScript, but does expand the Web. Enables new, hybrid (WASM + JS) designs. For compilers, Web is just another platform. WebAssembly is here. It works. Why is WebAssembly interesting?
26. Better Tools Multi-threading SIMD See Future Features for more What is WebAssembly’s future?
27. FAQs
28. Is JavaScript dead or dying?
29. Is JavaScript dead or dying? JavaScript is alive.
30. Is JavaScript dead or dying? JavaScript is alive. Its client-side monopoly is dead.
31. Is JavaScript dead or dying? JavaScript is alive. Its client-side monopoly is dead. Each complements the other:
 - High-level vs. Low-level
 - Text vs. Binary
32. Is JavaScript dead or dying? JavaScript is alive. Its client-side monopoly is dead. Each complements the other:
 - High-level vs. Low-level
 - Text vs. Binary WASM makes new things possible.
33. What about older browsers?
34. What about older browsers? Use asm.js as a fallback.
35. What about older browsers? Use asm.js as a fallback. C/C++ 㱺 asm.js 㱺 wasm
36. What about older browsers? Use asm.js as a fallback. C/C++ 㱺 asm.js 㱺 wasm 㱺 asm.js 㱺
37. What about older browsers? Use asm.js as a fallback. Emscripten C/C++ 㱺 asm.js 㱺 wasm 㱺 asm.js 㱺
38. What about older browsers? Use asm.js as a fallback. Emscripten Binaryen C/C++ 㱺 asm.js 㱺 wasm 㱺 asm.js 㱺
39. Can I compile JS to WASM?
40. Can I compile JS to WASM? Don’t do that.
41. Can I compile JS to WASM? Don’t do that. You’d have to ship your own JS runtime.
42. Can I compile JS to WASM? Don’t do that. You’d have to ship your own JS runtime. The one included with your browser is great.
43. What about type errors?
44. What about type errors? Like in JS, the browser coerces types.
45. What about type errors? Like in JS, the browser coerces types. There are well defined rules for this.
46. What about type errors? Like in JS, the browser coerces types. There are well defined rules for this. No different from Math.sqrt(“hello world”);
47. Demos
48. Questions? Dan Callahan (@callahad) <dcallahan@mozilla.com>