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General Discussion => Off-Topic Discussions => Topic started by: Flying Jester on June 18, 2015, 01:19:32 pm

Title: WebAssembly
Post by: Flying Jester on June 18, 2015, 01:19:32 pm
https://blog.mozilla.org/luke/2015/06/17/webassembly/ (https://blog.mozilla.org/luke/2015/06/17/webassembly/)

So, this is what happens when the NaCl and asm.js folks compromise, I suppose.

I don't really do anything that would make me immediately want to use wasm, but I do like the idea because I think it will make asm.js a little less important. I like the idea that there will be a cleaner divide between how JS is used effectively and how asm.js is supposed to be used. JS no longer will need to be a medium for the ASM of the web, it can only be a higher level construct.

Of course, the advances in performance from asm.js are still good to have, and it's good that JS performance has gotten such a huge boost so far. I highly doubt that raw JS performance will stop being important in the near future, even with wasm.
Title: Re: WebAssembly
Post by: DaVince on June 18, 2015, 03:42:37 pm
I like the implications of this. They've properly been thinking about this!
Title: Re: WebAssembly
Post by: FBnil on June 18, 2015, 04:42:46 pm
Very useful for rich webpages, like corporate intranet applications... with save, and signed asm apps. But would make it unsaver to browse shady sites. (although there is already obscure JS out there)
we will need virus scanners before you compile and execute downloaded webpages... (or start using no-asm plugins) unreadable for review unless there is a sort of de-compiler.

Combine that with the new plans of removing the clear text HTTP get/send headers... at least it a bit of work to reduce the size of web pages, for when the Internet clogs up and collapses due to more and more and bigger downloads.

Title: Re: WebAssembly
Post by: Flying Jester on June 18, 2015, 09:23:28 pm
unreadable for review unless there is a sort of de-compiler.


Have you ever tried to read a non-trivial asm.js script? :P
Title: Re: WebAssembly
Post by: FBnil on June 21, 2015, 04:41:10 pm
jejeje.... not really, but I guess its easier than a minified js script... (where even variables are p,a,c,k,e,d)