The Future of WebAssembly: Revolutionizing Computing Across Platforms and Industries

WebAssembly is a cutting-edge technology that promises to revolutionize computing as we know it. Initially designed for web development, it has quickly expanded to other computing contexts and offers many advantages over traditional programming languages and platforms. In this talk, we will explore the many potential use cases and advantages of WebAssembly across different platforms and industries.

From desktop and mobile applications to gaming and multimedia, scientific computing and data analysis, edge and cloud computing, embedded systems and the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and decentralized applications, and artificial intelligence and machine learning, WebAssembly has the potential to disrupt and innovate a wide range of industries and use cases.

We will discuss how WebAssembly is poised to transform not just the web, but also the broader computing landscape, and contribute to a more efficient and streamlined computing experience overall. Join us as we delve into the future of WebAssembly and its potential to revolutionize computing across platforms and industries.

Date: 2023 November 4 - 14:50
Duration: 30 min
Room: Room 4
Conference: SeaGL 2023
Language: English
Track: Languages and Tools
Difficulty: Open

Transcript

1. The Future of WebAssembly: Revolutionizing Computing Across Platforms and Industries Desmond Obisi He/Him OSS Engineer
2. INTRODUCTION 01
3. Brief Overview of The Presentation The future of computing is being reshaped by the rapid advancements of WebAssembly. In this presentation, we will explore the immense potential of WebAssembly in revolutionizing computing across platforms and industries. WebAssembly, or Wasm, is a cutting-edge technology that offers a binary instruction format for running high-performance code within web browsers and beyond. Originally designed for web development, it has quickly expanded to diverse computing contexts, promising improved performance, enhanced security, and portability across different platforms. Understanding the significance of this technology is critical as we navigate the evolving landscape of modern computing.
4. Objective of The Presentation The main objective of this talk is to explore the vast potential that WebAssembly holds in revolutionizing computing across platforms and industries. We will discuss the advantages it offers over traditional programming languages and platforms, such as improved performance, enhanced security, and cross-platform compatibility. Through real-world use cases, we will demonstrate how WebAssembly can be applied to various domains, including web development, desktop and mobile applications, gaming and multimedia, scientific computing and data analysis, edge and cloud computing, embedded systems and IoT, blockchain, and artificial intelligence and machine learning.
5. UNDERSTANDING WEBASSEMBLY 02
6. WebAssembly, often abbreviated as Wasm, is a binary instruction format designed to be executed within web browsers but has expanded its reach to other computing contexts. WebAssembly serves as an efficient and portable compilation target for a wide range of programming languages, allowing high-performance code to be executed with near-native speed. Its purpose lies in bridging the gap between the web platform and lower-level programming languages, providing benefits such as faster load times, enhanced security, and improved performance. WebAssembly was initially developed as a collaborative effort by major browser vendors, including Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, and Apple. The project aimed to address the limitations of traditional web programming languages like JavaScript, introducing a new runtime that enables near-native performance for web applications. Its design allows code to be written in languages like C/C++, Rust, and others, compiled down to a compact binary format that can be efficiently executed within the browser environment What is WebAssembly?
7. Technical Underpinnings of WebAssembly WebAssembly technical underpinnings further solidify its power and versatility. It utilizes a binary format, which allows for compact representation and efficient transmission over the web. Its assembly-like language enables low-level control and optimization, enabling developers to write code with greater efficiency. The execution process of WebAssembly involves the browser's runtime environment, where it is compiled on the fly and executed by a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler. This architecture enables WebAssembly to take full advantage of the underlying hardware, resulting in exceptional performance and compatibility across different browsers and platforms.
8. Built with WebAssembly This section is dedicated to showcasing real-world examples of what can be achieved with WebAssembly. From high-performance web applications and multimedia tools to 3D modeling and complex CAD software, WebAssembly has become a fundamental building block for a diverse range of applications. These examples illustrate the power and flexibility of WebAssembly, offering improved performance, cross-platform compatibility, and a seamless user experience. Fusion 360 Figma AutoCAD Web Google Earth Mattermost
9. ADVANTAGES OF WEB ASSEMBLY 03
10. Some of WebAssembly Benefits WebAssembly offers several advantages that make it a compelling technology for a wide range of applications and industries. Here are some of the key advantages of WebAssembly: 1 Improved Performance 2 Cross Platform Compatibility 3 Security 4 Memory Safety 5 Future Proofing 6 Native Like Experience 7 Interoperability 8 Open Standard 9 Browser Integration 10 Efficient Size
11. USE CASES OF WEB ASSEMBLY 04
12. Use Cases of WebAssembly HTML5 canvas and multimedia: With WebAssembly, you can create rich, interactive visualizations and multimedia experiences on the web. It opens up a whole world of possibilities! These are web applications that can work offline, load quickly, and provide a more app-like experience. WebAssembly allows developers to make these PWAs faster and more efficient. High-performance computing: WebAssembly can be used to run compute-intensive tasks efficiently, enabling desktop-like performance in the browser. Native-like user experiences: By using WebAssembly, developers can build web applications that closely mimic the user experience of native desktop or mobile apps. Web Development & Beyond Progress Web Application Desktop & Mobile Apps
