What is WASM (Web Assembly)?

The Blockchain industry is one that is always seeking growth and improvement. The industry boomed and evolved recently after the inception of Ethereum, which was powered by the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Although the EVM is effective to an extent, a new player has come to town in the form of WebAssembly (WASM). In this article we are going to look at what WebAssembly is, how it works, and its ties with the Cryptocurrency industry.

What is Web Assembly (WASM)?

Web Assembly, popularly referred to as WASM, is an open-source framework that allows programmers to use its source code or modify it however the developer wishes. WASM takes it a step further with a binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine (VM). It is used as a portable compilation target for high-level programming languages. It is a small, swift binary option that promises near-native performance for web applications.

WebAssembly was designed to serve as a compilation target for any language, including JavaScript. This means developers can compile several programming languages like C/C++, Go, Rust, and many more into a single standard that can be run nearly natively in browsers as a close alternative to JavaScript.

Developers can make use of Web Assembly for high-performance use cases like games, music streaming, video editing, and Computer-aided design (CAD) applications. Several web services have already adopted WASM, for example, Google Earth and Figma.

History of WebAssembly

WebAssembly was developed to solve the need for improved web performance and the desire to introduce a wider range of languages into the web platform. In 2015, the WebAssembly Community Group, comprising Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, and Apple, created a new binary format. In 2017, WebAssembly MVP (Minimum Viable Product) was released to provide a stable foundation for the binary format, execution model, and integration into the web platform.

The next release was the browser support, with major browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge incorporating WebAssembly. Developers discovered the usefulness of the technology outside web browsers and began exploring the use of WASM in the area of server-side environments for high-performance computing.

How Does Web Assembly Work?

To get a grasp of how WebAssembly functions, you need to understand how the JavaScript engine works. In order to compile JS code, the engine does a few things, such as passing the code through the Parser, which is a tool that goes through the code line by line, verifying the valid syntax as well as the code types. Once that is completed, the Parser creates a tree data structure called an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST).

Once the AST is created, the engine interpreter takes the AST and converts it into Bytecode, which is an intermediate representation of the code. The engine compiler then takes the Bytecode and turns it into code that machines can run on their processor.

WebAssembly functions differently from JavaScript and is said to be faster because the WASM code goes directly to the compiler, effectively skipping steps one and two in the JavaScript process. The reason for this is that, unlike JavaScript, which is a dynamically typed language, WASM is statically typed, meaning that while the language is being typed, the types are declared in advance; therefore, they are known and checked at compile time.

So when writing a WASM code, you write the code with its types, usually in a statically typed language. You then generate a pre-compiled WASM module, and finally, you run the code straight by the engine compiler, skipping the parsing and transformation stage to the Intermediate Representation stage.

Features of WebAssembly

WebAssembly was developed to compile several languages and is said to be faster than JavaScript. To be able to accomplish this feat, it has been equipped with certain features that not only guarantee the safety and security of the framework but also prove that it is to be trusted.

W3C Standard

Having established confidence in its effectiveness and credibility, WebAssembly has been added to the official languages of the web. There are currently four languages, HTML. CSS, JavaScript, and now WebAssembly. So, WebAssembly is now considered WC3 standard.

Speed and Efficiency

WebAssembly’s stack machine was built to work on binary code format, greatly affecting the load time and size. Its speed and efficiency have made it a staple in blockchain development, and many developers now make use of the language for robust ecosystems.

Safety

The virtual machine scans through the WebAssembly code, validates it, and executes it inside a memory-safe sandbox. The embedded environment restricts access to local resources, including the file system or network ports. This means that WebAssembly code gotten from the web and runs in the browser is highly limited when dealing with hardware and software resources.

Open Source

The W3C has several browser firms working on the project. This allows the community to contribute, enabling the creation of backward-compatible, featureless applications and feature-tested applications.

WebAssembly and Ethereum

WebAssembly is currently viewed as a close alternative to the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This is because, through WebAssembly, developers are now equipped with an efficient instruction set that different languages can be compiled into while ensuring it performs effectively across different platforms. The WebAssembly instruction set can also be easily deterministic by erasing floating point instructions, which would make it a viable replacement for the EVM.

Ethereum has shown interest in WebAssembly and is spearheading the efforts to develop Ethereum WebAssembly (EWASM), the proposed redesign of the Ethereum Virtual Machine. Once successful, EWASM is expected to be more efficient and allow developers to write codes in several languages due to its ties with WASM. EWASM will function like the EVM as a pre-compiled bytecode language that will be interpreted in the Ethereum nodes.

