Binary format for the web
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© Lead Image © hasselblad15, photocase.com
The WebAssembly project makes a portable binary for browsers, with a focus on minimizing size and load time. C and C++ programs are used as source, which makes it possible to compile virtually any application for the web.
Relocating applications to the browser is not exactly an innovation. However, WebAssembly [1] has announced a format that intelligently combines the desktop and the web. The Emscripten SDK [2] plays a leading role by offering an LLVM-based compiler [3] that translates C and C++ programs to standard JavaScript, making extensive porting redundant and thus building a simple bridge to the web.
Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between the tools and toolchains involved and shows that WebAssembly not only supports applications in the browser, but locally executes programs, as well.
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