Since the web evolved into a platform not just for documents but also for applications, some of the most advanced ones have pushed web browsers to their limits. This is how WebAssembly was born—a technology that enables applications to run faster and more efficiently in a web browser.
How is this achieved? Compiling code into a binary format that runs directly in the browser, reduces the need for translation and speeds up the loading and execution process of the application. Simply put, WebAssembly makes online applications run faster and more efficiently, significantly improving user experience and increasing productivity for businesses using web applications.
WebAssembly’s ability to run code in multiple programming languages, including C, C++, Rust, and others, has opened up a wide range of possibilities for developing advanced and high-speed web applications. This has led to a surge of interest from developers, businesses, and software communities worldwide.
What is WebAssembly?
WebAssembly is a new type of code that can be executed in modern browsers, providing new functionalities and performance improvements. It is not intended to be written by hand but designed as a compilation target for low-level languages.
The most important thing is that developers do not need to understand how WebAssembly code is created to take advantage of it. WebAssembly modules can be imported into a web application, exposing functions to be used via JavaScript. JavaScript environments can leverage WebAssembly for significant performance gains and new functionalities while remaining easily accessible to web developers.
Another advantage of having its modules distributed across the web is that it allows teams to work from anywhere, regardless of their work modality. If a company wants to hire remote developers skilled in or willing to learn WebAssembly, they can do so from anywhere in the world without investing in additional training, courses, or programs.
Benefits of WebAssembly
WebAssembly offers several key benefits that make it a breakthrough in software development:
- Speed and Performance: WebAssembly enables the deployment of applications that require executing code at near-native speed, utilizing the full capabilities of the device’s hardware.
- Security Sandbox: WebAssembly operates within the security framework of web browsers, allowing for standard security checks currently implemented with JavaScript, such as verifying code origin, restricting access to external content, and requesting permissions for hardware access.
- Open and Transparent: Just like JavaScript, WebAssembly code can be inspected, making it easier to verify what is running in the browser and aiding debugging.
- Small Download Sizes: Even though it compiles to native code, WebAssembly modules are very small—often less than half the size of an equivalent JavaScript program. This is because WebAssembly uses a compressed binary format that downloads quickly. Smaller file sizes mean faster load times and reduced data and bandwidth usage.
- Multi-Language Compatibility: WebAssembly supports programming languages such as C/C++, Rust, Go, and more. This allows developers to use their preferred language instead of JavaScript when building for the web. Migrating existing codebases to WebAssembly unlocks significant potential for code reuse on the web.
Why Is WebAssembly Gaining So Much Attention Now?
A key reason behind WebAssembly’s recent surge in popularity is the growing need to run more computationally intensive code in web browsers. People are spending increasing amounts of time on web-based applications rather than traditional desktop software. This has created an urgent need to remove performance-related barriers to running a broad range of applications in a browser.
Another major factor is portability. While WebAssembly assumes certain prerequisites for execution environments, it is designed to run efficiently across various operating systems and processor architectures. This means WebAssembly code can be written in multiple languages and executed on a wide range of devices.
Additionally, WebAssembly code runs inside a virtual machine. Each WebAssembly module executes within a sandboxed environment, isolated from the host runtime through fault isolation techniques. This means applications run separately from the rest of their host environment, preventing them from bypassing security restrictions without going through proper APIs.
The Future of WebAssembly
WebAssembly is expected to continue growing in popularity and become an increasingly integral part of web development, benefiting both in-house and remote developers. With the ability to efficiently execute code across multiple platforms and programming languages, WebAssembly is likely to become an essential tool for building high-performance web applications.
Additionally, WebAssembly is being embraced by major companies such as Google, Mozilla, Apple, and Microsoft, indicating that investment and interest in this technology will continue to rise. In summary, WebAssembly is set to provide web developers with a more efficient and versatile way to create applications, driving innovation and creativity in the industry.
Thanks to WebAssembly, we can expect a significant increase in web-based applications, allowing nearly anything currently available in native applications to run inside a web browser.
- Entertainment: Developers will have more tools to create high-performance games that require extensive processing power.
- Content Creation: WebAssembly will enable the development of advanced multimedia editing applications (e.g., video and high-resolution image editing software), rivaling industry-standard programs like Photoshop or Premiere.
- Business and Enterprise Applications: Scientific computing, big data processing (without relying on server-side operations), and artificial intelligence applications will become more feasible within web environments.
Looking Ahead
The future looks promising for WebAssembly in web development. As adoption increases, it is expected to become mainstream in areas like 3D gaming, computer vision, machine learning, cryptography, and other high-performance applications.
WebAssembly is paving the way for a secure and optimized next-generation web platform. It is one of the most significant advancements in web technology in recent years, opening new possibilities for performance and functionality. This enables developers to create sophisticated web applications that rival native desktop and mobile apps.