With this, dApps will become more efficient in production. The integration of WASM will make the development of smart contracts more accessible for people who are already used to popular languages like Rust and Go. This eventually eradicates the need for developers to learn how to write in solidity before creating useful applications on Ethereum.

Blockchain Projects That Make Use of WebAssembly

Even though WASM is not fully developed for blockchain activities, some projects are already utilizing it to enhance the functionality of their platforms. For example:

Cosmos

Cosmos is a blockchain developed to facilitate communication between distributed ledgers without having to wait on a central server. Popularly called the Internet of Blockchains, they were one of the first blockchains to utilize WASM as its main building stack. They implement CosmWASM, a framework for building smart contracts in WASM for Cosmos SDK, Tendermint BFT, and IBC protocol for their native blockchain development.

Polkadot

Polkadot’s use of WASM relies on being a meta protocol, allowing other languages that have been interpreted or compiled on WebAssembly. The utilization of WASM allowed forkless infrastructure and substrates to enable other applications to make adjustments to connected chains with little to no coordination.

Near Protocol

Near protocol is a public blockchain created for building decentralized applications using WebAssembly. Near uses WebAssembly as a good way to leverage web technology for enhanced performance and portability. They implemented AssemblyScript for their language as they found that it is a more portable option and also provides easy access to web developers.

Web Assembly vs JavaScript

JavaScript is a high-level, interpreted programming language that has supported web development for decades. It was developed to add interactivity to web pages and is displayed on the client side by web browsers. Over the years, the language’s popularity has grown due to how easy it is to use and the widespread adoption.

Since the inception of the World Wide Web, there has always been JavaScript. Recently, WASM (WebAssembly) has emerged, and although many believe the two are closely linked, WASM consists of several other things, including JavaScript. WASM was originally developed to help JavaScript to run more effectively in web browsers.

Although it still serves the same purpose, WASM now extends beyond the web browser and has ventured into edge and server applications, two areas JavaScript is known to be lacking. This is possible because, on the CPU level, WASM runs in a binary format and is also not a programming language like JavaScript. WASM provides extra functionality that accommodates a number of different languages like JavaScript, Python, Rust, and many more.WASM’s edge over JavaScript remains its ability to integrate with the language while not being limited to JavaScript. The integration gives JavaScript a major boost in performance by compiling the already interpreted language and its runtime into WASM modules.

WebAssembly Vs Rust

WebAssembly and Rust are two very distinct technologies, but at the same time are often associated with each other. Rust is a popular programming language known for its speed, safety, and high performance. WebAssembly, on the other hand, is a compiler that converts codes into executable machines. Aside from their definitions, the two technologies are different in the following ways.

Web Development

WASM is primarily used in web development, enabling the execution of code on web browsers, including JavaScript. At the same time, Rust is an all-purpose language that has several applications, including system programming, game development, and many more.

Syntax and Language Features

WASM is not a programming language but is a binary instruction format and can be targeted by languages like C, C++, and Rust. Rust, on the other hand, is a language with its syntax and features like borrowing, ownership, and many more.

Memory Management

WASM utilizes a linear memory model that provides linear address space that is easily accessed by the program. Memory management is handled manually by the developer and is kept explicit. Rust, on the other hand, places emphasis on memory safety. It makes use of a borrow checker and ownership system that enforces a strict rule at the time of compilation that eliminates several bugs known to affect memory safety.

Concurrency

Rust is equipped with its own support for concurrency programming through its ownership system, which allows developers to write safe and concurrency code without the risk of data races. Unlike Rust, WASM does not have such features; however, it can leverage the host environment’s concurrency features.

Best Resources for Getting Started With WebAssembly

When learning how to use WASM, certain courses provide the best knowledge for beginners who are looking to create WASM projects with a variety of languages. Some of these courses include:

Udemy

This course provides a complete guide to learning the WebAssembly JavaScript API and the Emscripten toolset. Once purchased, the course gives users access to more than 2 hours of on-demand video lectures and 17 downloadable educational resources.

The course gives beginners a grasp of what WebAssembly is and how it impacts web development. You would also learn how to load and run WebAssembly modules using native Java Script browser APIs.

Pluralsight

This course covers the essentials of WebAssembly and why it is important. The course will show you how to build apps using WebAssembly and how to create web applications using other languages like C/C++.

Freecode Camp

This free course on WebAssembly gives beginners a breakdown of what WASM is about. It teaches you how to write, compile, include, and instantiate the code. It provides a step-by-step guide on how to compile C++ code into WASM.

Conclusion

WebAssembly currently stands at the forefront of web development and its speed, security, and adaptability are major features developers believe will usher in a new world for Decentralized Applications. As more products are looking to make use of WASM, the doors of a future where smart contracts are easily developed and secured with the languages the developer knows are just within reach.