Once upon a time, the only way to run code on a website was through JavaScript. The problem with JavaScript is that it runs pretty slowly and performance can be a struggle in certain performance-sensitive situations.
The benefit of Javascript technology is that the code can be distributed easily and can be run within any modern browser. The downside is that there is no way to easily view and modify the code.
Many developers have been looking for a solution to get around the issues they face with JavaScript. That’s why the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) founded by Tim Berners-Lee developed a new method called WebAssembly (WASM).
What is WebAssembly?
So what is webassembly? WebAssembly is also known as Wasm (abbrev) is an open-source, standardised web programming language that is being used with major browsers.
In order for WebAssembly (WASM) to function, the browser must be able to handle the language. Mozilla (Firefox), Microsoft (Edge), Apple (Safari) and Google (Chrome) have all been involved in the development process. You can find out on “Can I use Wasm” which browser versions support it and look at the roadmap.
Advantages of WebAssembly
The goal of WebAssembley is to help make web development faster and more accessible to developers of all types, not just web application designers and it is growing in popularity.
WebAssembly has proven to be an easy and fast way to speed up websites, so we’re moving towards more and more WebAssembly-based sites.
However, the performance advantages are only going to get better with time, as browsers begin to support more and more features that enable WebAssembly to do its thing.
WebAssembly is a new standard for building HTML5 apps on the web.
Performs equally well on Cross-platforms, desktop and mobile operating systems.