13. Use Cases of WebAssembly (Contd.) Real-time graphics and audio: WebAssembly brings the power of high-performance computing to the browser, making it possible to create graphically-rich and immersive gaming experiences. Seamless deployment across platforms: With WebAssembly, game developers can write their code once and have it run on different platforms without having to worry about compatibility issues. Accelerating computationally intensive tasks: WebAssembly can greatly speed up complex calculations and scientific simulations performed in the browser, making it a valuable tool for scientists and data analysts. Offloading processing to remote servers: WebAssembly can be used to offload computationally intensive tasks to remote servers, enabling applications to handle heavy workloads without putting too much strain on the user's device. Game Development & Multimedia Scientific Computing & Data Analysis Edge & Cloud Computing
14. Use Cases of WebAssembly (Contd.) Resource-constrained environments: WebAssembly's small size and efficiency make it suitable for running code on resource-constrained devices like microcontrollers, allowing for the development of IoT applications. Enabling firmware-level functionalities: With WebAssembly, developers can write code that runs directly on the firmware of IoT devices, enabling enhanced capabilities and versatility. Smart contracts & decentralized computing: WebAssembly can be used to build smart contracts and enable decentralized computing in blockchain networks, enhancing security, trust, and transparency. Enhancing security and trust: WebAssembly's sandboxed execution environment provides an additional layer of security for running decentralized applications, making them less prone to attacks. Optimized algorithms and model deployment: WebAssembly allows developers to run optimized algorithms and deploy machine learning models directly in the browser, opening up possibilities for AI-powered web applications. Embedded systems and IoT Blockchain and DApps AI and Machine Learning
15. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND CHALLENGES 05
16. Some of The Current & Upcoming Features Threading: WebAssembly is working towards adding support for threading, which will enable concurrent execution and unlock even greater performance optimizations. Garbage Collection: Efforts are underway to incorporate garbage collection in WebAssembly, which will improve memory management and make it easier for developers to write memory-safe code. Multiple Memories: This proposal adds the ability to use multiple memories within a single Wasm module. In the current version of Wasm, an application can already create multiple memories, but only by splitting things up into multiple modules.
17. Adoption Challenges and Ongoing Efforts Tooling and Developer Ecosystem: While WebAssembly has gained popularity, the tooling and developer ecosystem are still evolving. This means that developers may face challenges in finding comprehensive documentation, libraries, and frameworks specifically tailored for WebAssembly. However, there are ongoing efforts to address these challenges. Organizations, communities, and developers are actively working to improve tooling, build robust libraries and frameworks, and create learning resources to support the WebAssembly ecosystem. Browser Support: WebAssembly has made significant strides in terms of browser support, with major browsers adopting it. However, ensuring consistent and reliable cross-browser compatibility remains an ongoing effort. Standardization organizations, such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the WebAssembly Community Group, are actively collaborating to establish common standards and guidelines for WebAssembly implementations. This collaboration aims to ensure that developers can rely on consistent behavior across different browsers. Developer Education: As WebAssembly is a relatively new technology, there is a need for educational resources and training to help developers understand its concepts, best practices, and capabilities. Organizations, communities, and online platforms are actively working to create tutorials, guides, and educational materials to empower developers and bridge the knowledge gap. Language Support and Integration: WebAssembly primarily supports C/C++ and Rust as programming languages, which may pose a challenge for developers who primarily work with other languages. However, with the growing adoption of WebAssembly, efforts are underway to extend language support and enable seamless integration with a wider range of programming languages. For example, projects like AssemblyScript aim to bring TypeScript-like syntax to WebAssembly, making it more accessible to JavaScript developers. Size Optimization: Although WebAssembly is designed to be compact and efficient, reducing the size of WebAssembly modules is still an ongoing concern. Smaller file sizes result in faster loading times and a better user experience. Various tools, techniques, and compression algorithms are being developed to minimize the size of WebAssembly modules without sacrificing performance.
18. Potential Integration with Emerging Technologies Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR): WebAssembly can enhance the performance and interactivity of VR and AR applications, allowing for more immersive experiences on the web. Internet of Things (IoT): WebAssembly's small footprint makes it ideal for running code on resource-constrained IoT devices, enabling smarter and more connected IoT solutions. Quantum Computing: As quantum computing continues to advance, WebAssembly could be used as a means to deploy and execute quantum algorithms directly in the browser, making this cutting-edge technology more accessible.
19. CONCLUSIONS 06
20. Conclusions In closing, I must say that WebAssembly is a game-changer technology in the world of web engineering. It offers a fresh perspective, empowering developers to push the boundaries of what's possible on the web and create experiences that were once only imaginable in native applications. As WebAssembly continues to grow and evolve, it's an exciting time for developers to explore its potential and contribute to its vibrant ecosystem. Looking forward to what’s next on WebAssembly!
21. CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, and includes icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik Thanks! Do you have any questions? desmond.obisi.g20@gmail.com LinkedIn: Desmond Obisi