What is web assembly and how it may affect the future of JavaScript

1. What is it & How will it affect JavaScript
By Ziv Birer, Technical lead with HPE Software

2. Netscape
(1995)
Server
(2009)
Mobile
(2010)
Web
Assembly
(2015)

3. • Games
• Video processing
• Image processing
• Virtual reality

5. Subset of JS + hints
• Static typed variables
• Only “low level” operation
“asm.js” mode
• Precompile all code
• Performance optimizations
• No garbage collection

6. Vertical bar 0
integer
asm.js code
function _main() {
"use asm";
var $0 = 0, $vararg_buffer = 0, label = 0;
var sp = 0; sp = STACKTOP;
STACKTOP = STACKTOP + 16|0;
if ((STACKTOP|0) >= (STACK_MAX|0))
abort();
$vararg_buffer = sp; $0 = 0;
(_printf(672,$vararg_buffer)|0);
STACKTOP = sp;
return 0;
}
Simple code
Valid JS code

9. 9
• A new browser language
• Compilation target from other language
• Typed variables
• Multi threaded
• Garbage collection
• Load fast (quick parsing)

10. asm.js
function () {
"use asm";
function add(x, y) {
x = x | 0;
y = y | 0;
return x + y | 0;
}
return { add: add };
}
(module
(export $add “add” $add)
(func $add
(param $x i32)
(param $y i32)
(result i32)
(i32.add
(get_local $x)
(get_local $y)
)
)
)
web assembly

12. Web Applications• Games
• CAD
• Video editing
• Image editing
• Scientific visualization
• Virtual reality
• Augment reality

13. 48
photo: panoramio.com
Summary
New “low level” language of browsers
It is a “target” language (from C/C++)
Fast almost as native languages
For running “heavy” applications on the browser
Still under development
May affect future of JavaScript@bmihaylov | Voxxed Days Thessaloniki 2016

14. Thank you !